History of Eiffel Tower

The structure was built between 1887 and 1889 as the entrance arch for the Exposition Universelle (1889), a World's fair marking the centennial celebration of the French revolution. It is located at geographic coordinates 48°51′29″N, 2°17′40″E. The tower was inaugurated on March 31, 1889, and opened on May 6. Three hundred workers joined together 18,038 pieces of puddled iron (a very pure form of structural iron), using two and a half million rivets, in a structural design by Maurice Koechlin. The risk of accident was great, for unlike modern skyscrapers the tower is an open frame without any intermediate floors except the two platforms. Yet, because Eiffel took good care of his workers with movable stagings, guard-rails and screens, only one man died (during the installation of Otis Elevator's lifts).

The tower is 300 meters (986 feet) tall, not including the 24-meter television antenna on top. The metal structure weighs 7,300 metric tons, the total weight is 10,100 metric tons. The number of steps to the summit has varied over the history of the tower through various renovations: at the time of construction in 1889, there were 1710 steps to the summit platform at 300.65 m; after a renovation in the early 1980s, there were 1920 steps; and today there are 1665 steps (although it is not possible for the public to reach the summit via the stairs—elevators are required beyond the second platform).

Depending on the ambient temperature, the top of the Eiffel Tower may shift away from the sun by up to 8 cm (3.25 inches), due to expansion of the metal on the side facing the sun.
Maintenance on the tower includes applying 50 metric tons of three graded tones of paint every 7 years to protect it from rust. On occasion, the colour of the paint is changed (the tower is currently painted a shade of brown). On the first floor, there are interactive consoles hosting a poll for the colour to use for a future session of painting.

The tower was met with resistance from the public when it was first built, many thinking it an eyesore. Today, it is widely considered to be one of the most striking pieces of structural art in the world.

One of the great Hollywood movie clichés is that the view from a Parisian window always includes the Eiffel Tower. In reality, since zoning restrictions limit the height of most buildings in Paris to a few stories, only a few of the taller buildings have a clear view of the Tower.

Originally, Eiffel had a permit to leave the tower standing for 20 years, more than recouping his expenses, but, as it proved valuable for communication purposes, it was allowed to stay after the end of the permit.