The most popular tourist place in Paris has stretched to the Parisian skies for 127 years. Although now symbolic of France, it wasn’t meant to last. Without a doubt, the turning point in the Eiffel Tower history took place at the 1889 Universal Exposition. In commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution, a competition was organized with the aim to “build on the Champ-de-Mars an iron tower with a square base, 125 meters wide and 300 meters high.” Out of the 107 proposals submitted, Gustave Eiffel’s was chosen. By his side were engineers Maurice Koechlin and Emile Nouguier as well as architect Stephen Sauvestre.
The Eiffel Tower history was not an easy one. At the time, many were against the building and voiced their concern in a letter entitled "Artists Against Mr. Eiffel’s Tower", stating the tower to be a threat against the aesthetic nature of Paris. An iron tower erected smack in the heart of Paris was considered unacceptable, a stark contrast to the elegance and refined beauty of the city. For example, Verlaine nicknamed the Eiffel Tower the “Skeleton of Beffroi” to demonstrate the giant tower’s ungainly appearance that was bound to “disfigure” the city.
Despite all the uproar, the frail iron tower would nonetheless see the day. To understand the history of the Eiffel Tower, it is important to know that its construction followed different steps. The construction itself lasted two years.
June 1884 : The project began and the first drawings were done.
January 28th, 1887 : The works begin.
April 1st, 1888 : The first stage was completed.
August 14th, 1888 : The second stage was completed.
March 31st, 1889 : The third and final stage in which the tower was completed in its entirety ended.
The Eiffel Tower was inaugurated on March 31, 1889. Gustave Eiffel walked the 1,710 steps to the top of the Tower to place the tricolored French flag at its summit. At the time, the Tower was 312 meters high.
