Eiffel Tower Facts
Even if you haven’t had the chance to visit Paris, you already know about the Eiffel Tower. It is one of the world’s most iconic structures aside from the Statue of Liberty and a few others. Named after its creator Gustave Eiffel, the tower was built to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution. The image below comes from the Eiffel Tower’s website and gives key figures regarding the structure.
- The tower was only intended to last 20 years but was saved due to the scientific experiments it was used for
- The tower served as a military radio post in 1903
- The first public radio programme was broadcast in 1925 from the tower
- Almost 250 million people have visited since it opened in 1889
- 120 antennas are atop the structure
- The country with the greatest percent of visitors (besides France) is Italy followed by Spain and the US
- The Eiffel Tower was the tallest structure for 40 years until the Chrysler Building was completed
- Every 7 years, 50 tons of paint are added to the tower to protect it from rust
- The temperature can alter the height of the tower by up to 6 inches
- The French nickname is La dame de fer meaning the iron lady
- The tower weighs over 10,000 tons and is made of iron
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