Eiffel Tower History

• June 1884: The history of the Eiffel Tower was born when engineers Maurice Koechlin and Émile Nouguier, along with architect Stephen Sauvestre, designed the initial plans. Gustave Eiffel approved the project, recognizing its potential as a centrepiece for the 1889 Exposition Universelle in Paris.

• January 28th, 1887: The construction of the Eiffel Tower officially began. Gustave Eiffel's company, Eiffel et Cie, oversaw the project. The foundational work commenced with the careful positioning of the tower's four pillars, setting the stage for the remarkable structure that would soon rise above Paris.

• April 1st, 1888: By this time, the construction had reached the first level. This significant milestone demonstrated the rapid progress and engineering prowess involved in erecting the tower. The innovative use of prefabricated iron pieces and cranes facilitated the assembly, showcasing modern construction techniques.

• March 31st, 1889: The Eiffel Tower was completed and officially inaugurated. Gustave Eiffel himself ascended the tower to plant the French flag at its peak. The tower, standing at 324 metres, was the tallest man-made structure in the world at the time, symbolising French industrial prowess and architectural innovation.

• March 31st, 1909: The Eiffel Tower celebrated its 20th anniversary since its completion and official inauguration. By this time, the tower had firmly established itself as a global icon of architectural innovation and French engineering excellence. Originally intended to be dismantled after 20 years, the tower's popularity and utility for radio transmissions ensured its preservation. Standing at 324 meters, it remained the tallest man-made structure in the world, continuing to draw millions of visitors and serving as a symbol of Paris and the French nation.

The Eiffel Tower's history of lights began in 1889 with 10,000 gas lamps for the Exposition Universelle. In the 1950s, new permanent lights were installed. In 1985, the tower received its first modern lighting system with 336 projectors, enhancing its nighttime beauty. In 2000, for the millennium, the Eiffel Tower was adorned with 20,000 sparkling bulbs, creating the now-iconic sparkle effect that lights up for five minutes every hour after dark. Today, 336 projectors and 20,000 bulbs continue to light up the tower, maintaining its status as a global symbol of Parisian elegance and innovation.

The Eiffel Tower houses several notable restaurants that have evolved. Originally, the tower featured four restaurants, one on each side of the first floor, during its opening in 1889. Today, it is home to the prestigious Le Jules Verne, a Michelin-starred restaurant on the second floor, offering exquisite French cuisine and stunning views of Paris. The first floor hosts the contemporary 58 Tour Eiffel, now known as Madame Brasserie, providing a casual dining experience. Additionally, there is a Champagne Bar at the top, allowing you to enjoy a glass of champagne while taking in the panoramic vistas.

The Eiffel Tower houses several notable restaurants that have evolved. Originally, the tower featured four restaurants, one on each side of the first floor, during its opening in 1889. Today, it is home to the prestigious Le Jules Verne, a Michelin-starred restaurant on the second floor, offering exquisite French cuisine and stunning views of Paris. The first floor hosts the contemporary 58 Tour Eiffel, now known as Madame Brasserie, providing a casual dining experience. Additionally, there is a Champagne Bar at the top, allowing you to enjoy a glass of champagne while taking in the panoramic vistas.

When Adolf Hitler visited Paris before world war II, he wished to climb the Eiffel Tower and take a picture from the top floor of Eiffel Tower. However, at that time, the garagemen destroyed the elevator, which prevented Hitler from climbing the Tower.

Therefore, he took a photo in front of the Tower. Later during World War II, when Germany occupied France, Adolf Hitler ordered the destruction of the Eiffel Tower. But, no one listened to his words and the Tower's elevator cables were cut by the French fighters, forcing the Nazis to climb the stairs of the Tower to plant their flag.

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The height of the Tower seems intimidating from the ground level, but when you see the Tower from one of its three observatory decks, you will observe a completely different look of the Tower. Eiffel Tower height is 200, 400, and 900 feet for each floor which are connected by stairs and elevators.

What’s interesting is that you cannot use any of the Eiffel Tower Lift to get from bottom to the top. Instead, you can only use the elevator to get to the first and the second floor from the ground.

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During the construction of the tower, Gustave Eiffel built a small secret apartment in Eiffel Tower on the third floor. The apartment is fully furnished, including a wing and some laboratory rooms, which he used to conduct various experiments for his interest. A lot of people were very interested in spending a single night in the Eiffel Tower and they approached Gustave for the same.

However, the Eiffel Tower history says that he refused all these offers to use his room as a quiet place to spend time for himself and host some of his guests, including Thomas Edison, the man behind the invention of the phonograph.

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The Eiffel Tower height is 984 feet or 300 meters and it remained the World's tallest man-made structure on Earth for around forty years from its construction in 1889 until 1930, when the Empire State Building stood up on a height of around 1,250 feet, or 381 meters.

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The current Eiffel Tower Architecture of the tower was not Gustave’s first design. One of the senior engineers of his company, Maurice Koechlin, was the principal with the guidance of Emile Nouguier, a fellow engineer, and Stephen Sauvestre. Koechlin was the leader of the company's architectural department.

The initial sketches that were shown to Eiffel got rejected as his vision for the Tower was an elaborate and detailed structure. Later in 1884, he approved the design, and the construction started in 1887.

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The Eiffel Tower's history suggests that the building allowed the French to showcase their industrial powers while celebrating the centennial of the French Revolution, which was started in 1789 at the 1889 world fair Paris. The authorities expected the monument to stand for only 20 years before it was torn down.

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