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Eiffel Tower Facts

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Below are some of the facts about the Eiffel Tower:

  • La tour Eiffel is the French name of the Eiffel tower. Its nickname is La Dame de fer that means ‘iron lady.’
  • It is known that Gustave Eiffel designed the Eiffel tower, but actually it was designed by two of his engineers Emile Nouguier and Maurice Koechlin. Eiffel had rejected many of their sketches before approving the present one.
  • Originally Eiffel decided to pitch the tower at Barcelona, Spain, but they rejected it with the idea that it will be an eye sore in the skyline. Later, Paris was looking for a monument for commemorating 100th year of French revolution. This design was picked among 100 other designs and the construction started on January 28, 1887.
  • On completion the tower was 984 feet high and it was the tallest structure at that time. It maintained its status for the next 41 years until in 1930 the Chrysler Building of New York City was built at 1046 feet.
  • When it was erected many people disliked the structure and showed that openly. There was plans that it will be dismantled after 20 years. However, it proved to be great for radio antenna and it stands with its glory until today.
  • During winter the tower shrinks by 6 inches and grows by same during the warm days.
  • The Eiffel tower holds the prestige of being the most visited paid monument in the world welcoming almost 7 million people per year.
  • After the Nazis entered Paris during WWII the Parisians cut the cable of the lift of the tower. They did so that Hitler couldn’t reach the top of the tower easily. He had to take 1665 steps to reach the top.
  • Although there stairs in the tower everybody uses lift to reach the top. Every year the lift travels almost a combined distance of 103,000 km, which is nearly two and a half times the earth’s circumference.
  • The tower was also sold to scrap dealer by a con artist named Victor Lustig!
  • The tower is repainted every seven years and for that 60 tons of paint is required.
  • While testing a parachute designed by him, inventor Franz Reichelt died from Eiffel tower.
  • Around the world there are 30 replicas of the Eiffel tower.
  • The top of the Eiffel tower was reconstructed in 1902 after a lighting struck and damaged a part of it.
  • It takes 20,000 light bulbs and 22 megawatts of electricity per day to light the tower.
  • The tower has private apartment at the very top accessible only to Gustave Eiffel during his lifetime. Envious Parisians frequently offered large sums of money to spend a night in this penthouse, but he always refused. Although he would occasionally entertain famous guests. One notable guest is Thomas Edison.