The Eiffel Tower can grow up to six inches during the summer.
The Eiffel Tower stands 1,083 feet tall, but it gets a bit of a boost in the summer — as many as six inches, to be precise. The seasonal phenomenon is the result of warmer temperatures heating up the metal and causing it to expand, making the landmark just a little more imposing. Originally built as the entrance to the 1889 World’s Fair, la Dame de Fer (“The Iron Lady”) wasn't initially as beloved as she is today. Some 40 artists went so far as to sign an open letter published on the front page of Le Temps protesting the “useless and monstrous” structure that “will without a doubt dishonor Paris.”
Suffice to say that the critics were ultimately in the minority, and both the tower and the World’s Fair were massive hits. Even so, the structure wasn’t meant to be permanent: Gustave Eiffel, who designed the tower and lent it his name, was granted a 20-year permit before Paris took over the lease, at which point the monument was supposed to be dismantled. Due to its popularity and usefulness as a radio tower, however, it was allowed to remain a vital part of the City of Light.
From 1925 to 1936, the Eiffel Tower doubled as a billboard. French automobile manufacturer Citroën rented the monument and used 250,000 light bulbs along with 372 miles of electric cable to illuminate the company's name in 100-foot letters, making it the world’s largest advertisement at the time. The lights were so bright that they were visible from a distance of nearly 20 miles, which was enough for Charles Lindbergh to use the tower as a beacon when he completed the world’s first nonstop solo transatlantic flight in 1927.
