The story of how and why the Eiffel Tower came to be the symbol of Paris, France is as enchanting as the tower itself. The image of this historical monument is synonymous with all that is Paris. For years, people have marveled at its enormity and beauty but few know the skepticism and deep French history behind the tower. What started as a contest in 1889 has ironically changed the history and landscape of France forever.
The Eiffel Tower was built in 1889 to commemorate the 100-year anniversary of the French Revolution. A competition was held in 1887 for the best design concept of the structure and out of 700 proposals Alexandre Gustave Eiffel, a structural engineer, was chosen as the winner.
The Eiffel Tower debuted at the Paris Exposition of 1889 and was presented to the public in May of that same year by Edward, Prince of Wales, who would later become King Edward VII of England.
Gustave's Eiffel Tower was not beloved by all in Paris. In fact, many in the arts, such as Charles Gounod and Alexandre Dumas, wrote letters and petitions objecting to the tower. Deeming the tower "useless" and "monstrous," the 300 protesters felt it was in poor taste and did not reflect the city's character.
However, their protests did little to curb the construction of the tower; which took 300 steel workers 40 tons of paint and 26 months to erect.
Made of iron lattice work, the Eiffel Tower would stand alone as the world's tallest building for 40 years, until the Empire State Building was erected. It's total height is 324 meters or a little over 1,000 feet.
Gustave, who was interested in science, constructed the top of the tower's peak to measure the speed of wind. According to the tower's official site, the maximum sway at the top was recorded at 9 centimeters or 3.4 inches. Several experiments have taken place at the tower including the first mercury barometer use and the first experiment of radio transmission.
Originally, according to the rules of the competition, the tower was only to stand for 20 years before it would be torn down and the use of the land would be returned to the City of Paris. However, the tower was not only impossible to tear down due to its immense size and iron composition, but it had also become valuable for communication purposes in Paris by 1909.
In 1910, the tower began to be used for the International Time Service and has been used for radio broadcasting and as an observation tower.
What was considered an eyesore is now one of the most recognized symbols in the world. The Eiffel Tower is a significant part of France's history. Today, the monument is a great tourist attraction, complete with restaurants, souvenir shops and tours. Over 100 years later, visitors from far and wide, as much as 6 million in 2009 alone, come to the monument to observe the city from a bird's-eye view.
