Facts about the Eiffel Tower
- 07
At 330 meters tall, the Eiffel Tower was the world's tallest man-made structure until the Chrysler Building's completion in New York during 1930.
- 06
In 1960, French parachutist François Reichelt jumped from the first platform of the Eiffel Tower wearing a homemade parachute suit that failed to deploy, falling 57 meters to his death.
- 05
Paint requires repainting every seven years across the Eiffel Tower's 60-ton iron surface to prevent rust, a maintenance cycle that takes roughly 18 months to complete.
- 04
Approximately 72 names of French scientists, engineers, and mathematicians are engraved on the first floor of the Eiffel Tower, a tribute designed by Gustave Eiffel himself.
- 03
During its first year in 1889, the Eiffel Tower consumed 60 tons of grease to lubricate its expansion joints and moving parts against Paris's variable temperatures.
- 02
Over 30 million visitors have climbed the Eiffel Tower's 1,665 steps since its 1889 opening, making it the most-visited paid monument globally.
- 01
Gustave Eiffel's iron lattice tower sways up to 15 centimeters in strong winds, a deliberate engineering feature that prevents structural damage.