The Eiffel Tower became the tallest human-made structure in the world when it opened in Paris in 1889.
The tower was designed by the engineering company of Gustave Eiffel for the Exposition Universelle, a world’s fair celebrating the centenary of the French Revolution. Construction used more than 18,000 individual iron parts and millions of rivets. The structure reached about 300 metres at its original completion.
The Eiffel Tower surpassed the 169.3-metre Washington Monument, which had held the height record since 1884. It kept the world record until New York’s Chrysler Building exceeded it in 1930. A later antenna increased the Eiffel Tower’s height beyond its original measurement.
Many artists and writers initially criticized the tower’s appearance, and it was intended to be temporary. Instead, it became a permanent landmark and one of the most recognizable symbols of Paris and France.