A man once cycled down the Eiffel Tower: Do you know why? 

If there’s one place that is part of everyone’s bucket list, it’s the Eiffel Tower in the French capital city, Paris. In fact, more than seven million tourists visit the Eiffel Tower on an average annually, suggest estimates.  

That reminds us, have you ever wondered why this 1889 skyscraper has such a celebrity status? Well, because it is not just an awe-inspiring landmark but also a historical monument. Maybe that’s why a man didn’t think twice before cycling down the Eiffel Tower. 

Wait, what? Yes, that indeed happened in 1923, in between two World Wars. Are you wondering why on earth would someone cycle down a tower? Was it madness? Well, be rest assured, it wasn’t.  

Spy Tower during First World War 
Not many know that the Eiffel Tower was used as a centre of spying by the French military during World War I that lasted from 1914 to 1918. Okay, so how exactly did the tower help the French army? Turns out, they set up a radio and telegraph centre in the tower’s hidden apartment (on the topmost floor) to not only communicate with ground troops and battleships but also intercept enemy messages. In fact, it was here at the tower that an emergency message about the infamous Dutch-born German spy Mata Hari was picked up which helped the French military track her down and put her under arrest before she could pass on crucial information. 

Now that you know this story, you know how vital Eiffel Tower must have been during those times as well. However, during and after the war, the French continued worrying that the Axis Powers (mainly Germany) would attack the tower or worse destroy it completely as it symbolised French courage and perseverance.  

And as it happened, a French war journalist named Pierre Labric came upon this nationwide fear while doing research for his articles based on post-war impacts in France. 

Labric cycles down the Eiffel Tower 
On a summer afternoon of 1923, when the Eiffel Tower was booming with visitors, Pierre Labric chose to ride his bicycle down the stairs of Eiffel Tower from Level 1 (it has 3 levels in total) to the ground. Wondering why he decided to push the limits? Well, firstly it was a publicity stunt as he was a news reporter for the popular Parisian newspaper Petit Parisien and he just wanted to prepare the readers for some never-heard-before news surrounding the war and its aftermath. Secondly, he also wanted to make a global stand that neither the Eiffel Tower nor the French were to be messed with, and the enemies better watch out! In fact, he intended to pass on the message that if a Frenchman didn’t think twice before trying out such a dangerous stunt, they also wouldn’t think twice to fight back any attack on their soil.  

Considering the tower still stands upright and unharmed, Labric’s not-so-subtle warning didn’t go in vain. Interestingly, he was known to make such stunts in 1921 when he had jumped off a parachute while covering a story based on French Airforce and their contribution to the war. 

Labric did also start a famous Grape Harvest Festival in the region of Montmartre in 1934 and later even became the Mayor of The Free Commune of Montmartre.  

Other stunts over the years 
In case you were wondering that Pierre Labric was the only civilian to have ever tried a stunt on Eiffel Tower, that’s far from the truth. In fact, before him, a man had walked all the 704 steps of the tower wearing stilettos, only a few days after its inauguration. 

Going further beyond were three trapeze artists who, in 1952, swung 400 feet above the ground from the tower, using ropes and without a safety net. Fast forward to 2010, a man roller-skated off the tower’s first level and landed safely on a 90 feet ramp down on the street in front.