Completed in 1889 as the centerpiece of the Paris World's Fair, which marked 100 years since the French Revolution, the Eiffel Tower is named after the engineer Gustave Eiffel, whose company designed and built it. The idea came from two of his engineers, Maurice Koechlin and Émile Nouguier, and the architect Stephen Sauvestre refined the design.
At about 1,000 feet, it was by far the tallest structure in the world, a title it held for 41 years until the Chrysler Building surpassed it. Its four lattice legs of wrought iron start apart on a base 410 feet square and curve together toward the top. Many leading artists protested it as ugly while it was being built.
It was meant to be temporary and was due to be taken down in 1909. Its usefulness for radio saved it. Today it is one of the most visited paid monuments in the world.
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