Editing Gustave Eiffel (section)

== Early life ==
Alexandre Gustave Eiffel was born in France, in the [[Côte-d'Or]], the first child of Catherine-Mélanie (née Moneuse) and Alexandre Bonickhausen dit Eiffel.<ref name="google">{{cite book|title=The Tallest Tower|author=Harriss, J.|date=2004|publisher=Unlimited Pub.|isbn=9781588321046|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vv3dT-kyuu8C|page=25|access-date=18 May 2015}}</ref> He was a descendant of Marguerite Frédérique (née Lideriz) and Jean-René Bönickhausen, who had emigrated from the [[Germany|German]] town of [[Marmagen]] and settled in Paris at the beginning of the 19th century.<ref>Loyrette 1985, p. 21</ref> The family adopted the name Eiffel as a reference to the [[Eifel]] mountains in the region from which they had come. Although the family always used the name Eiffel, Gustave's name was registered at birth as Bonickhausen dit Eiffel,<ref name="autogenerated249"/>  and was not formally changed to Eiffel until 1880.<ref name=autogenerated1 /><ref name="Google Books 2016"/>

At the time of Gustave's birth, his father, an ex-soldier, was working as an administrator for the [[French Army]]; but shortly after his birth his mother expanded a charcoal business she had inherited from her parents to include a coal-distribution business, and soon afterwards his father gave up his job to assist her. Due to his mother's business commitments, Gustave spent his childhood living with his grandmother, but nevertheless remained close to his mother, who was to remain an influential figure until her death in 1878. The business was successful enough for Catherine Eiffel to sell it in 1843 and retire on the proceeds.<ref>Harvie 2006, p. 3</ref> Eiffel was not a studious child, and thought his classes at the Lycée Royal in Dijon boring and a waste of time, although in his last two years, influenced by his teachers for history and literature, he began to study seriously, and he gained his [[baccalauréat]]s in humanities and science.<ref>Loyrette 1985, p. 25</ref>
An important part in his education was played by his uncle, Jean-Baptiste Mollerat, who had invented a process for distilling vinegar and had a large chemical works near Dijon, and one of his uncle's friends, the chemist Michel Perret. Both men spent a lot of time with the young Eiffel, teaching him about everything from chemistry and mining to theology and philosophy.

Eiffel went on to attend the [[Collège Sainte-Barbe]] in Paris, to prepare for the difficult entrance exams set by engineering colleges in France, and qualified for entry to two of the most prestigious schools – [[École polytechnique]] and [[École Centrale des Arts et Manufactures]] – and ultimately entered the latter.<ref>Harvie 2006, p. 7</ref> During his second year he chose to specialize in chemistry, and graduated ranking at 13th place out of 80 candidates in 1855. This was the year that Paris [[Exposition Universelle (1855)|hosted a World's Fair]], and Eiffel was bought a season ticket by his mother.<ref>Harvie 2006, p. 9</ref>