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Contents
Eiffel Tower 101: Facts about the Iron Lady you didn’t know before
🎭The tower’s unexpected journey
The Eiffel wasn’t permanent
Believe it or not, the Eiffel Tower was never meant to last. Built as a temporary exhibit for the 1889 Exposition Universelle, it was scheduled for demolition after 20 years. But Gustave Eiffel had other plans. He equipped it with a radio antenna and wireless telegraph transmitter: today, it still broadcasts radio and television programs.
Built by Gustave Eiffel, designed by others
While the tower was named after Gustave Eiffel, the Eiffel Tower's design wasn't his solo act. It was conceived by Maurice Koechlin and Émile Nouguier, engineers at Eiffel’s company and collaborated with architect Stephen Sauvestre. Eiffel backed the project financially and later bought the patent rights, ensuring the tower became his legacy.
🔍 Easter eggs: The secrets hidden in plain sight
The Eiffel Tower's hidden tributes
The Eiffel Tower honors 72 French scientists and engineers, their names etched into the iron on the tower’s base. These engravings were painted over in the 20th century but restored in the 1980s. Look closely on the first floor and you’ll spot names like Foucault, Dumas, and Perrier—a science lover’s scavenger hunt!
The tower has a (not-so) secret apartment
Gustave Eiffel reserved a private apartment at the top of the tower, where he hosted famous guests like Thomas Edison. It even had a science lab for experiments. You can view the restored space, complete with wax figures of Eiffel, his daughter, and Edison, frozen in mid-conversation against a stunning Parisian backdrop.
Explore the tower's summitThe Eiffel Tower had a post office
Among its many surprises like the Le Figaro newsroom, a radio station and ]a theater, the Eiffel Tower once had a post office—located 187 meters high! It allowed visitors to send postcards with special Eiffel Tower stamps and postmarks. In fact, mailboxes on every level let you send greetings with proof you conquered each stage of the tower!
🌞🌪️ The mood swings of the Iron Lady
The leaning tower of Paris
The Eiffel might be a steel giant, but it transforms into a little kid enjoying the weather when there’s a strong gust! During storms, it sways with the wind, and on sunny days, it leans slightly, much like a sunflower. The tilt, caused by uneven heating, can reach up to 6 inches, and on clear days, the top may trace a small circle around 15 cm wide.
The various hues of the Eiffel Tower
The Iron Lady gets a grooming session and a makeover every seven years, as after all, she's just a girl! Old paint is stripped, iron cleaned, and rust-proof paint applied by hand. Over time, it has worn many colors, from Venetian red to yellow-orange. Since 1968, she’s worn Eiffel Tower Brown, a smart gradient that hides pollution, with the darkest tone at the top.
Read about the light show🎖️ The Eiffel Tower: War hero edition
The Eiffel Tower served during the World War
During World War I, the tower’s radio transmitter jammed German communications in 1914, helping the French win the First Battle of the Marne. It also intercepted enemy messages from Berlin, giving the Allies a major strategic edge—proving once again the tower’s unexpected utility.
Know more about its historyHow the Eiffel Tower escaped Hitler’s destruction
Do you remember how in The Hunger Games, District 13 had been turned into rubble by the Capitol? Paris almost faced a similar fate. In 1944, with the Allies nearing Paris, Hitler ordered the city destroyed, including the Eiffel Tower. Thankfully, General Dietrich von Choltitz—the German commander in charge—refused to carry out the order.
💖 The Eiffel's romantic side
The Eiffel is bonded in holy matrimony: with a human
Not only is the Eiffel a symbol of romance, it has its own love story too! In 2004, Erika Aya, an American competitive archer saw the tower for the first time and felt an instant attraction, following which she “married” the Iron Lady in 2007 in a commitment ceremony. She later changed her surname to Erika Eiffel and founded Object Sexuality Internationale, a support network for people who form romantic bonds with inanimate objects.
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