The Eiffel Tower was built over a period of about two years, two months, and five days. Construction began on January 28 (or February 28 in some accounts), 1887, and was completed on March 31, 1889. The tower was built for the Universal Exposition of 1889 in Paris, which celebrated the centennial of the French Revolution. Gustave Eiffel's design was chosen from 107 submissions, and the tower was inaugurated in March 1889, with Eiffel personally climbing the tower to place the French flag at the top. It stood as the tallest structure in the world at 300 meters (984 feet) until 1929.