"Guinness Reverses Decision, Frenchman's Matchstick Eiffel Tower Breaks Record"
Richard Plaud spent eight years building a 23.6-foot Eiffel Tower replica using 706,900 matchsticks, only to be initially disqualified by Guinness World Records for using the wrong type of matchsticks. However, after widespread coverage and public outcry, Guinness reversed its decision, acknowledging Plaud's achievement as the tallest matchstick structure in the world. The dispute arose from Plaud using custom matchsticks without sulfur heads, which were not commercially available, leading to a rule violation.