This Day in History: , Eiffel Tower Opens.
March 31, 1889.
Designed by Gustave Eiffel,
the tower was completed
under budget in less than two years.
Eiffel's design was chosen
among more than 100 others.
The structure was meant to commemorate
the centenary of the French Revolution.
At the time of its opening, it was the
tallest man-made structure in the world.
Eiffel faced design
skepticism and criticism.
Decades after its construction,
the tower was regarded as a
masterpiece of architecture. .
Less than two months after its opening,
the tower would serve as the entrance
to the Paris International Exposition