Eiffel Tower was almost demolished 20 yrs after inauguration
Eiffel Tower, which was opened on March 31, 1889, to celebrate hundred years of the French Revolution, was almost demolished 20 years after its inauguration. The lease on the land expired in 1909, but the tower was saved since the antenna on it was an effective means of communication. The tower was then the tallest man-made structure, at 984 feet.