Tens of thousand of people came to San Francisco's waterfront to mark
the 75th anniversary of the Golden Gate Bridge, the distinctive orange
vermilion structure that attracts some 10 million visitors each year.
According to AFP, the city hosted a massive celebration complete with
music, dance vintage cars and motorcycles, as well as a fireworks
display showcasing the iconic bridge at the entrance to the San
Francisco Bay.
The celebrations took place 75 years to the day after the bridge was
opened to the public: to pedestrians on May 27, 1937, and to traffic the
next day. At the time, the Golden Gate was the world's longest
suspension bridge.
Dreamt up by engineer, Joseph Strauss, the bridge distinguishes itself
by its unique colour, chosen by architect Irving Morrow and dubbed
International Orange.
The paint originally ensured visibility for passing ships and served as
a sealant to protect the bridge from the salty mist from the Golden
Gate Strait after which it was named, the entrance to the bay from the
Pacific Ocean.
Construction of the bridge took four years. Some 1.7 miles (2.7
kilometres) long, it is 90 feet (27 meters) wide and its two towers
reach 746 feet above sea level. Traffic is suspended 220 feet above the
water.
Pedestrians and cyclists can access the bridge along with motorists.
But the span also has a grim history as a popular place to commit suicide.
An estimated 1,600 people have died there in instances where the body
was recovered, with many more unconfirmed, according to the Los Angeles
Times.
Last year alone, 37 people died after jumping off the bridge -- the
fourth highest number since it opened, the newspaper said, citing data
from bridge authorities.
Events marking the bridge's anniversary are also taking place all year
long, and a new visitor centre was opened in early May at the southern
entrance.
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