On March 31, 1889, a giant lattice of iron rose above the Paris skyline as the Eiffel Tower opened to the public for the very first time. At 1,083 feet tall, it was the tallest structure on Earth, dwarfing the Washington Monument and every cathedral spire in Europe. Engineer Gustave Eiffel climbed all 1,710 steps to the top and planted a French flag right at the peak.
The tower had been built in just over two years for the World's Fair, celebrating 100 years since the French Revolution. Around 300 ironworkers hammered together 18,038 individual iron pieces using two and a half million rivets. Not everyone was thrilled - famous writers and artists signed a furious letter calling it a 'metal asparagus' and begging Paris to tear it down once the fair ended.
Lucky for us, they didn't listen. The tower turned out to be perfect for radio antennas, which saved it from demolition in 1909. Today, around 7 million people visit every year, riding elevators up through the iron beams to look out over the rooftops of Paris. What started as a temporary fair attraction became the most recognizable shape in the world - proof that bold ideas, even controversial ones, can become beloved.
