360The Eiffel Tower is completed in Paris
On 31 March 1889, the engineer Gustave Eiffel climbed to the top of his new iron tower in Paris and raised the French flag. Built for the World's Fair marking the centenary of the French Revolution, it stood about 300 m high, the tallest structure on Earth. Many artists called it ugly. It became the symbol of Paris.
For the 1889 Exposition Universelle in Paris, organisers held a competition for a striking monument. The design chosen came from engineers working for Gustave Eiffel's company.
Construction began in January 1887. Around 18,000 iron parts, held together by about 2.5 million rivets, were made in the factory and assembled on site. It took just over two years.
On 31 March 1889, Eiffel climbed the stairs to the top and raised the flag. The tower opened to visitors during the fair. Some leading artists and writers had published a protest calling it a monstrous eyesore.
It was meant to stand for only 20 years, but proved useful for radio experiments and was kept. It remained the world's tallest structure until 1930. Today about six million people visit it every year.
- January 1887
- Construction begins
- 31 March 1889
- The tower is completed
- May 1889
- It opens to visitors at the World's Fair
- 1930
- New York's Chrysler Building overtakes it in height
Sources: Société d'Exploitation de la Tour Eiffel · Britannica.