The famous Eiffel Tower was inaugurated 120 years ago this month. Even if you’ve never been there, you’ve no doubt seen the thing a million times – it’s practically synonymous with Paris and France (to the chagrin of some, I’m sure). But what do you really know about it? Here are 10 bits of trivia to amaze your family and impress your friends. Or something like that. They probably aren’t “essentials,” exactly, but I like alliteration maybe more than I should.
1. When the lofty landmark was inaugurated in 1889, it was the tallest structure in the world. This only lasted until 1930, when the Chrysler Building shot past it by more than 60 feet. It’s currently taller than the Chrysler Building, though, if you count the 79-foot antenna added to the top. This still makes it only the fifth-tallest building in France.
2. La Tour Eiffel looks like it’s one uniform color, but that’s only perspective. Since it’s so tall, it takes three different shades of whatever the color is (right now it’s a brownish-grey) to make it appear all one shade. The darkest shade is used on the bottom and the lightest on the top. It’s recoated with 60-70 tons of paint every seven years to prevent it from rusting.
3. World-famous chef Alain Ducasse runs Jules Verne, the gourmet restaurant on the second level.
4. In 1912, an inventor testing out his coat-parachute died when he jumped from the first deck and his invention failed him. Whoops.
5. The French sabotaged the Eiffel Tower before they ceded it to the Nazis and Hitler during WWII: they disabled the elevators, making sure that Hitler would have to climb to the top if he wanted a fantastic view of Paris (and he did: he agreed that Paris was the most beautiful of all of the European cities). The elevators were repaired in 1944 and all Allied soldiers were given free trips to the top.
6. You’ll find little Eiffel Towers all over the world, sometimes in the most baffling places. You know about the ones in Las Vegas and Disney World, I’m sure, but replicas are also in Hangzhou, China; Shenzhen, China; Slobozia, Romania; Copenhagen, Denmark; Messinia, Greece; Varna, Bulgaria; and Aktau, Kazakhstan. These in addition to mini-Eiffels in the hundreds of towns in the U.S. named “Paris,” of course.
7. Gustave Eiffel had 72 names engraved on the tower to represent some of the great French scientists, engineers and mathematicians of the day. You can find the whole list here.
8. Talk about an eyesore – from 1925-1934, Citroën used three of the four sides of the landmark as an advertising space. At tht time, it was the world’s largest advertising ever.
9. Despite its great height, only one person died during the construction of the tower.
10. Thomas Edison visited the Eiffel Tower and was most impressed with it. He signed the guestbook, “To M Eiffel the Engineer the brave builder of so gigantic and original specimen of modern Engineering from one who has the greatest respect and admiration for all Engineers including the Great Engineer the Bon Dieu, Thomas Edison”
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RE: #4 – Evidently (according to Wikipedia) the unfortuanate event was captured on film by the press as well :(
~Bethy
posted by Bethy on 3-5-2009 at 4:19 pm
Bethy’s comment inspired me. If you want to watch #4 in action click my name.
posted by Witty Nickname on 3-5-2009 at 4:44 pm
Bethy also apparently cannot spell…”unfortunate”
Not sure if I’m brave enough to check out the video….
~Bethy
recaptcha: gorilla composer
For some reason, that tickled me! :)
posted by Bethy on 3-5-2009 at 5:51 pm
I believe mental_floss posted a link to a documentary about objectiphiles, and the women who is in love with, married to, and consummated her relationship with the Eiffel tower.
A now defunct french restaurant across the street from where I work (in Columbus, Ohio) has a 20 ft replica out front. When I was leaving work one night there was a group of people taking some…um…”interesting” pictures while firmly secured to the tower in a variety of ways. I’d like to think it was a political statement, but I know otherwise.
posted by Mandragora on 3-5-2009 at 6:52 pm
I love the Eiffel Tower! The first time I went it wasn’t so great though. We stood in line for 4 hours to get to the top. We also saw the third level close and reopen twice because of how many people were up there. We got to the top though and I can say I’ve been to that particular landmark twice.
Great list today Stacy!
posted by Tricia on 3-5-2009 at 6:54 pm
Are there really “hundreds of towns in the U.S. named ‘Paris’”? Seeing as how there are just 50 states, I think that is an ineffective hyperbole.
posted by Meredith on 3-5-2009 at 10:50 pm
Don’t forget about the Eiffel Tower replica at Kings Island in Mason, Ohio!
posted by Christine on 3-5-2009 at 10:58 pm
Another fun fact is that Eiffel first offered the project of the tower to Barcelona, for its Universal Exhibition of 1888 but the city (alas, my city!) turned it down.
posted by Mar on 3-6-2009 at 4:44 am
I know it’s an iconic landmark and all that, but I think that it’s hideous.
posted by MN on 3-6-2009 at 8:29 am
According to the Eiffel Tower website, the tower is painted three different colors “to go with the hues of the Parisian sky.” I like your explanation better.
posted by Hmmm on 3-6-2009 at 10:47 am
Something that was pointed out to me by a friend while we were visiting the Tower — it’s one of the few famous pieces of architecture that’s (popularly, at least) named after the architect.
posted by Etrigan on 3-6-2009 at 11:40 am
If you’ve been to Prague, you’ve probably seen an Eiffel Tower-like structure on one of the hills overlooking the city. It’s the Petrin Hill Lookout Tower and was built in 1891. According to Wikipedia, it’s not a replica since the bases are different, but it was inspired by the Eiffel Tower. And if you’re in Prague, it sure as heck looks like the Eiffel Tower.
posted by Shasta on 3-6-2009 at 12:40 pm
This was really fascinating. I especially like the information about the paint. You don’t see it in the pictures. I tutor and I have added this article to my favorites. It may come in handy for a class project. Thank you.
posted by cangel on 3-8-2009 at 8:29 pm