The Golden Gate is the strait that the bridge spans. It was first named "Chrysopylae," meaning "golden gate," by Captain John C. Fremont in 1846.
In the 1930s, bridge construction projects expected one fatality for every $1 million in cost. So, the Chief engineer and advocate for the Golden Gate Bridge, Joseph Strauss, enacted the most stringent safety measures in history. He formulated diets to help fight dizziness during construction and sauerkraut juice “cures” for hangovers. Also a safety net was strung underneath the entire length of the bridge.
In the 1930s, bridge construction projects expected one fatality for every $1 million in cost. So, the Chief engineer and advocate for the Golden Gate Bridge, Joseph Strauss, enacted the most stringent safety measures in history. He formulated diets to help fight dizziness during construction and sauerkraut juice “cures” for hangovers. Also a safety net was strung underneath the entire length of the bridge.
For the first time in history, the construction crews on the Golden Gate Bridge were forced to wear their safety equipment under threat of dismissal.
The opening ceremony for the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California began on May 27, 1937 and lasted for one week. On the first day pedestrian traffic only was allowed and 200,000 people crossed either on foot or on roller skates. It was officially opened by President Franklin D. Roosevelt the following day while seated in his Oval Office. He pressed a golden telegraph button to signal the start of vehicle traffic over the span.
It was the longest suspension bridge in the world until the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge beat it out in 1964.
The longest closure in the Golden Gate Bridge's history occurred on December 3, 1983, when sustained winds of over 70 miles per hour forced the bridge to shut down for 3 hours and 27 minutes. This closure was caused by a particularly strong windstorm that swept through the San Francisco Bay Area, causing widespread damage and power outages.
Dr. Arthur Molinari, a dentist, had the honor of being the one billionth driver to cross the bridge on February 22, 1985. He was awarded a hardhat and a case of champagne.
The Golden Gate Bridge's paint color is orange vermillion, also called international orange.
The bridge’s signature color was not intended to be permanent; the orange was initially a protective primer, and was to be painted with black and yellow stripes to ensure visibility by passing ships, but the architect decided to keep it as it worked well with the blues of the sea and sky.
The Golden Gate Bridge's two main cables are long enough to circle the world at the equator more than three times.
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| Official invitation to the opening of the bridge. This copy was sent to the City of Seattle |
It was the longest suspension bridge in the world until the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge beat it out in 1964.
The longest closure in the Golden Gate Bridge's history occurred on December 3, 1983, when sustained winds of over 70 miles per hour forced the bridge to shut down for 3 hours and 27 minutes. This closure was caused by a particularly strong windstorm that swept through the San Francisco Bay Area, causing widespread damage and power outages.
Dr. Arthur Molinari, a dentist, had the honor of being the one billionth driver to cross the bridge on February 22, 1985. He was awarded a hardhat and a case of champagne.
The Golden Gate Bridge's paint color is orange vermillion, also called international orange.
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| The Golden Gate Bridge at sunset. By Rich Niewiroski Jr. - Wikipedia |
The bridge’s signature color was not intended to be permanent; the orange was initially a protective primer, and was to be painted with black and yellow stripes to ensure visibility by passing ships, but the architect decided to keep it as it worked well with the blues of the sea and sky.
The Golden Gate Bridge's two main cables are long enough to circle the world at the equator more than three times.
The Golden Gate Bridge, due to new bicycle-path railings and a wind retrofit project that helps it to be more aerodynamic, is now a giant harmonica whose "songs" has been heard at more than three miles away.
San Francisco Highway Patrol Officer Kevin Briggs has talked over 200 people out of suicide on the Golden Gate Bridge since 1994.
94% of people who were prevented from jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge between 1937 and 1971 are still alive or died naturally.
If you jumped from the Golden Gate Bridge, you would hit the water at about 75 mph with a force of 15,000 lbs. per square inch.
Sources About.com, Mentalfloss.com
San Francisco Highway Patrol Officer Kevin Briggs has talked over 200 people out of suicide on the Golden Gate Bridge since 1994.
94% of people who were prevented from jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge between 1937 and 1971 are still alive or died naturally.
If you jumped from the Golden Gate Bridge, you would hit the water at about 75 mph with a force of 15,000 lbs. per square inch.
Sources About.com, Mentalfloss.com
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