The story of the Eiffel Tower

A 330-metre iron tower that Paris nearly rejected — and now cannot imagine living without.

Built for a fair

The Eiffel Tower was designed by engineer Gustave Eiffel's firm as the centrepiece of the 1889 Exposition Universelle, the world's fair held in Paris to mark the centenary of the French Revolution. It opened on 31 March 1889 and, at 300 metres, became the tallest man-made structure on Earth — a title it held for 41 years.

A scandal in iron

Not everyone was charmed. In 1887 a group of Parisian artists and writers signed the famous "Protest against the Tower of Monsieur Eiffel," calling it a "useless and monstrous" iron ladder. The plan was to demolish it after 20 years. It survived because of a very modern reason: radio. Its height made it invaluable as an antenna, first for the French army and later for public broadcasting.

From symbol to icon

Today the Eiffel Tower Paris skyline would be unimaginable without. Around seven million people visit each year, making it the most-visited paid monument in the world. The tower's original brown paint has been reapplied roughly every seven years — most recently in a warm golden-bronze in the run-up to the 2024 Olympics.

Key dates

• 1887 — construction begins on the Champ de Mars.
• 1889 — opens to the public on 31 March.
• 1909 — saved from demolition thanks to its role as a radio antenna.
• 1957 — a television antenna is added, bringing the tower to 320 m.
• 2022 — a new digital antenna pushes the total height to 330 m.