The official opening of Taipei 101, the tallest skyscraper at that time in the world, standing at a height of 509 metres (1,670 ft).

The Taipei 101, formerly known as the Taipei World Financial Center, is a 508 m, 101-story skyscraper in Taipei, Taiwan. It is owned by Taipei Financial Center Corporation. It was officially classified as the world's tallest building from its opening on 31 December 2004, until it was dethroned by the Burj Khalifa. Upon completion, it became the world's first skyscraper to exceed half a kilometer. It is the tallest building in Taiwan and the eleventh tallest building in the world.

This is the history of the world's tallest structures.

A skyscraper is a tall continuously habitable building having multiple floors. Most modern sources define skyscrapers as being at least 100 metres (330 ft) or 150 metres (490 ft) in height, though there is no universally accepted definition, other than being very tall high-rise buildings. Skyscrapers may host offices, hotels, residential spaces, and retail spaces. Skyscrapers are a common feature of large cities, often due to a high demand for space and limited availability of land.