The Eiffel Tower — known as la Tour Eiffel — has for years been one of the globe's most iconic structures, representing the charm and creativity of the City of Light.

Created as the main feature of the 1889 World's Fair, it aimed to celebrate the hundredth anniversary of the French Revolution and showcase France's contemporary industrial strength internationally.

Secrets of the Eiffel Tower

The Eiffel Tower Almost Wasn't Built

While the now-famous silhouette has been emulated worldwide in places like Las Vegas, Prague, Tianducheng (China), and Paris, Texas, the design wasn’t without its detractors. A "Protest against the Tower of Monsieur Eiffel” letter was published in the newspaper Le Temps before the project finished, signed by notable figures such as Guy de Maupassant (who famously ate at the Eiffel Tower's restaurant daily to avoid seeing it), Alexandre Dumas, and other prominent artists. The letter contended that the tower would resemble "a colossal black factory smokestack, its brutal bulk dominating and degrading all our monuments and diminishing our architectural achievements, which will simply fade away in the face of this astonishing nonsense."

At the Top, There's a Penthouse Apartment

Gustave Eiffel allocated the topmost level of the tower for his own use, where he entertained notable guests such as Thomas Edison in a private apartment that he created. The area has now been remodeled to replicate Eiffel's office — featuring wax figures of him, his daughter, and Edison — and it is accessible to the public.

Gustave Eiffel Wasn't the Actual Designer

Although the Eiffel Tower carries his name, it was actually Maurice Koechlin and Emile Nouguier, two engineers from his firm, who created the design. They additionally engaged French architect Stephen Sauvestre to enhance the project's aesthetics in order to address public worries regarding the stark, utilitarian style of its initial plan. They eventually outperformed over 100 other projects in a competition to select the centerpiece of the 1889 World's Fair.

The Eiffel Tower Was Meant to Be Demolished

The Eiffel Tower was constructed to showcase France's industrial prowess at the 1889 World's Fair, with the initial idea being to demolish it after two decades. That changed when Eiffel ingeniously added a radio antenna and wireless telegraph transmitter to the tower's design. After demonstrating the value of radio to the government in 1910, Eiffel received a 70-year extension on his lease. By 1980, naturally, the location had turned into a lasting emblem of both Paris and France and faced no threat of destruction.

The Eiffel Tower Has Been Home to a Post Office and a Theater

Dear Lykkers, over the years, the Eiffel Tower has hosted various businesses, most of which have now disappeared. This encompasses the French publication Le Figaro, which held an office on the second floor for half a year during the 1889 World's Fair, along with a post office, a radio station, and a wooden theater crafted by Sauvestre located on the first floor.

It Has Also Served as a Scientific Laboratory

Eiffel, a passionate scientist, operated a meteorology lab on the third floor of the tower. He was recognized for conducting research in physics and aerodynamics in that location, even constructing a wind tunnel at the base of the building. He additionally allowed other scientists to access the laboratory for their own research experiments.

The Eiffel Tower Shifts

The large iron framework can withstand wind and will move during a storm. However, the wind isn't the sole factor that can cause the massive tower to sway — the sun's heat makes the iron expand, resulting in the Tower increasing a few centimeters in the summer period. It also tilts approximately six inches away from the sun, since the side exposed to direct light heats up more quickly than the other three sides.

It's Encapsulated in the Names of Researchers

The names of French scientists and engineers from the 19th century have not been lost to history — they are not only linked to numerous streets in Paris, but 72 of them are also inscribed on the Eiffel Tower.

The Glimmering Lights of the Eiffel Tower Are Protected Artwork

The inaugural light display of the Eiffel Tower occurred during the International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts in 1925. Car manufacturer Andre Citröen funded a display of 200,000 bulbs that showcased a cascade of stars, rotating Zodiac symbols, comets, and (of course) the name of his car brand in the grand finale.

At One Time, the Eiffel Tower Was the Highest Structure Globally

When it was inaugurated in 1889, the Eiffel Tower emerged as the tallest structure globally, towering over Paris at 312 meters (1,024 feet) and surpassing the Washington Monument, which stood at 169 meters (554 feet). Forty years later, though, New York City’s Chrysler Building rose to 319 meters (1,046 feet), setting a new record until the Empire State Building's arrival in 1931 at an impressive 381 meters (1,250 feet). Nonetheless, it is a significant achievement to have maintained the title for 40 years.