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World famous and widely documented for its unusual architecture and unprecedented engineering achievement, the Eiffel Tower also possesses a lesser-known history of frivolous, unexpected, "who knew?" anecdotes, rarely found in traditional travel guides. The typical visitor to this Paris icon might be surprised to hear the largely untold tales that lurk just below the tower's official history.

Throughout its existence, both adventure- and attention-seekers have frequently used the Eiffel Tower as a backdrop for their sometimes stunning, often stupid stunts. On February 4, 1912, an Austrian-born tailor attempted to fly from the first level of the Eiffel Tower aided only by a "parachute garment" designed to "preserve flyers from dangerous falls." His attempt at flight ended a few seconds later when the garment failed him, leaving him to die of fright before hitting the ground.

Fortunately, not all Eiffel Tower stunts produced such tragic consequences. On April 18, 1984, two British lovers decided to demonstrate their inseparability by parachuting off the Eiffel Tower together. Arriving on the third level, the pair at first masqueraded as any other tourists, snapping photos of each other and the spectacular view. The charade quickly ended when the two suddenly pulled out their parachutes and jumped off the tower. Fortunately, the 45-second flight did not mark the end of their relationship, as they landed without a hitch in the Champ-de-Mars garden.

On March 31, 1984, an American pilot and former marine who had performed 824 missions in Vietnam flew a Beechcraft Bonanza between the tower's pillars. When asked why he had done it, he replied, "Just for fun." This American daredevil was just one of many who attempted the feat-and one of the few who succeeded.

The Eiffel Tower seems to inspire a conquering spirit in many, and numerous eccentrics have come to challenge the colossal structure in various, unusual ways. In 1891, a local baker decided to climb the 347 steps to the first platform on a pair of stilts. In 1959, another man tackled the massive monument by hopping all the way up to the first level on one leg.

The competition between man and tower became "official" on November 26, 1905, when the daily newspaper Le Sport held a "Stair Climbing Championship," which drew 227 competitors to the starting line. The winner, a young man who ran the 674 steps to the second level in only 3 minutes and 12 seconds, won a Peugeot bike for his efforts.

And speaking of bikes.in 1923, encouraged by a sizable bet, Pierre Labric, an avid cyclist, journalist at the Petit Parisien and future mayor of the "Free Town of Montmartre", circled the first floor platform and then rode down the 347 steps to the ground on a bicycle. A man on a unicycle accomplished the same feat in 1958, and on October 26, 1983, the stunting went high-tech when two men went down the stairs from the second level on the first French-built motocross bike.

Along with the numerous unscheduled performances, several unusual events have also been officially staged at the Eiffel Tower. On June 6, 1952, Rose Gold, otherwise known as the "air fairy," performed a trapeze demonstration 118 meters above ground-the same height as the tower's second platform-without a net. And on August 26, 1989, famous tightrope walker Philippe Petit walked 700 meters from the Trocadéro Square to the second floor of the Eiffel Tower on a sloping cable strung across the River Seine.

Animals have also played a role in the Eiffel Tower's lesser-known history. In 1948, the director of the Bouglione Circus brought the oldest elephant in the world (85 years old) for a tour of the tower. Perhaps afraid of heights, the elderly pachyderm refused to venture past the first level. Following in the elephant's sizable footsteps, a Moscow circus bear was the first to take a spin on a skating rink that was opened on the tower's first level in 1969. And in 1997, in commemoration of the 50^th anniversary of the French polar expeditions, the first floor platform was transformed into a giant ice floe, allowing a colony of penguins to temporarily make their home in the Eiffel Tower.

Along with its rowdy and roguish yarns, the Eiffel Tower also tells a tale of intrigue and espionage. During WWI, the tower came to the aid of its nation when its radiotelegraphic center was used to intercept enemy messages, one of which led to the arrest and execution of the infamous Danish dancer and spy, Mata Hari.

But perhaps the most entertaining anecdote in the history of the Eiffel Tower involves a certain Mr. Victor Lustig, Czech-born international swindler, master of five languages, possessor of forty-five known aliases-but best known as the man who sold the Eiffel Tower.

While in Paris in 1925, Lustig obtained counterfeit government stationery, which he used to present himself as a French official to five different scrap metal dealers. Upon inviting the gentlemen to a secret meeting at a Paris hotel, Lustig informed the dealers that the maintenance of the tower was simply costing the City of Paris too much money, and the monument was scheduled for demolition. As such, the Eiffel Tower was for sale to the highest bidder.

One of the dealers' bids was ultimately accepted-along with a bribe to seal the deal-and Lustig quickly departed for Austria with his ill-gotten gains. The man who "purchased" the Eiffel Tower was so embarrassed about having fallen for the scam that he never pressed charges. It seems that Mr. Lustig might have been content to go down in history as "The man who sold the Eiffel Tower", but his victim apparently didn't want to be remembered as the sucker who bought it.

Sources:

Green, Meg. The Eiffel Tower. Lucent Books, Inc., 2001.
The official website of the Eiffel Tower: www.tour-eiffel.fr

More Features on the Eiffel Tower By Karen

The Eiffel Tower Factbook
The Construction of The Eiffel Tower
The Controversy About The Eiffel Tower

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Karen Plumley is a regular contributor to Paris Eiffel Tower News and other tourism websites. Should you want her to write for you, please reach her at .