TIL that Gustave Eiffel was of German descent. He was born Alexandre Gustave Bonickhausen dit Eiffel. Eiffel got the name from the Eifel mountains in the area where his paternal family was from. He changed his name because of anti-German sentiments at the time.

https://www.toureiffel.paris/en/the-monument/gustave-eiffel
#til #todayilearned
https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1xc8iur/til_that_gustave_eiffel_was_of_german_descent_he/