About to turn 133, the Eiffel Tower has a growth spurt, becoming 20 feet taller
PARIS — The Eiffel Tower grew by nearly 20 feet Tuesday after engineers hoisted a new communications antenna at the top of France’s most iconic landmark.
Tourists watched from the Trocadero esplanade as the new digital radio antenna was helicoptered up. With the new antenna, the Eiffel Tower grew from 1,063 feet tall to 1,083 feet.
The Eiffel Tower company’s president, Jean-François Martins, told the Associated Press that scientific progress is an integral part of the Iron Lady’s 133-year history.
“It’s a historical moment this morning, because the Eiffel Tower is getting taller, which is not so common,†he said.
“From the invention of the radio at the beginning of the 20th century to right now, decades after decades, the Eiffel Tower has been a partner for all the radio technology,†Martins said.
The Eiffel Tower was 1,024 feet tall when it was inaugurated March 31, 1889. Since then, it has grown by nearly 60 feet.
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