What we didn't know about the Eiffel Tower
If you ask 100 different people about something that symbolizes Paris, they will all say the Eiffel Tower. The Eiffel Tower is the most visited, most recognized and most photographed monument in the world by tourists. Since its construction in 1889, the Eiffel Tower has been visited by 200 million people. In addition, there are many interesting facts about the Eiffel Tower: They hated the Eiffel Tower: First of all, let's note that the Eiffel Tower might not have been built. When the French engineer Gustave Eiffel decided to create the monument in 1887, his idea was met with criticism. Many well-known cultural figures of that time even signed such a document: "In a few years, we will have to look at the disgusting shadow of iron columns and screws that look like an ink blot over the city." One of the biggest haters of this tower was Guy de Maupassant, who always dined at the restaurant located on this tower. The reason for this was that the Eiffel Tower could be seen from all parts of the city, and Maupassant did not see the "disgusting monument" when he sat alone and had dinner here.
The tower was not to last long: the Eiffel Tower was built in 1889 to mark the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution. The tower was a prototype for the 1889 World's Fair and was meant to showcase the magnificence of French engineering and technology. The tower was planned to disappear after 20 years. However, the Eiffel Tower was also of great interest at that time and the tower has been able to maintain its existence to this day. An insurmountable obstacle for Hitler: During World War II, before Hitler entered Paris in 1940, the French damaged the elevator of the tower, and it was impossible to repair it during the war. For this reason, the German soldiers could not climb to the highest part of the tower and hang their flag. There is an expression among people that "Though Hitler conquered France, he could not conquer the Eiffel Tower."
Colored tower: The Eiffel Tower is painted in 3 different colors. The darkest shade was used in the base of the tower, and the brightest shade was used in the highest part of the tower. Every year, 60 tons of paint are used to protect the tower from corrosion. Engraved names: Gustave Eiffel engraved the names of 72 prominent French engineers, scientists and mathematicians who participated in the construction of the tower. Although these names were abbreviated in the early 20th century, they were restored by the Société Nouvelle d'exploitation de la Tour Eiffel in 1986–1987. Highest place for advertising: From 1925 to 1935, the illuminated sign of the car company Citroen decorated the tower on 3-4 sides. In addition to being the largest advertising campaign at that time, the tower also received the title of the highest place for advertising in the world. Steady Tower: This huge tower is almost completely immune to wind damage. Even in the strongest wind, the top of the tower bends only 15 cm. Due to the high height of the tower and stormy winds, accidents occurred frequently during construction.
One of the most popular places for suicide: Suicides at the Eiffel Tower are very common. The highest rate of suicides in the world belongs to France, where 17.5 out of 1000 people commit suicide. Suicide by jumping from a 300-meter iron tower ranks third in France after self-poisoning and hanging. In many cases, some tried to commit suicide by throwing themselves in the tower, but they did not succeed. An interesting incident happened to a woman who tried to commit suicide by throwing herself from the tower. In order to commit suicide, the woman threw herself from the tower and fell on a car standing below. Later, the woman married the owner of this car. Tower Sold Twice: In 1925, swindler Victor Lustig sold the famous tower twice to iron pile dealers. He managed to convince two different people to finance the tower. Lustig even asked his clients to bribe him to win the city's most prestigious trade competition. After receiving the money, the fraudster disappeared. A few years later, he tried the same trick again, but this time he failed. Replicas of the Eiffel Tower: Small replicas of the Eiffel Tower can be found in many places around the world, such as the USA, Las Vegas, Shenzhen in China's Guangdong province, Slobozia in Romania, Copenhagen in Denmark, Varna in Bulgaria, Aktau in Kazakhstan, etc. can be seen in places.
