The Eiffel Tower was completed in 1889 for the Exposition Universelle in Paris.
Construction began in January 1887 and the tower was finished in time for the fair, which celebrated the centenary of the French Revolution. It was designed by engineer Gustave Eiffel's company and became the entrance arch to the exposition on the Champ de Mars.
The 300-metre tower was the world's tallest man-made structure when it opened. Its height later increased through antennas, and it is now commonly described as about 330 metres tall. The iron structure was initially intended to stand for only 20 years, but its usefulness for radio transmission helped preserve it.
The Eiffel Tower was controversial among some artists and writers during construction. Today it is one of France's best-known symbols and one of the world's most visited paid monuments.