The Eiffel Tower

The Eiffel Tower was built for the International Exhibition of Paris of 1889 commemorating the centenary of the French Revolution. The Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII of England, opened the tower. Of the 700 proposals submitted in a design competition, Gustave Eiffel's was unanimously chosen.

The tower stands 300 m (986 ft) high, which is about 75 stories. Including the 24-m (72-ft) antenna, the structure is 324 m (1058 ft) high which is about 81 stories. The tower is the second-highest structure in France and it is the highest structure in Paris. Before Eiffel Tower highest structure in world was New York City's Chrysler building (1046 ft). The metal structure of the Eiffel Tower weighs 7,300 tonnes and the total weight is 10,100 tonnes. It has 1920 steps. The structure was built between 1887 and 1889. The tower was inaugurated on 31st March 1889 and opened on 6 May.

Since the beginning of 20th century the tower has been used for radio transmission, a permanent radio station was built near the south pillar, since 1957 , the tower has been used for transmission of FM radio and television.