In the year marking the centenary of the Storming of the Bastille, in 1889, Paris hosted the World's Fair. As was customary, each country at such events sought to demonstrate to the whole world the achievements of its science and technology. And the host country always tried to look no worse than its guests.
That is why the competition for the structures that were to decorate the Exhibition was announced as early as 5 years before it began. In total, more than 100 entries from leading French architects and sculptors were submitted to the jury. The winning design was recognized as the work of Gustave Eiffel, who proposed decorating the entrance to the Exhibition with a huge 300-meter tower.
Thanks to unique technologies, the Eiffel Tower was built in record time for that era - in just 2 years, 2 months, and 5 days. The final budget of the project amounted to almost eight million francs. However, all these costs paid for themselves rather quickly, and the subsequent operation of the tower turned out to be a very profitable business.
In the first six months alone, more than two million people visited the "Iron Lady," and according to specialists' estimates, since 1889 more than 236 million people have visited the Eiffel Tower! It confidently holds first place on the list of the world's most visited attractions.
