
The history of the Eiffel tower is a piece of national heritage. It has long served as the representation of France and Paris. But when Gustave Eiffel finished building it in 1889, the tower wasn’t even close to being the Parisians’ favorite landmark; it was only meant to be a temporary feature in the city’s landscape.
History of the Eiffel Tower: the beginning

For 127 years, the most visited tourist destination in Paris has reached the city’s skies. It wasn’t meant to last, even though it is currently a symbol of France. Without a doubt, the 1889 Universal Exposition marked a turning point in the history of the Eiffel Tower.
Gustave Eiffel’s design was chosen from among the 107 submissions in a competition held to mark the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution with the goal of “building on the Champ-de-Mars an iron tower with a square base, 125 meters wide and 300 meters high.” Stephen Sauvestre, an architect, and engineers Maurice Koechlin and Emile Nouguier stood by his side.
The Iron Lady dealing with doubters

The history of the Eiffel Tower was not a simple one. Many people at the time opposed the structure and expressed their opposition in a letter titled “Artists Against Mr. Eiffel’s Tower,” claiming that the tower posed a threat to Paris’ aesthetic appeal. An iron tower built right in the middle of Paris was viewed as unacceptable because it stood in stark contrast to the sophistication and refined beauty of the city. Verlaine, for instance, gave the Eiffel Tower the moniker “Skeleton of Beffroi” to highlight how awkward the enormous tower looked and how it would inevitably “disfigure” the city.
The construction of the Eiffel Tower (1887-1889)

Despite the commotion, the frail iron tower would survive the day. It’s critical to understand the construction process of the Eiffel Tower in order to comprehend its history. The actual building process took two years.
- The project started in June 1884, and the initial drawings were completed.
- The construction starts on January 28th, 1887.
- On April 1st, 1888, the initial phase was finished.
- Finished on August 14th, 1888, was the second phase.
- On March 31st, 1889, the tower’s third and final stage of construction came to an end.
- Inauguration day for the Eiffel Tower was March 31, 1889. Gustave Eiffel climbed the Tower’s 1,710 stairs to place the tricolor French flag atop it. The Tower was 312 meters high at the time.
The tale of how a temporary structure became a symbol of France

The construction of the tower’s licensing rights under the convention had already been predetermined to expire after 20 years, at which point it would be completely destroyed. However, during the Universal Exposition, Tower received two million visitors. After such remarkable success, the structure came to represent the might of French industry. Tower experienced the same level of success at the 1900 Universal Exposition. Gustave Eiffel went to great lengths to demonstrate the Tower’s scientific value in an effort to stop its destruction. However, the Tower’s use as a radio antenna tower, first for military communications and then for ongoing radiotelegraphy communications, would ultimately prove to be its saving grace. In fact, the Tower served a variety of purposes during the First World War.
The Eiffel Tower’s success story

About 7 million people climb the Tower each year. Due to its widespread success, numerous nations have built replicas of the Tower that are almost exact replicas of the original. Is it possible to envision Paris without the Eiffel Tower. Don’t miss the Eiffel Tower light displays while you are visiting Paris; they have been entertaining visitors and locals alike since the end of the XIXth century.

Blanche Monnier: Imprisoned For 25 Years For Falling in Love
Blanche Monnier, she was a French woman noted for her beauty, she wished to marry an old lawyer that her mother disapproved of, so she locked her in a small dark room in her attic for 25 years.

A Brief History of the PlayStation Gaming Console
Sony's PlayStation was never meant to be an actual product. Instead, it was intended to be a CD-ROM console that would support Nintendo games. However, when Nintendo backed out of the deal at the last minute, Sony went ahead and launched what soon became one of the most successful gaming consoles of all time.

Did Gil Pérez Really Teleport from Manila to Mexico Overnight? The 1593 Mystery
On October 24, 1593, while performing his guard duties at Manila's Governor's Palace in the Philippines, Gil Perez stopped to lean against a wall and sleep for a while. He opened his eyes to find himself in an unusual environment. Gil was in the Plaza Mayor in Mexico City. They imprisoned Perez, but the authorities in Mexico City decided to release him and return him home.

Man's Blood Helped Save Millions of Babies
Australian blood donor James Harrison has been one of our most impressive and valued donors, having donated for 60 years. Know his story, how he was a pioneer of our Anti-D program, and why this matters.

How Dmitri Mendeleev Developed the periodic table of the elements
1850 Dmitri Mendeleev walked almost a thousand miles to Moscow so he could apply for the University of Moscow. Although he was not accepted, he walked to St. Petersburg where he was accepted, And with that education, he developed the the periodic table of the elements

The 1814 London beer flood
In 1814, there was a beer flood in London when a tank containing more than 300,000 gallons ruptured in which 8 people drowned.

What Was the Beast of Gévaudan?
Between 1764 and 1767, a mysterious animal called the Beast of Gévaudan terrorized the French village called Gévaudan. It attacked and killed about 100 adults and children. While most believe it was a wolf, some say it may have been a wolf-dog hybrid, hyena or even a lion, but without any genetic evidence, the beast will remain a mystery forever.

