The Eiffel Tower was built in 1889 for the World’s Fair in Paris, which celebrated 100 years since the French Revolution. It was made of about 18,000 iron pieces held together by 2.5 million rivets, and it became the tallest structure in the world overnight. It was only supposed to stand for 20 years before being dismantled.
Lots of Parisians hated it. A group of famous artists and writers signed an angry letter calling it a “useless and monstrous” “iron asparagus.” Even after the World’s Fair, opinion was mixed and a giant metal eyesore in the middle of Paris seemed like a temporary fad.
But by 1909, the year it was supposed to come down, the Eiffel Tower had become incredibly useful. The French military had installed huge radio antennas on top that could send signals across the country. The tower was saved, and over time the public learned to love it. Today around seven million people visit it every year.
