On this day in 1889, the Eiffel Tower was officially opened in Paris.

Eiffel's Folly? When French engineer Alexander Gustave Eiffel suggested the building that would be the monument for the Paris Exhibition of 1889 and a celebration of the 100 year anniversary of the French revolution, most people scoffed.

Never Say Never. Eiffel, an engineer who had experience constructing high level railway viaducts, persisted. When the exhibition opened on March 31, 1889, Eiffel raised the French flag at the top of his iron and steel tower. At the time, the Eiffel Tower was the world's tallest structure ~ 984 feet. It remained the world's tallest building until 1930, and remains largely unchanged today.

What Are Eiffel Towers Made Of? The 7000 ton structure took 300 steel workers two years to build. It was made with:

• 2.5 million rivets
• 15,000 iron pieces
• 40 tons of paint
  

Truth is Stranger Than Fiction. During its lifetime, the Eiffel Tower has been used for many things. It was:

• scaled by a mountaineer (1954)
  
  
• parachuted off of by two Englishmen (1984)
  
  
• cycled down by a journalist (1923). The journalist rode a bicycle down from the first level. Some say he rode down the stairs, but others claim he rode the slope of one of the tower's four legs.
  

A Love-Hate Relationship. While it was being built, Parisians either loved or hated the monument. The steel construction went against traditional rules in architecture. Throughout its construction, the Parisians were convinced that it would collapse. The author Guy de Maupassant left Paris permanently to avoid looking at its 'metallic carcass'. Other Parisians championed the tower; Seurat and Douanier Rousseau were among the first to paint it.

What's a 984-Foot Tower Good For? Not only has the Eiffel Tower become a symbol of Paris. Its antenna has been used, first for the telegraph, then French radio, and finally French television.