March 31 - Eiffel Tower Completion

This Day in History: 31 March 2020

 

31 March 1889

 

131 years ago, today, the Eiffel Tower was opened in Paris, in a ceremony led by Gustave Eiffel, the tower's designer. This was also attended by the French Prime Minister, Pierre Tirard, some other key figures, and 200 construction workers. The monument was built on the Champ-de-Mars in central Paris, through a design competition to honour the centenary of the French Revolution. Eiffel's plan of an almost 1,000 foot, open-lattice tower was chosen by the Centennial Committee, but the tower was met with scepticism from critics. They argued that it would be unstable, and an eyesore in the heart of Paris. Despite this, Eiffel completed his project under budget in just two years. Only one worker lost their life, which at the time was a significantly low casualty number.

 

Today, the Eiffel Tower stands at 984 feet tall, consisting of an iron framework, with platforms that each hold an observation deck. The tower also has lifts that the Otis Elevator Company of the United States helped Eiffel to design, meaning the lifts were the only part of the building not completed by March 31, so Eiffel instead ascended the tower's stairs at the ceremony, raising the French tricolour on the structure's flagpole. Fireworks were then set off from the second platform. The Eiffel Tower was the world's tallest man-made structure, until the completion of the Chrysler Building in New York in 1930. In 1909, the building's lease on the land expired, and so the tower was almost demolished, but its usage as an antenna saved it. In our modern society, it is one of the world's most famous landmarks and tourist attractions.

 

Want to find out more about the history and origins of the Eiffel Tower? Click here for more information.