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The journey of the Eiffel Tower (in French, La Tour Eiffel [ee-FELL]) to becoming a revered world landmark hasn't been an easy one. Its construction and history have been darkened with controversy, outrage and even danger. Many facts about the tower, past and present, often surprise Parisians, let alone visitors.

WHO BUILT THE TOWER, AND WHY

As the year 1889 approached, the French wanted to do something to commemorate the hundred-year anniversary of the French Revolution. They wanted it to be complete by the Centennial Exposition of 1889. Hundreds of plans were submitted, but hands down the one that got the job was the proposal of Gustave Eiffel (1832-1923). He had previously in 1885 been responsible for constructing the 'guts' of the Statue of Liberty, specializing in the physics that are involved at making sound structures that can be that tall. Though Eiffel contracted and designed the tower, the engineers on the project were Maurice Koechlin and Emile Nouguier and the architect was Stephen Sauvestre.

TOWER BASICS

Construction on the tower began in 1886. 18,000 sheets of steel and 2,500,000 rivets were used. Its height reached over 1000 feet, and at its completion it was the tallest structure in the world. To level the structure, the four corners were placed on hydraulic jacks, and then those were removed and pillars of various heights were put in place of the jacks. The cost of construction would be about 50 million in today's dollars, which was actually a bargain - it couldn't be achieved for that today. The tower was opened to the public on March 31, 1889.

PERIL IN PARIS

One worker was killed accidentally during the construction, but several hundred have died from committing suicide (jumping off) since its completion. This is especially gruesome, as they are often sliced in half after hitting lower parts of the tower. Two jumpers survived, one by being blown by the wind onto an awning, the other a woman who landed on the roof of a car. She ended up marrying the owner of the car.

OTHER TRIVIA

*The tower was first reviled fairly widely after its completion, and a statement of protest was signed by many prominent Parisians including satirist Guy de Maupassant. But its reputation has since been rehabilitated through its almost iconic presence in French and European culture.

*Because the tower is usually seen and photographed from a distance, many are unaware that the tower is painted brown. It takes about 750K gallons of paint for a fresh coat.

*Gustave Eiffel sought

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