Eiffel Tower by Numbers

Here are some interesting figures regarding the construction of the Eiffel Tower, originally built as a temporary attraction for the 1889 World's Fair (Exposition Universelle).  It remained intact, however, once it was realized the building could also be used as a radio tower.

1.  4 -- the number of base pillars, each of which is in line with one of the coordinates on a compass

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2.  1 million (or 5 million francs) -- number of dollars to build the tower, 80% of which Gustave Eiffel, its designer, offset; M. Eiffel was reimbursed most of the money through ticket sales in the first six months 

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3.  18,000 -- number of parts used to assemble the tower

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4.  132 -- number of workers who built the structure

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5.  2.5 million -- number of rivets in the metal

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6.  1023 -- current height in feet of the tower (originally it stood only 986 feet)

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7.  10,000 -- weight in tonnes of the tower

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8.  12,000 -- weight in gallons of paint on metal, which is repainted every 7 years

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9.  60 -- number of degrees of the angle that the elevator follows up the tower

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10.  336 -- number of spotlights that light up the tower at night; gas lighting was used until 1909

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11.  1710 -- number of steps leading up to the summit

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12.  126 -- number of antennae at the top of the tower; zeppelins warning were received by the tower during  World War I; Nazi messages were sent out from the tower during World War II

        

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Source:  www.history.com.

Note:  For more information on the Eiffel Tower, read:

1.  A Line from Linda, "The Gigantic Black Smokestack" dated March 30, 2012.

2.  Eiffel's Tower, Jill Jonnes.