The Golden Gate Bridge is the California landmark that opened in 1937 with the world’s longest suspension-bridge main span at the time.
The bridge crosses the Golden Gate strait, linking San Francisco with Marin County. Its distinctive International Orange colour was selected partly because it complemented the surrounding landscape and improved visibility in the area’s frequent fog.
Construction began in 1933 under chief engineer Joseph Strauss. The bridge opened to pedestrians on 27 May 1937 and to vehicles the following day. Its 1,280-metre main span surpassed the previous record held by New York’s George Washington Bridge.
The Golden Gate Bridge was a major engineering achievement because it had to withstand strong winds, currents, fog, and earthquake risk. The term “Golden Gate” refers to the strait, not the bridge’s paint colour. The bridge’s suspension cables are made from thousands of individual wires bundled together.