Purpose Statement: The purpose of this speech is to inform my audience on the 125th anniversary of the Eiffel Tower of some ways it has been significant.

I.  Introduction

A.  Grabber: Many cities in the world have noteworthy landmarks, such as the Space Needle in Seattle, the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, or the St. Louis Gateway Arch.

B.  Link: Few landmarks, however, are as well-known as Paris’s Eiffel Tower, with its exposed gridwork and soaring sides.

C.  Thesis: This week we celebrate the 125th anniversary of the Eiffel Tower with some fun facts, including…

D.  Preview: …the reason for its creation, opinions on its architecture, and some records it has held.

II.  Body

A.  First support or proof for the thesis

1.  Topic sentence for the first main point to support the thesis

a. Transition: One initial fact
b. Reminder of thesis: about this landmark
c. Main point of the paragraph: is that it was raised in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution.

2. Support for the topic sentence (Use as many as you need, but be SURE to include AT LEAST ONE piece of cited research as evidence.)

a. During the 1889 Paris World’s Fair, this monument was unveiled to show that France had overcome the painful time of revolution and moved into the modern era. According to Yahoo’s travel writer Christy Karras, the design was considered so modern that some French protested
b. The tower was supposed to be taken down twenty years after the World’s Fair, but, by then, (Karras continues) it was “out of the question,” since it had become part of Paris.
B. Another significant point about this tower is that opinions on the monument were divided.

1.  The public immediately fell in love with it, and (as mentioned) considered it a part of Paris.

2.  Others, according to the United Kingdom newspaper The Independent, called it a “giant and disgraceful skeleton.” In fact, French writer Guy de Maupassant claimed he ate his lunch there every day just so he wouldn’t have to look at it.

C. A final comment to commemorate this anniversary is that this tower has held records

1.  Today it may not be seen as breathtakingly tall, yet it was the tallest man-made structure on earth for 41 years, according to a March 31, 2014 article in The Telegraph newspaper. It made even other Paris monuments (like the Arch de Triomphe and the Notre Dame cathedral) look small. Only when the Chrysler Building was finished in New York City was that record broken.

2.  Further, as noted in The Independent, it is the most frequently visited paid attraction on earth. No wonder it’s so well known!

III.  Conclusion

A.  Summary: From the time of its unveiling at the World’s Fair 125 years ago, through a variety of opinions from praise to disdain, to becoming the world most ticketed tourist stop…

B.  Clincher: …during this, the week of its 125th anniversary, we celebrate one of the most recognizable sights in the world: the Eiffel Tower.