by Sarah E. Sanuth

Created on: May 19, 2008   Last Updated: June 13, 2008

With over 200 million guests, the Eiffel Tower is one of the world's most recognized structures. Even the smallest of children and the oldest of adults from around can easily recall knowing something, anything about this marvelous feat.

The Eiffel Tower is 81 stories, or 1,063 feet tall, making it the tallest building in Paris, France; marking it as the symbol of the Exposition Universalle, or the World's Fair; for which it was built.

This amazing structure, was only supposed to be temporary; with a dismantling twenty years from when it was built, in 1909. It was not removed, due to the fact that it became valuable to communication, with radio and television stations using the massive tower for broadcasting.

It eventually became a sign of victory, as the military used it for dispatching in The First Battle of Marne. It currently broadcast 4 radio and 6 television stations.

It was originally supposed to be built in Barcelona, Spain for the Universal Exposition of 1889; but the idea was shot down because it did not "fit in" with the infrastructure of the city and was too expensive.

The Eiffel Tower is not all the same color. Because heights can change the way a color looks, it is painted with 50-60 tons of paint every 7 years in 3 different, but similar colors, with the darkest being at the bottom. Every so often, the color itself is changed, with a poll taking place on the lower level for which color it should become.

The tower weighs an amazing 10,100 tons, with 7,300 tons of that being metal.

Depending on the temperature, the tower will shift away from the sun up to 7 inches and may sway in the wind up to 3 inches, without making an impact on its structural integrity.

The cost of building this structure was $1.5 million, which was all recouped in its first year from ticket sales for "elevator rides."

The tower has two restaurants, the very expensive Jules Verde and Altitude 95. Even those who strongly detested the Tower itself, would frequent these restaurants; claiming that the main reason was it was the only place that they couldn't "see" the tower.

Gustave Eiffel, upon its erection, had engraved the names of 72 renowned French Architects and Engineers, which were later painted over. In 1986, a contracted company restored this engraving.

Today's Eiffel Tower isn't supposed to be, but there is a reason they kept it; it's full of history, interesting stories, amazing views, and of course a symbol of the freedom that now encompasses the French.

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