In 1889, Gustave Eiffel's made the Iron Lady, also known as the Eiffel Tower was built. The Eiffel Tower has 120 antennas, 1,656 stairs, 50 electrical cables, 18,000 iron pieces held together by 2.5 million rivets. The Eiffel Tower also has a hidden apartment just for Gustave Eiffel and his elite guests. For many years after Eiffel's death, the apartment went unknown until recently. In 2015 it was opened for public viewing.
The Eiffel Tower has a colorful history. It was painted 3 times before it started to get rusty. First it was painted red, next yellow, then bronze after that. Every seven years, this famous tower is covered in a new coat of paint. At night, every 5 minutes, it lights up. This light show uses 20,000 light bulbs to light up the night sky. The Eiffel Tower also has a great green scene for picnics and looking at the sky.
Lots of people do fun things on and around the Eiffel Tower. For example, in 1959, three trapeze artists swung 400 feet with no net. Then, in 1889, a man walked up 704 stairs on stilts. In 2010 someone roller-skated off a go-foot ramp under the tower to the grand.
The Eiffel Tower, which was the tallest structure in the world when it was built, has become on of the most widely recognizable landmarks of all time. While no longer holding he title as the tallest structure in the world, Gustave Eiffel's Eiffel Tower, has certainly still made quite a name for itself. Go to Europe to see France and the Eiffel Tower. So you can enjoy the view, learn about the history and more!
[Source:
National Geographic Kids
]
