This Day in History: , Eiffel Tower Opens.<br />March 31, 1889.<br />Designed by Gustave Eiffel, <br />the tower was completed <br />under budget in less than two years.<br />Eiffel's design was chosen <br />among more than 100 others. <br />The structure was meant to commemorate<br />the centenary of the French Revolution.<br />At the time of its opening, it was the <br />tallest man-made structure in the world.<br />Eiffel faced design <br />skepticism and criticism.<br />Decades after its construction, <br />the tower was regarded as a <br />masterpiece of architecture. .<br />Less than two months after its opening, <br />the tower would serve as the entrance <br />to the Paris International Exposition