It’s hard to believe that the Eiffel was supposed to stand for 20 years, then be demolished by the city in 1909. But luckily the structure was so valuable for wireless communications which relied on tall antennas that it was spared. Since Paris is synonymous with romance, it’s not surprising that the Eiffel is one of the top places in the world for marriage proposals — and weddings, with scores of ceremonies every year. Interestingly, Gustave Eiffel, the engineer and architect behind the tower, also designed elements of the Statue of Liberty, France’s gift to the United States that stands on an island in New York Harbor.