Golden Gate Bridge Opens

On this day in US history, San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge opened to the public after five years of construction on May 27, 1937. On opening day, otherwise known as “Pedestrian Day,” over 200,000 people walked the 4,200-foot-long suspension bridge spanning from the Golden Gate entrance to San Francisco Bay. The concept of the bridge was proposed as early as 1872, but it would not move forward for nearly 50 years until 1921, when Joseph Strauss submitted a preliminary proposal for $27 million.