Until the 1200's, the Great Pyramid in Giza, Egypt was the tallest "structure" in the world. Finally, in the early 1200's the Old St Paul's cathedral in London was completed at 149 meters. In 1300, the London Cathedral was the tallest building in the world, finally being surpassed by the Ulm Minister, Germany in 1890. In 1870, the skyscraper was born, but was much lower than all the churches in Europe. Constructors started using different materials to build them, so the "first small skyscraper" was built in New York, but it was only 40 meters, but featured the first use of an iron or steel internal structure (instead of the outer walls) to bear the building's weight. The taller of these buildings are called skyscrapers.
Info:
"From the 1200s until 1901, the world's tallest building was always a church or cathedral. In the 1200s Old St Paul's Cathedral with its spire was completed. Completed in the early 1300s, the central spire of Lincoln Cathedral surpassed it. In 1549 this spire collapsed, thus making the shorter St. Mary's Church in Stralsund the world's tallest building. In 1647, the bell tower of this church burned down, thus making the slightly shorter Strasbourg Cathedral the world's tallest building. It was not until the completion of the Ulm Minster in 1890 that the world's tallest building was again also the tallest building ever, surpassing the original configuration of Lincoln Cathedral". ( Information form an outside website)
List of tallest churches
1200s–1300 Old St Paul's Cathedral London 149 metres (489 ft)
1300–1549 Lincoln Cathedral Lincoln 159.7 metres (524 ft) (top burned)
1549–1647 St. Mary's Church Stralsund 151 metres (495 ft) (bell tower destroyed)
1647–1874 Strasbourg Cathedral Strasbourg 142 metres (466 ft)
1874–1876 Church of St. Nicholas Hamburg 147 metres (482 ft)
1876–1880 Rouen Cathedral Rouen 151 metres (495 ft)
1880–1890 Cologne Cathedral Cologne 157.38 metres (516.3 ft)
1890–1901 Ulm Minster Ulm 161.53 metres (530.0 ft)
List of tallest skyscrapers (from the first built)
1870–1884 Equitable Life Building New York 40 metres (130 ft)
1884–1890 Home Insurance Building Chicago 42 metres (138 ft)
1890–1894 New York World Building New York 94 metres (308 ft)
1894–1895 Manhattan Life Insurance Building New York 100 metres (330 ft)
1895–1899 Milwaukee City Hall Milwaukee 108 metres (354 ft)
1899–1901 Park Row Building New York 119 metres (390 ft)
Finally, in 1901 the Philadelphia City Hall was taller than Ulm Minster and thus the tallest building of any kind. (It was not the tallest structure, that being the Eiffel Tower). Since 1901, the world's tallest building has always been a secular skyscraper.
1901–1908 Philadelphia City Hall Philadelphia 167 metres (548 ft)
1908–1909 Singer Building New York 186.57 metres (612.1 ft)
1909–1913 Metropolitan Life Tower New York 213.36 metres (700.0 ft)
1913–1930 Woolworth Building New York 241 metres (791 ft)
1930 Bank of Manhattan Trust Building New York 283 metres (928 ft)
1930–1931 Chrysler Building New York 319.9 metres (1,050 ft)
1931–1972 Empire State Building New York 381 metres (1,250 ft)
1972–1974 World Trade Center #1 New York 417 metres (1,368 ft)
1974–1998 Sears Tower (Willis Tower) Chicago 442 metres (1,450 ft)
1998–2003 Petronas Towers Kuala Lumpur 451.9 metres (1,483 ft)
2003–2010 Taipei 101 Taipei 509.2 metres (1,671 ft)
2010–present Burj Khalifa Dubai 828 metres (2,717 ft)
Info:
"From the 1200s until 1901, the world's tallest building was always a church or cathedral. In the 1200s Old St Paul's Cathedral with its spire was completed. Completed in the early 1300s, the central spire of Lincoln Cathedral surpassed it. In 1549 this spire collapsed, thus making the shorter St. Mary's Church in Stralsund the world's tallest building. In 1647, the bell tower of this church burned down, thus making the slightly shorter Strasbourg Cathedral the world's tallest building. It was not until the completion of the Ulm Minster in 1890 that the world's tallest building was again also the tallest building ever, surpassing the original configuration of Lincoln Cathedral". ( Information form an outside website)
List of tallest churches
1200s–1300 Old St Paul's Cathedral London 149 metres (489 ft)
1300–1549 Lincoln Cathedral Lincoln 159.7 metres (524 ft) (top burned)
1549–1647 St. Mary's Church Stralsund 151 metres (495 ft) (bell tower destroyed)
1647–1874 Strasbourg Cathedral Strasbourg 142 metres (466 ft)
1874–1876 Church of St. Nicholas Hamburg 147 metres (482 ft)
1876–1880 Rouen Cathedral Rouen 151 metres (495 ft)
1880–1890 Cologne Cathedral Cologne 157.38 metres (516.3 ft)
1890–1901 Ulm Minster Ulm 161.53 metres (530.0 ft)
List of tallest skyscrapers (from the first built)
1870–1884 Equitable Life Building New York 40 metres (130 ft)
1884–1890 Home Insurance Building Chicago 42 metres (138 ft)
1890–1894 New York World Building New York 94 metres (308 ft)
1894–1895 Manhattan Life Insurance Building New York 100 metres (330 ft)
1895–1899 Milwaukee City Hall Milwaukee 108 metres (354 ft)
1899–1901 Park Row Building New York 119 metres (390 ft)
Finally, in 1901 the Philadelphia City Hall was taller than Ulm Minster and thus the tallest building of any kind. (It was not the tallest structure, that being the Eiffel Tower). Since 1901, the world's tallest building has always been a secular skyscraper.
1901–1908 Philadelphia City Hall Philadelphia 167 metres (548 ft)
1908–1909 Singer Building New York 186.57 metres (612.1 ft)
1909–1913 Metropolitan Life Tower New York 213.36 metres (700.0 ft)
1913–1930 Woolworth Building New York 241 metres (791 ft)
1930 Bank of Manhattan Trust Building New York 283 metres (928 ft)
1930–1931 Chrysler Building New York 319.9 metres (1,050 ft)
1931–1972 Empire State Building New York 381 metres (1,250 ft)
1972–1974 World Trade Center #1 New York 417 metres (1,368 ft)
1974–1998 Sears Tower (Willis Tower) Chicago 442 metres (1,450 ft)
1998–2003 Petronas Towers Kuala Lumpur 451.9 metres (1,483 ft)
2003–2010 Taipei 101 Taipei 509.2 metres (1,671 ft)
2010–present Burj Khalifa Dubai 828 metres (2,717 ft)