Today, the Taipei 101 leads in the first category with 508 m (1,667 ft); in the second category with an occupied floor at 438 m (1,437 ft); and in the third category with 448 m (1,470 ft). The first category was formerly held by the Petronas Twin Towers with 452 m (1,483 ft), and before that by Sears Tower with 443 m (1,448 ft). The second category was held by the Sears Tower, with 435 m (1,431 ft). The third category was formerly held by the Sears Tower with 442 m (1,445 ft). The Sears Tower still leads in the fourth category with 529 m (1,736 ft), previously held by the World Trade Center until its destruction in 2001; its antenna included, it measured 536 m (1,758 ft). The World Trade Center became the world's tallest buildings to be demolishedindeed, its site entered the record books twice on September 11, 2001, in that category, replacing the Singer Building, which once stood a block from the WTC site.

The Ostankino Tower and the CN Tower are excluded from these categories because they are not "habitable buildings", which are defined as frame structures made with floors and walls throughout. History of Record Holders in each CTBUH category Date (Event) 1. Height to the architectural top 2. Height to the highest occupied floor 3. Height to the top of the roof 4. Height to the top of antenna 2003 (Completion of Taipei 101) Taipei 101 Taipei 101 Taipei 101 Sears Tower 2001 (Destruction of World Trade Center) Petronas Twin Towers Sears Tower Sears Tower Sears Tower 1998 (Completion of Petronas Towers) Petronas Twin Towers Sears Tower Sears Tower World Trade Center 1996 (CTBUH defines the four categories) Sears Tower Sears Tower Sears Tower World Trade Center [edit] Tallest buildings in world history Held record Name and Location Constructed Height (m) From To c. 2600 BC c. 2570 BC Red Pyramid of Sneferu, Egypt c. 2600 BC 105 c. 2570 BC c. AD 1300

Great Pyramid of Giza, Egypt c. 2570 BC 146 c. 1300 1549 Lincoln Cathedral, England 10921311 160 1549 1625 St. Olav's Church, Tallinn (Reval), Estonia 14381519 159 1625 1847 Notre Dame Minster, Strasbourg, Germany, now France 1439 143 1847 1876 St. Nikolaikirche, Hamburg, 18461847 147 Height (ft) 345 481 524 522 469 483 Notes By AD 1439 the Great Pyramid had eroded to a height of approximately 139 m (455 ft) The central spire was destroyed in a storm in 1549 The spire burnt down after a lightning strike in 1625, rebuilt several times, current overall height is 123 m Designed by George Gilbert 1876 1880 1884 1889 1930 1931 1972 1880 1884 1889 1930 1931 1972 1974 Germany Cathdrale Notre Dame, Rouen, France Cologne Cathedral, Germany Washington Monument, United States Eiffel Tower, Paris, France Chrysler Building, New York, United States

Empire State Building, New York, United States World Trade Center, Tower One, New York, 12021876 151 12481880 157 1884 169 1889 300 19281930 319 19301931 381 1972 417 495 515 555 986 1046 1250 1368 Scott Still the tallest Gothic spires Still the tallest freestanding stone structure in the world The addition of a telecommunications tower brought the overall height to 324 meters in the 1950s Destroyed in September 11, 2001 attacks United States 1974 1998 Sears Tower, Chicago, Illinois, United States 1974 442 1451 1998 2004 Petronas Towers, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 1998 452 1483 2004 Taipei 101, Taipei, Taiwan 2004 508 1668 [edit]