This day in history: the first Mercedes and the opening of the Eiffel Tower
On March 31, 1901, the first car was manufactured under the Mercedes brand. It was called Mercedes-35R5 and had a classic arrangement of units - rear driving wheels, engine in front.
The three-pointed star on the Mercedes logo symbolizes the brand’s success on land, in water and in the air. Daimler produced not only cars, but also marine and aircraft engines. In addition, the three-pointed star signifies the unity of the vehicle for the driver, passenger and mechanic.
On March 31, 1889, the grand inauguration of the Eiffel Tower took place in Paris. On that day, designer Gustave Eiffel hoisted the French flag on its top, which could be reached only by climbing up the stairs.
The most recognizable architectural landmark in Paris was built for the World’s Fair as a symbol of the technological advancements of the 19th century. Despite the immense popularity of the tower (more than 2 million visitors came to see the “Iron Lady” in six months), the artistic intelligentsia of France was outraged by the daring project, fearing that the metal structure would dominate the architecture of the city and humiliate the unique style of the capital that had developed over the centuries.
The Eiffel Tower was originally conceived as a temporary structure designed to be the entrance arch for the Paris exhibition. Eiffel had to dismantle the tower and sell it as scrap in 20 years. But later they decided to leave the tower for the installation of a radio transmitter. The antennas were installed at the very top. Later, in 1925, a television transmitter was installed on the tower.
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