On 31 March 1889, the Eiffel Tower, one of the most iconic landmarks in the world, was officially inaugurated in Paris. Rising 300 metres (984 feet) above the Champ de Mars, the iron lattice tower was built as the centrepiece of the 1889 Exposition Universelle (World’s Fair), held to celebrate the centenary of the French Revolution.
A monument of modern engineering
The tower was the brainchild of French engineer Gustave Eiffel, whose company designed and constructed it. Although Eiffel was a renowned bridge builder, his name became forever linked with this daring vertical project. The actual design was drafted by Maurice Koechlin and Émile Nouguier, two senior engineers in Eiffel’s company. Architect Stephen Sauvestre later refined the plans and added decorative arches at the base, which helped the structure gain broader acceptance.
The concept behind the Eiffel Tower was revolutionary. It was intended to be a temporary installation to showcase French engineering prowess and the possibilities of iron construction. Its open framework and vast height were unlike anything seen before, making it a bold symbol of modernity and industrial innovation.
Construction and inauguration
Construction began in January 1887 and took just over two years. Remarkably, the tower was completed ahead of schedule and under budget. Made from over 18,000 individual iron parts and held together by 2.5 million rivets, it was a marvel of precision and planning.
On 31 March 1889, Gustave Eiffel led a group of dignitaries—including journalists and government officials—up the tower himself, climbing all 1,710 steps to the top (as the lifts were not yet operational). Once at the summit, Eiffel hoisted the French flag, and a 21-gun salute from the military marked the occasion.
Controversy and public opinion
Despite its eventual fame, the Eiffel Tower was met with fierce criticism in its early days. Many Parisians, particularly artists and intellectuals, considered it an eyesore. A group of prominent figures, including novelist Guy de Maupassant and composer Charles Gounod, signed a petition calling it a “monstrous” structure that would ruin the city’s skyline.
Yet public opinion gradually shifted. Once the exposition opened, the tower drew enormous crowds, and its popularity grew steadily. Its status as the tallest man-made structure in the world (until the Chrysler Building in 1930) added to its allure.
Eiffel’s legacy and the tower today
Originally scheduled to be dismantled after 20 years, the Eiffel Tower was saved in part due to its value as a radiotelegraph station, particularly during World War I. It later played vital roles in both world wars and continued evolving as a communications hub.
Today, the Eiffel Tower stands not only as a symbol of Paris but as a global icon of architectural brilliance and artistic vision. Over 7 million people visit it annually, making it one of the most-visited paid monuments in the world.
On this day in 1889, what began as a controversial iron structure transformed into a beacon of France’s cultural and technological spirit—still captivating hearts more than a century later.
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