On 31 March 1889, the Eiffel Tower was officially opened in Paris. It was named after its designer,
architect Alexandre Gustave Eiffel. Originally, however, it was only part of the Paris International Exhibition with a planned lifespan of 20 years. Its design was fiercely criticized.

In 1889, the French government planned an international exposition to celebrate the centenary of French Revolution. A design competition for a monument to be built in central Paris followed. Eiffel won over more than 100 competitors. The Centennial Committee chose his plan of an open-lattice wrought-iron tower 984 feet tall. It was the tallest man-made structure in the world at the time.

Eiffel was a renowned bridge builder and was a master of metal construction. He also designed the framework for the Statue of Liberty, erected in New York Harbor.

However, the tower was fiercely criticized as soon as the blueprint became public. People argued that it would be structurally unsound and condemned it as a "horrid nightmare".

Despite the controversy, Eiffel completed his great tower under budget in just two years’ time with a remarkably low casualty rate of one worker. The light, airy structure quickly received acclamation. And it was soon being considered an architectural masterpiece.

As the elevators were still under construction, Gustave Eiffel ascended the tower's stairs and raised a huge French tricolor on it. Fireworks were set off from the second platform. In early May, the Paris International Exposition opened and the tower served as the entrance gateway to the giant fair.

Before the completion of the Chrysler Building in New York in 1930, the Eiffel Tower was the world's tallest man-made structure. However, the tower was almost demolished in 1909 when the International Exposition's 20-year lease on the land expired. But fortunately its function as an antenna for radio transmission rescued it.

It remains largely unchanged today and is one of the worlds most popular tourist sites.