JUANA SUMMERS, HOST:

So Ari, how much do you know about French history?

ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:

Well, you know, I spend most of my time thinking about the Roman Empire, but I do know a bit about the French.

SUMMERS: Well, then you must know what today is.

SHAPIRO: Obviously, you're referring to the 100th anniversary of the death of Gustave Eiffel, the creator and namesake of the Eiffel Tower, or Eiffel Tower. And in his honor, organizers had planned a day of events and celebration to be held at the monument. But...

SUMMERS: But the Eiffel Tower, which is typically open 365 days a year and draws around 6 million visitors annually, was closed today as union workers at the tower went on strike ahead of contract negotiations with the city, citing complaints about poor management.

SHAPIRO: So instead of climbing to the top of the tower for that perfect selfie, tourists had to pack up and escargot home.

SUMMERS: That's right. They had two baguette lost until, well, whenever the strike is over. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

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