- On August 30, 1983, the Eiffel Tower welcomed its 150 millionth visitor
- The Eiffel Tower had become a beloved symbol of Paris by this milestone
- Martinez visited the tower with her family
Once hated by Parisians, but now accepted as the very symbol of the French capital, the Eiffel Tower received its 150 millionth visitor 30th August, 1983
Though tourists from around the world outnumber French visitors, it was a Parisian who made the milestone spin of the turnstile on Monday and won a new car.
Jacqueline Martinez, 33, smiled nervously as tower officials gave her flowers, a band played “Tour Eiffel’ and tourists and the news media recorded the scene with cameras.
“For me, it’s a very big day,’ said Ms. Martinez, a security guard at Roissy Airport.
“I’ve already been here several times, but it’s the first time I’ve been with my family,’ said Ms. Martinez, who came with her 5-year-old son, her mother and two young cousins.
Ms. Martinez won a Citroen ZX, worth about $17,000, and a footnote in the history of a Gustav Eiffel’s creation, which already has a rich past as a radio tower, signpost and lovers leap.
Eiffel’s great-granddaughter, Myriam Lezat-Eiffel, a 29-year-old auctioneer, still looks at the tower with awe.
“It’s terribly impressive to have this many people come to see something he built. I think about him every time I see it,’ she said.
The tower receives 6 million visitors a year and up to 8,000 a day. Some take the elevator to the top, while others climb the 1,792 steps to the second-level observation deck.
