The Eiffel Tower was for the Paris World’s Fair in 1889, celebrating the centennial of the French Revolution. At 984 feet high, the Eiffel Tower was the world's tallest building until New York's Chrysler Building was erected in 1930. Faced with this record-breaking height, elevator engineers installed parachutes as emergency brakes. Cautious visitors could always just take the stairs instead, provided they didn't mind climbing 1,665 of them. Three levels of observation decks allow visitors to have Paris truly at their feet. Despite its relatively hollow appearance, the tower also holds a weather station, a restaurant, and a surprisingly cozy apartment used by Monsieur Eiffel himself. Nearly 180 million visitors so far have come to pay homage to this unforgettable landmark.
