The Eiffel Tower Turns 125

Arguably the most iconic landmark in France, the Eiffel Tower turned 125 on Monday, March 31st and shows no signs of age affecting her popularity.

Easily one of the most visited tourist attractions in the world, the Eiffel Tower is popular for its majestic height, design, beauty and sense of romance. People come from all over to take pictures in front of the grand lady and travel to the top of the tower to take in the beautiful 360 degree views of Paris.

That the Eiffel Tower has survived this long is a surprise because it was only intended to be around for 20 years! What saved it was not it’s beauty but it’s use in science. From the Eiffel Tower’s official website: ”it was saved by the scientific experiments that Eiffel encouraged, and in particular by the first radio transmissions, followed by telecommunications.” In 1925, the tower transmitted the first public radio program and later transmitted broadcast television.

There have been many restorations and renovations to maintain the grand lady’s splendor and help her maintain her position as one of the most globally recognized structures in the world.

Here are 7 interesting facts you may have not known about the Eiffel Tower:

1. Two years, two months and five days – that’s how long it took to build the Eiffel Tower, with construction beginning in 1887.
2. 324 metres – that’s the height of the Eiffel Tower, including the antenna at the top. That works out at 1,063 feet. Without the antenna it is 300 metres tall (984 feet).
3.  Six inches- That’s how much the tower grows in the sun. Yes the Eiffel Tower grows when it gets hot and shrinks in the cold. Although this is fairly hard to see with the naked eye.
4. 18 – That’s the number of times the iron lady has been repainted over the years. It takes a mammoth 60 tonnes of paint to give it a first coat. It’s clearly not a job for the faint hearted.
5. 41 years – That’s how long the Eiffel Tower was the world’s tallest building for, before the Chrysler Building in New York came along and stole its mantle.
6. 1944 – The year when the Eiffel Tower could have been pulled down. Hitler ordered the German military governor of France to tear it down but he refused.
7. Six to seven metres – Anyone who has been to the top might be able to guess what this figure is for. It’s the amount  the Eiffel Tower sways in the wind. But don’t let that put you off going up.