You know I love the Eiffel Tower. What Paris expat doesn’t?!? So I thought it was about time I posted another article about this lovely iron lady.

read on and you will have some interesting things to say during your water cooler break, about our giant sparkling four-legged tower. You’re welcome.

1. In 1925 a crook named Victor Lustig swindled some investors by pretending to sell them the rights to recuperate the Eiffel Tower as scrap metal! He wined and dined them at swanky hotels to make his story believable. Um, to those silly enough to believe him… #Fail!

2. In WWII, an American pilot, flew his fighter jet under the arches of the Eiffel Tower in pursuit of a German plane. They need to make a film about that. I want to see the film crew trying to capture that shot!

3. In 1983 a metal staircases were taken out of the tower and cut into 20 pieces which were sold in auctions. The stairs often reappear in auctions. One couple bought a piece and have turned it into authentic Eiffel Tower jewelry!

4. Starting in the year 2000, the Eiffel Tower sparkles at night every hour on the hour until 1am. #BestIdeaEver

5. 30 radio stations are broadcast from the tower which has an antenna on top! So other than tourist attraction, the Eiffel Tower actually has a function. #MultiTasking

6. The Eiffel Tower gets regularly repainted, by hand! It takes 18 months to finish the 300 meter tower!!! Can you say massive facelift!?! Beauty is hard work people.

7. The golden light illuminating the tower dates from 1985, and was the project of artist Pierre Bideau. I remember seeing that golden light for the first time and being in utter awe when I visited Paris in 1998. That was before the sparkles.

8. In 1944 during the liberation of Paris, American troops were stationed on the 3rd floor to transmit their radio messages to the arriving allied forces. Even the Eiffel Tower served her country!

9. In 1969 the first ice skater to try out the rink that was newly installed on the first floor of the tower, was a circus bear from the Moscow Circus! It was the 60’s. That is all.

10. The 100 millionth visiter was a French woman in 1983 who won a car for the occasion! I bet she was glad to have stood in that line!

More fun facts about the Eiffel Tower can be found here : Eiffel Tower Facts