The Eiffel Tower was completed
On this day · 31 March 1889
On March 31, 1889, Gustave Eiffel climbed his own iron giant to raise a flag over the world's tallest structure.
On March 31, 1889, the Eiffel Tower was completed in Paris after just 2 years, 2 months and 5 days of work, the digging having begun on January 26, 1887. Built as the centerpiece of that year’s World’s Fair, the 300-metre iron lattice was, on completion, the tallest structure ever raised by human hands.
The inauguration had a hitch worthy of the moment. The elevators were not yet running, so Gustave Eiffel simply climbed the stairs with a few companions and hoisted an enormous French tricolor at the summit.
The tower held the title of world’s tallest man-made structure until New York’s Chrysler Building overtook it around 1930.
Many Parisians had loathed the design, expecting an industrial eyesore over their elegant city. Instead the tower outlived every objection, surviving plans to dismantle it and becoming the most recognizable silhouette in France.
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