Eiffel Tower was originally intended for demolition after 20 years
The landmark was saved from being dismantled because it proved useful as a radio antenna, according to the Times of India.
The Eiffel Tower was built for the 1889 World’s Fair with a permit to stand for only 20 years, according to the Times of India. Paris had planned to tear the monument down, but it was saved because the tower proved useful as a giant radio antenna.
The tower was constructed to mark 100 years of the French Revolution. Gustave Eiffel's proposal was selected after a contest involving more than 100 participants, as he offered to pay more than two-thirds of the budget and possessed the necessary resources.
The construction of the 1,000-foot structure took two years, two months, and five days. The project involved 52 engineers, 250 people, 18,000 pieces of metal, and 2.5 million rivets.
The monument was scheduled to be dismantled by 1909 when the land was to return to the city. Despite petitions by artists to tear it down, Eiffel promoted the tower as a centre for various sciences, including meteorology and physics.
The tower's utility in communication helped preserve it. The first wireless radio transmission in France was sent from the tower via Morse code on November 5, 1898. Because radio was important for military communication, the city extended the concession in 1910 for 70 years.