Chanel No. 5 is one of the best known perfumes in the world. The first fragrance from Parisian couturier, Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel, it was launched in May 1921. Perfume is a mixture of fragrant essential oils and aroma compounds, fixatives, and solvents used to give the human body, objects, and living spaces a lasting and pleasant smell. ... The Eiffel Tower has become a symbol of Paris throughout the world. ... A couturier is someone who is involved in the haute couture business and aids in the design, manufacturing, or sales of fashionable clothing. ... Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel (August 19, 1883 – January 10, 1971) was a pioneering French couturier whose modernist philosophy, menswear-inspired fashions, and pursuit of expensive simplicity made her arguably the most important figure in the history of 20th-century fashion design. ... 1921 (MCMXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ...

It is named, apparently because multiple perfume samples were mixed for Coco's approval. They were labelled No. 1, No. 2 etc. It was bottle No. 5 that was to Chanel's liking and became the chosen formula.

The brand really took off over 30 years later, and the endorsement that sent sales soaring didn't cost Chanel a cent. In 1953, when asked what she wore in bed Marilyn Monroe famously replied, "Why, Chanel No. 5 of course!" Marilyn Monroe Marilyn Monroe (born Norma Jeane Mortenson, June 1, 1926 – August 5, 1962) is arguably the twentieth-centurys most famous movie star, sex symbol and pop icon. ...

In 1924, Pierre Wertheimer became business partners with Coco Chanel in her perfume business. He owned 70% and Coco owned 10%. A third party owned 20%. Today, the Wertheimer family still run the perfume business.

Chanel No. 5 was also famous for being the first perfume to heavily rely on synthetic floral aldehydes as a top note. An aldehyde is either a functional group consisting of a terminal carbonyl group or a compound containing a terminal carbonyl group. ...

Famous spokesmodels for the fragarance are Marilyn Monroe, Catherine Deneuve, and, most recently, Nicole Kidman.