9 The Eiffel Tower

The EIFFEL TOWER The Eiffel Tower was built for the Exposition Universelle, or World's Fair, in 1889, which celebrated the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution. It is now one of the most well-known landmarks in the world, and has almost seven million visitors every year. Prepared in advance A lot of the rivets (metal bolts that hold the tower together) were inserted in advance at a factory. This, alongside steam cranes and lots of workers, allowed the tower to be built quickly. Built in two years, two months, and five days, the Eiffel Tower's construction was very fast and impressive.

Temporary tower The Eiffel Tower was only supposed to stand for 20 years. But, Gustave Eiffel had the idea of using it for important scientific studies and experiments, which is the reason it still stands today. Sending signals Even now, the Eiffel Tower supplies TV and radio to millions of people across Paris. 2,500,000 rivets were used throughout. The tower has 1,665 steps.

Gustave EIFFEL Gustave Eiffel was born in 1832 in the French city of Dijon. He was an engineer and entrepreneur, who was nicknamed the "magician of iron" for his impressive work building metal structures. Early life After studying chemistry in Paris, Eiffel was hired by an engineer who specialized in steam-powered machines and railroads. Eiffel constructed many of France's national railroads, and led the building of a now-famous railroad bridge. The bridge was his first great achievement, and earned him recognition. Eiffel's first masterpiece: Passerelle Eiffel, Bordeaux, 1860

G. Eiffel and Co. Eiffel founded a company in 1867 which constructed viaducts, railroads, road bridges, and large buildings with metal frames. Supporting Lady Liberty Eiffel also designed the steel framework to support the weight of the Statue of Liberty, a gift from France to the USA in 1885. Eiffel built the first aerodynamic laboratory, where he worked throughout WWI.

World's FAIRS World's fairs are international exhibitions designed to showcase nations' cultural, industrial, and scientific achievements. Usually held for three to six months, the first one was held in 1791 in Prague, in what is now the Czech Republic. In 1851, London's Crystal Palace was built to host their "Great Exhibition."

The golden age The 'golden age of world's fairs, took place between 1880 and 1914. More than 40 international expositions were held in various locations, such as the United States, Australia, Guatemala, and French Indochina (now Vietnam). France's world's fairs The first French world's fair was held in 1855. It lost money, but left a positive legacy, and the French government sponsored many more fairs, each with more attendees. The world's fair in 1889, for which the Eiffel Tower was specifically built, attracted more than 32 million visitors!