Wonder Eiffel

Eiffel Tower (Tour Eiffel) is the symbol of Paris, one of the most visited tourist attractions and the best known tower in the world. 

The Eiffel Tower is 300 meters (984 ft) tall and was designed by Gustave Eiffel for the Universal Exibition of 1889 and stirred great controversy among the Paris citizens. After its opening the intellectuals of Paris gathered to protest against the grotesque Eiffel Tower. 

The Eiffel Tower was the tallest building in the world until 1931 when the Empire States Building in New York was built. Gustave Eiffel also constructed the framework of the Statue Of Liberty in New York City.

The Eiffel Tower is made of iron and has three observation levels, all accessible by elevators. The first level is at 57 meters (187 ft) and has a post office. The second level features a restaurant and is at 115 meters (376 ft) and the third level is at 276 meters (905 ft) and has observation deck that can hold 800 people. During the summer it gets very crowded and the wait can be as much as an hour per level. The Eiffel Tower is painted every seven years using 60 tons of paint.

These are some of the essential statistics:

1.      2.5 million rivets

2.      300 steel workers, and 2 years (1887-1889) to construct it.

3.      Sway of at most 12 cm in high winds.

4.      Height varies up to 15 cm depending on temperature.

5.      15,000 iron pieces (excluding rivets). 40 tons of paint. 1652 steps to the top.

In 1889, Gustave Eiffel began to fit the peak of the tower as an observation station to measure the speed of wind. He also encouraged several scientific experiments including Foucault's giant pendulum, a mercury barometer and the first experiment of radio transmission. In1898, Eugene Ducretet at the Pantheon, received signals from the tower.

The city of Paris issued a permit of 20 years after the expiry of which it was to be demolished.

The tower was almost torn down in 1909, but was saved because of its antenna used both for military and other purposes, and the city let it stand after the permit expired. When the tower played an important role in capturing the infamous spy Mata Hari during World War I, it gained such importance to the French people that there was no more thought of demolishing it.- used for telegraphy at that time.

From 1910 and on the Eiffel Tower became part of the International Time Service. French radio (since 1918), and French television (since 1957) have also made use of its stature.

During its lifetime, the Eiffel Tower has also witnessed a few strange scenes, including being scaled by a mountaineer in1954, and parachuted off of in 1984 by two Englishmen. In1923 a journalist rode a bicycle down from the first level. Some accounts say he rode down the stairs, other accounts suggest the exterior of one of the tower's four legs which slope outward. 

Of the 7.5 million kilowatt hours of electricity used annually, 580 thousand are used exclusively to illuminate the tower. The tower's annual operation also requires the use of 2 tons of paper for tickets, 4 tons of rag or paper wipes, 10,000 applications of detergents, 400 liters of metal cleansers and 25,000 garbage bags. 

On the four facades of the tower, the 72 surnames of leading turn-of-the-century French scientists and engineers are engraved in recognition of their contributions to science. This engraving was over painted at the beginning of the 20th century and restored in1986-1987 by the Societe Nouvelle d' Exploitation de la Tour Eiffel, a company contracted to operate business related to the Tower.