The Eiffel Tower is a massive, lattice-like iron structure in Paris, France, built as the entrance for the 1889 World's Fair. It was constructed using 18,038 iron parts and stood as the world's tallest structure for 40 years. Discover the amazing history behind this iconic global symbol!
Have you ever seen a picture of a super-tall, pointy, iron tower that looks like it reaches right up to the clouds?
That amazing structure is the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France! It’s one of the most famous buildings on the entire planet. But did you know this landmark wasn't always planned to be a permanent fixture? It was built as the magnificent entrance for the 1889 World's Fair to celebrate 100 years since the start of the French Revolution. It took an incredible amount of work—construction started in January 1887 and was finished in just over two years! Even though many people first thought it was too strange, today it’s a beloved symbol of France!
Mira says:
"Wow, Finn! Imagine building something that tall with only iron and rivets! It's like building the world's biggest, strongest Lego set, but with giant metal pieces!"
What is the Eiffel Tower Made Of?
The Eiffel Tower is mostly made of wrought iron, not steel. It’s like super-strong, shaped metal! This iron comes from a place in Eastern France called the forge of Pompey. The whole amazing structure is held together by millions of tiny metal fasteners called rivets. That's what engineers used instead of modern welding or bolts in many places!
When it was first put together, the parts were built separately in a factory and then brought to the site on the Champ de Mars to be built up piece by piece. It’s a giant, lacy puzzle made of iron! The tower has four big legs that spread out at the bottom and meet way up high, almost like a giant pyramid made of crisscrossed metal beams.
Mind-Blowing Fact!
The Eiffel Tower was only supposed to stand for 20 years! It was meant to be taken down after the World’s Fair, but people liked it so much (and it was useful for radio signals!) that the city decided to keep it forever!
How Tall is the Eiffel Tower, Really?
Get ready for some big numbers! The Eiffel Tower is tall—really tall! When it was first finished, it was 300 meters (about 984 feet) high. That made it the tallest man-made structure in the world when it opened! It held that title for over 40 years until the Chrysler Building in New York was finished.
Today, with the antenna sticking out of the very top, the Eiffel Tower measures up to 330 meters (or 1,083 feet) tall! To give you an idea of how high that is, it’s about as tall as 81 regular floors stacked on top of each other!
Used to build the tower
To build the whole tower
(7,300 tons)
To NYC's Chrysler Building
How Did They Build Something So Big?
Building the Eiffel Tower was an engineering puzzle! The team had to make sure it was super strong to handle wind and weather. They didn't just start stacking things up; they planned everything down to the tiniest detail in the drawing office.
Here are the big steps they took:
Laying the Foundation
First, they had to dig deep for the base, especially on the side near the Seine river! They poured thick concrete slabs to make sure the giant iron legs had a solid place to stand. The foundations were finished in June 1887.
Raising the Iron Legs
Next came the four huge, curving legs made of iron beams. The builders used scaffolding (temporary wooden supports) to hold the pieces up as they were assembled. They even used hydraulic jacks—like giant, strong floor jacks—to make sure the legs lined up perfectly when they met at the first platform!
Finishing the Top
Once the main structure was up, they worked on the smaller upper sections and the little house, or cupola, at the very top. The whole thing was officially finished in March 1889, just in time for the Fair! Amazingly, only one worker died during the whole construction because Gustave Eiffel had very strict safety rules!
💡 Did You Know?
Even though it was built for a temporary fair, the Tower has needed constant care! It gets repainted about every seven years to stop the iron from getting rusty. This huge job takes painters about 18 months to three years to complete using lots and lots of paint!
🎯 Quick Quiz!
What special event was the Eiffel Tower built to celebrate in 1889?
Who Was the Famous Engineer Behind It?
The tower is named after the famous French engineer, Gustave Eiffel. His company, *Eiffel et Compagnie*, designed and built the structure. He was already a star engineer, even helping with the inside metal framework for the Statue of Liberty!
Believe it or not, Gustave Eiffel designed a special secret apartment for himself right at the very top of the tower! He used it for weather experiments and to invite important guests.
- The tower is still the tallest structure in Paris today.
- It has three main levels for visitors, with restaurants on the first and second floors.
- The color has changed many times! It was originally painted a reddish-brown color called 'Venetian Red' before assembly.
- On sunny days, the metal heats up and expands, causing the top of the tower to lean away from the sun by up to 18 centimeters (7 inches)!
Though many famous artists in Paris hated it at first, calling it an 'eyesore,' the Eiffel Tower is now one of the most recognized cultural symbols in the world. It’s a true testament to what engineers can achieve when they dream big! It also welcomes almost 7 million visitors every year, making it the most visited paid monument globally!
Questions Kids Ask About World History
Keep Exploring, History Adventurers!
Isn't it cool how a temporary structure designed for a fair became a permanent symbol of innovation? The Eiffel Tower shows us that history is full of amazing engineering feats! What other giant structures do you think were built for a big event? Keep listening to learn more!
