Gustave Eiffel was a French civil engineer and architect who is best known for designing the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France. He was born on December 15, 1832, in Dijon, France, and died on December 27, 1923, in Paris.

Eiffel studied at the École Centrale des Arts et Manufactures in Paris, where he received a degree in engineering. After completing his studies, he worked for several years as an engineer for various companies before establishing his own company in 1866.

Eiffel’s company was primarily focused on designing and constructing metal bridges, viaducts, and other structures. One of his early notable works was the Garabit viaduct, which was completed in 1884 and was at the time the highest railway bridge in the world. Eiffel also worked on the construction of the internal structure of the Statue of Liberty in New York.

In 1887, Eiffel was approached by the French government to design a tower for the Exposition Universelle, a world’s fair that was to be held in Paris in 1889. Eiffel’s design for the tower was chosen out of over 100 submissions, and construction began in 1887. The tower was completed in 1889 and was the tallest structure in the world at the time, standing at 324 meters (1,063 feet) tall.

Despite initial criticism and controversy over the tower’s design and purpose, the Eiffel Tower quickly became an iconic symbol of Paris and remains one of the most popular tourist attractions in the world.

Eiffel continued to work on various engineering projects throughout his career, including designing the framework for the dome of the Nice Observatory and contributing to the Panama Canal project.

Gustave Eiffel died in Paris on December 27, 1923, at the age of 91. He was buried in the Cimetière de Levallois-Perret, a cemetery in the Paris suburbs.