How a Total Lunar Eclipse Saved Christopher Columbus in 1504
In 1504, Christopher Columbus was stranded in Jamaica with natives who refused to give him food. But he knew the date and time of an upcoming lunar eclipse. So he told the natives that his gods were angry at their treatment of him, and would provide a clear sign. Once the eclipse started, the natives raced to give him food and begged for mercy.

Tunnels Dug by ancient giant sloths, A South American Megafauna
For years, scientists didn’t know what caused mysterious cave networks in South America. In 2010, they learned that the caves were actually tunnels dug by ancient giant sloths

Susanna Salter: The Trailblazing Story of America’s First Female Mayor
In 1887, Susanna Salter became the first female mayor in the United States, elected in Argonia, Kansas. Her nomination was initially a prank by men opposing women in politics. However, she won by a landslide and served effectively, inspiring the women’s suffrage movement and breaking barriers for women in leadership.

The Baltic Way: the longest unbroken human chain in history
On August 23, 1989, about 2 million people from Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania formed a human chain that united all 3 countries to show the world their desire to escape the Soviet Union and the communism that brought only suffering and poverty. This power stretched 600 km.

Juliane Koepcke: The Teenager Who Fell 10,000 Feet And Trekked The Jungle to survive
In 1971, a high school student was sucked out of an airplane after it was struck by lightning. She fell 10,000 feet to the ground while still strapped to her chair and survived. Only to endure a 9-day trek to the nearest civilization.

Vince Coleman, a railway dispatcher, sacrificed his own life
Vince Coleman, a railway dispatcher, sacrificed his life in order to warn an incoming train of an imminent explosion. His telegraph said “Hold up the train. Ammunition ship afire in harbor making for Pier 6 and will explode. Guess this will be my last message. Good-bye, boys.” He saved 300 lives.

Graves holding hands over wall, A Catholic woman and her Protestant husband grave
A protestant man and a Catholic woman who weren't allowed from being buried together in a graveyard in 19th-century Holland turned their graves into a monument showing them holding hands across the wall separating them.

how Ferris wheel invented
In 1891, Chicago challenged engineers to create a structure to surpass the Eiffel Tower for the World's Columbian Exposition. George Washington Gale Ferris jr. responded with the original Ferris Wheel, a giant rotating structure elevating visitors above the city. This invention became an iconic attraction at the fair.

The unbroken seal on King Tutankhamun's tomb until 1922
The unbroken seal of Tutankhamun's tomb before it was opened in 1923, it was unbroken for over 3000 years.

The Littlest Skyscraper: How J.D. McMahon’s 480-Inch Con Fooled Investors in 1919
In 1919, J.D. McMahon convinced investors to fund a 480-foot skyscraper, but he labeled the plans as 480 inches, building a 40-foot structure instead. After taking $200,000, he won in court since the plans matched what he built.

The Tragic Story Of Mary Ann Bevan, The ‘Ugliest Woman In The World’
After the death of her husband, Mary Ann Bevan had no income to support herself and her children. She then decided to enter a contest where she won the title of “ugliest woman” and was later hired by a circus. She endured this ridicule from the world to provide for her family.

Albert Einstein’s brain after it was stolen from his body
Albert Einstein's brain was taken by the opportunistic pathologist who performed his autopsy hours after he died and kept in two jars for 30 years. The stolen brain of Albert Einstein was preserved in a cookie jar for 30 years until being discovered by a journalist.

The worst blizzard in recorded history: the 1972 Iran blizzard
The deadliest snowstorm ever recorded occurred in Iran in 1972. It lasted for a week, burying areas in 26 feet of snow and killing over 4,000 people, including the entire populations of three villages.

The story of Bill Haast, who lived to be 100 despite his extensive snake venom injections
Bill Haast immunized himself by injecting snake venom into his blood for several years. He holds the Guinness World Record for surviving the most lethal snake bites, having been bitten over 172 times. Bill became known as "Snake Man" around the world and lived for over 100 years.

The incredible story of Julia "Butterfly" Hill and her legacy
American environmental activist Julia “Butterfly” Hill lived in a 1500-year-old California Redwood tree for 738 days to prevent it from being cut down by the Pacific Lumber Company. The Simpson’s episode “Lisa the Tree Hugger” was inspired by Hill’s story.

Remembering the 1945 Empire State Building Disaster: When a Plane Met Skyscraper
An airplane crashed into the Empire State Building in 1945. Among other damage, plane parts severed the cables of an elevator and the woman inside fell over 70 stories. She lived and holds the world record for the longest survived elevator fall.

Medals of Friendship: The Enduring Olympic Story of 1936
At the 1936 Summer Olympics, two Japanese pole vaulters named Sueo Oe and Shuhei Nishida tied for second, but they declined to compete against each other. As a result, Nishida was awarded the silver medal and Oe won a bronze medal. Upon returning to Japan, the athletes had their medals cut in half and spliced together to create new "friendship medals," which were half silver and half bronze.

Franz Ferdinand’s Assassination that sparked World War I
Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his wife Sophie are shot to death by a Bosnian Serb nationalist during an official visit to the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo on June 28, 1914. The killings sparked a chain of events that led to the eruption of World War I by early August.