Short answers, pulled from the story.
Paseo de la Reforma was designed by Austrian engineers Alois Bolland and Ferdinand van Rosenzweig at the order of Emperor Maximilian I during the French occupation of Mexico. Construction began in 1864 and a completed stretch was finished between 1864 and 1865. The avenue was modeled after European boulevards such as the Ringstraße in Vienna and the Champs-Élysées in Paris.
The avenue was originally named Paseo de la Emperatriz, meaning Promenade of the Empress, in honor of Empress Carlota, the consort of Emperor Maximilian I. After the fall of the Second Mexican Empire and Maximilian's execution, the Restored Republic renamed it Paseo de la Reforma in 1872 to honor the liberal Reform movement.
The Angel of Independence is a tall column topped with a gilded Winged Victory statue, built to commemorate the centennial of Mexico's independence and inaugurated in 1910. The base contains marble statues depicting heroes of the Mexican War of Independence and holds the tombs of several key figures from that conflict. It is the most famous monument on the avenue and a major gathering point for celebrations of the national football team's victories.
The Monumento a la Revolución is an enormous dome supported by four arches located near the central section of Reforma. It was originally planned by Porfirio Díaz as part of a new parliament building, but the Mexican Revolution halted construction before it could be completed. After Díaz was overthrown, the structure was repurposed as a monument to the revolution, and the remains of Francisco I. Madero and other revolutionary heroes are buried inside.
Several of Mexico's tallest buildings stand along Paseo de la Reforma. In the 2010s, Torre Reforma (244 m), Punto Chapultepec (238 m), Torre BBVA Bancomer (235 m), and Torre Diana (158 m) were built between Chapultepec Park and the Diana the Huntress Fountain roundabout. Torre Mayor and Reforma 222, designed by Mexican architect Teodoro González de León, are also notable buildings along the boulevard.
Since May 2007, the Paseo Dominical Muévete en bici program closes the main downtown section of Paseo de la Reforma to motor vehicle traffic every Sunday from 8 am to 2 pm, except the last Sunday of each month. The program is run by the Mexico City government.