trail: historynews

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFGbBotN2kzD7vKYVcqafWOCBwRiMo64_h-LPl2DnBj_cRJdQSmqNQI67l7qFzvt3nkkGgJEa_UEiXt5qP79CYqItYBoOkW0XOOnNMFtsH-mGwOmD2__Egp0xNzXIOqgZVRCOznDE2ZyY/s1600/eiffel-tower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFGbBotN2kzD7vKYVcqafWOCBwRiMo64_h-LPl2DnBj_cRJdQSmqNQI67l7qFzvt3nkkGgJEa_UEiXt5qP79CYqItYBoOkW0XOOnNMFtsH-mGwOmD2__Egp0xNzXIOqgZVRCOznDE2ZyY/s1600/eiffel-tower.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">When built, the Eiffel Tower signalled the start of a bold,</div><div style="text-align: center;">new technological age. Now, 125 years on, Paris’s</div><div style="text-align: center;">famous landmark contributes obscene</div><div style="text-align: center;">amounts of money to the French economy</div><div style="text-align: left;">HOW IT BRUSHES OFF 170KM/H WINDS:-</div>In a way, the Stone Age lasted until the middle of the 19th century: pyramids, cathedrals, obelisks – all of them built using stone. The Washington Monument, the world’s tallest stone construction at 169.3 metres, was only completed in 1884. But when the mass production of steel was introduced, it became possible to build even taller structures, as steel is extremely tough and yet highly fl exible. Gustave Eiffel eschewed this material, however, electing instead to construct his tower from wrought iron. The secret of the Eiffel Tower’s durability? Its latticework design means that it consists entirely of braces, struttings and bars; in spite of its 10,000-tonne weight, the tower isn’t adversely affected by winds. Even at wind speeds of 170km/h, the top of the tower only tilts around 13 centimetres, as the racing air simply whistles through the framework. THE FIRST DESIGNS WERE REJECTED:- The plans for its construction did not originate from Gustave Eiffel, but from two employees at his architectural fi rm: Maurice Koechlin and Émile Nouguier. The city of Paris wanted to boast of having the highest tower in the world, built in time for the opening of the International Exhibition in 1889, and the anniversary of the French Revolution 100 years earlier. However, Eiffel found the plans of his colleagues too functional, and so he commissioned architect Stephen Sauvestre to rework them. Regardless, Eiffel is considered the ‘father of the Tower’ as he made the construction possible in the fi rst place. He was already a well-known engineer, having constructed the framework of the Statue of Liberty in New York. <div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE DEMOLISHED:-</div>It will tower over Paris like a huge, dreary factory chimney,” complained a group of well-known artists in a joint letter, published during the Eiffel Tower’s planning stages. Many people predicted the building would be a monstrous metal nightmare – but most fell silent upon its unveiling. Nevertheless, the Eiffel Tower was scheduled to be pulled down 20 years later. To prevent this, Gustave Eiffel sought ways in which his tower could be put to use – and found them in science. Unique experiments could be <script async="" src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script> <ins class="adsbygoogle" data-ad-client="ca-pub-3011841740655404" data-ad-slot="9975215971" style="display: inline-block; height: 280px; width: 336px;"></ins><script>(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); </script>performed at the top of the tallest building in the world (at the time); studies into aerodynamics, atmospheric pressure and radiation measurements. But it was radio that proved to be its saving grace. In 1903, the fi rst wireless tests were carried out; by World War One, German intelligence was being intercepted via the Eiffel Tower and then decoded. Amongst other things, this led to the exposure of Mata Hari, the notorious German spy. IT’S A $650 BILLION NATIONAL TREASURE:- In 2012, the chamber of commerce of the Italian province Monza and Brianza calculated the tourist value of Europe’s famous landmarks. This was based on visitor numbers (seven million visit the Eiffel Tower annually) and an attraction’s effect on its country’s economy. The Eiffel Tower topped the list, with a value of $650 billion. In May 1925, the monument was sold to a scrap merchant for $50,000 by con artist Victor Lustig, who posed as an employee of the French postal ministry and led the buyer to believe that the Eiffel Tower was going to be torn down <div style="text-align: left;"> </div></div>

About Eiffel's $650 Billion Tower

When built, the Eiffel Tower signalled the start of a bold, new technological age. Now, 125 years on, Paris’s famous landmark contributes ob...