For 130 years, the Eiffel Tower has been a powerful and distinctive symbol of the city of Paris, and by extension, of France. At first, when it was built for the 1889 World's Fair, it impressed the entire world by its stature and daring design, and symbolized French know-how and industrial genius.
What is a random fact about the Eiffel Tower?
Here's another interesting fact about the Eiffel Tower: Its height changes with the seasons. If you're visiting in summer, the tower is actually taller as the iron structure expands up to 7 inches when temperatures are as high as 104°F. In winter, the cold weather causes the tower to shrink up to 6 inches.