Abstract :
WHEN THE Eiffel Tower graced the opening of the 1889 Exposition Universelle World´s Fair it was the tallest building on Earth. Standing at 300m it almost doubled the height of the Washington Monument, the previous holder of the record. In the 1950s the Eiffel Tower grew an additional 24m, allowing it to overtake the Chrysler Building and once more claim the title of tallest freestanding structure on the planet.
