Eiffel Tower History Facts
|
Eiffel Tower is the symbol of Paris and France. The moment someone speaks about Paris, immediately this majestic tower comes into mind. The tower was built in 1889 for the International Exhibition of Paris, which was held to commemorate the centenary of the French Revolution.
|
The Eiffel Tower was inaugurated by the Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII.
When the idea to build something for the International Exhibition of Paris was thought of, 700 proposals were sent. The design of Gustave Eiffel was selected unanimously. However, it must be informed that the design was not accepted initially. Some 300 people signed a petition to protest against the construction of the Eiffel Tower, and some of the people who signed the petition were Guy de Maupassant, Emile Zola and Charles Garnier.
The Eiffel Tower was the tallest building in the world until 1930. It stands 300 meters tall and weighs 7,000 tons. If the antenna is included, the height increases to 320.75 meters.
Some facts about the Eiffel Tower are as follows:
- 2.5 million rivets were used fit all the iron pieces together
- 15,000 iron pieces are used
- 300 steel workers worked for 2 years from 1887 to 1889 to construct it
- 1,652 steps lead to the top
- 40 tons of paint was used on the Tower
- In high winds, the Eiffel Tower sway is nearly 12 centimeters
- Depending on the temperature, height of the Tower varies up to 15 centimeters
- The Eiffel Tower was nearly razed to ground in 1909 but it was decided against tearing it down because the antenna on it was used for military and other purposes.
- The gained importance in the lives of French people after it played an important role in capturing the spy Mata Hari during World War I
|
Eiffel Tower History Facts
