Key Dates
1872
Earliest discussion of building a bridge across the Golden Gate Strait.
May 25, 1923
The State Legislature passes the Golden Gate
Bridge and Highway District Act of California into law.
December 4, 1928
Golden Gate Bridge and Highway District is incorporated as the entity to design,
construct, and finance the Golden Gate Bridge. The District includes the counties of San
Francisco, Marin, Sonoma, Del Norte, Mendocino and Napa.
August 27, 1930
Joseph B. Strauss submits his final plans for the Golden Gate Bridge to the District Board
of Directors.
November 4, 1930
Voters within the 6 counties of the District approve a $35 million bond issue to finance
construction of the Golden Gate Bridge. The vote is 145,657 YES and 46,954 NO. On January 5,
1933, Construction of the Golden Gate Bridge begins.
February 27, 1933
The official ground breaking ceremony for the Golden Gate Bridge takes place.
|
|
|
Opening Day on the Golden Gate
Bridge |
May 27, 1937
Golden Gate Bridge opens to pedestrian traffic. When writing about Pedestrian Day the next day, San Francisco Chronicle reporter Wills O’Brien wrote, “A necklace of surpassing beauty was placed about the lovely throat of San Francisco yesterday.”
May 28, 1937
Golden Gate Bridge opens to vehicular traffic at twelve o'clock noon, when President
Franklin D. Roosevelt pressed a telegraph key in the White House to announce the event to
the world. The Bridge opened ahead of schedule and under budget.
In 1954, at age 40, one of the founding fathers of fitness, Jack LaLanne, proved his belief that “anything in life is possible if you apply yourself” by captivating the entire world when he swam the length of the Golden Gate Strait (approx 1.7 miles) with 140 pounds of equipment strapped to his body. A year later, he swam from Alcatraz Island to San Francisco while handcuffed.
March 22, 1957
A 5.3 earthquake centered in Daly City hits the San Francisco Bay Area, resulting in no deaths but lots of damage. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, at about 11:45 a.m. on March 22, a "twisting, jarring side-rolling motion" caused skyscrapers in downtown San Francisco to sway visibly. People ran into the streets, some "sobbing hysterically," and the Golden Gate Bridge "undulated as in a fierce gale."
May 8, 1959
According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the Golden Gate Bridge and Highway District had agreed to cooperate in the make-believe destruction of San Francisco on May 8 for Stanley Kramer's movie "On the Beach” but the climax - a monumental traffic jam - in the early morning rush hour wasn't in the script. According to plans, the 15-person movie crew made its way onto the west sidewalk at 5 a.m. Cameras were to roll at sunrise (6:10 am), filming a submarine passing underneath the Bridge. But the sunlight could not pierce the morning fog. Navy men, with the film crew, contacted the submarine's captain and asked him to cruise around until the fog lifted. Soon it was 7 a.m. and the Marin County commuters were on their way to work. By 9 a.m., three lanes of traffic were jammed up a mile back.
In 1966 San Francisco topless star Yvonne D’Angers, dubbed the Persian Lamb, chained herself to the Golden Gate Bridge to protest her long-threatened deportation to Iran.
October 25, 1967
Bridge Painter Lee Patrick fell to his death while working under the San Francisco approach span. Since the original construction of the Bridge when 11 lives were lost, this is the first death of a Bridge worker.
November 10, 1969
The
California State Legislature passed Assembly Bill 584 authorizing the
District to develop a transportation facility plan for implementing a mass
transportation program in the Golden Gate Corridor. This was to
include any and all forms of transit, including ferry. At that time,
the word "Transportation" was added to the District name to
indicate its new commitment to public transportation.
February 28, 1970
Golden Gate Bridge west sidewalk opens to bicycle use.
August 15, 1970
Golden Gate Ferry begins service between Sausalito and San Francisco.
July 1, 1971
The remaining original bonds issued for the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge are
retired. The $35 million in principal and nearly $39 million in interest
were financed
entirely from Bridge tolls.
January 1, 1972
Golden Gate Transit intercounty bus service begins.
February 26, 1976
The Golden Gate Bridge appears on the cover of Rolling Stone Magazine as the backdrop with five prominent San Francisco based rockers of the day, with a title above the photo that reads, "What a Long Strange Trip It's Been."
December 11, 1976
Golden Gate Ferry service expands to include service between Larkspur and
San Francisco.
September 29, 1984
The Board of Directors decides that a British production company filming a new James Bond movie may stage a stunt on the Golden Gate Bridge cables 700 feet above the water. The film, called "A View to a Kill," features Roger Moore as Bond. Part of the movie is being filmed in San Francisco, and one of the more spectacular scenes is supposed to be a fight between Bond and a villain on the north tower of the Bridge with the loser of the fight falling to his death from the suspension cables. Producers of the film hoped to talk the Board into letting them drop a dummy from the north tower to the roadway; this portion of filming was denied. "With all the problems we have with suicides on this Bridge, I think this is a bum idea," said Director Quentin Kopp of San Francisco. Eon Productions, the company making the film, is taking out a $5 million policy in case anything goes wrong. They will pay the standard $500-a-day fee for filming on the Bridge.
February 22, 1985
One billionth car crosses the Golden Gate Bridge.
August 15, 1985
Construction is complete on the replacement of the original Golden Gate Bridge roadway
with a modern orthotropic steel plate deck.
May 24, 1987
Golden Gate Bridge celebrates its 50th Anniversary.
October 1993
In recognition of "enduring excellence in design," the Society of American Registered Architects (SARA) honored the Golden Gate Bridge with its "Distinguished Building Award." For the first time in SARA's history, the Distinguished Building Award was presented to a structure other than a building. The Golden Gate Bridge was honored because of its "impact on the city, design, economic value, cultural statement, engineering accomplishment and contribution to the overall furtherance of the region." The award commended the work of Bridge Architect Irving Morrow, Chief Engineer Joseph Strauss and the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District.
February 16, 1994
The Golden Gate
Bridge named one of the "Seven Wonders of the Modern World" by the
American Society of Civil Engineers, along with the Hoover Dam, Interstate
Highway System, Kennedy Space Center, Panama Canal, Trans-Alaska Pipeline
and world Trade Center.
August 15, 1995
Golden Gate Ferry celebrates 25th Anniversary.
September 13, 1996
Golden Gate Bridge designated a double-fine zone.
January 1, 1997
Golden Gate Transit intercounty bus service celebrates its 25th Anniversary.
May 27, 1997
Golden Gate Bridge celebrates its 60th Anniversary.
August 5, 1997
Groundbreaking
ceremony held for
Phase I of the Seismic Retrofit Construction on the Golden Gate Bridge.
September 3, 1998
United States Postal Service unveils Golden Gate Bridge commemorative stamp.
March 1999
The Golden Gate Bridge awarded the number two position in the Top 10
Construction Achievements of the 20th Century by CONEXPO-CON/AGG. The Top
10 Rankings were: Chunnel Tunnel; Golden Gate Bridge; Dwight D.
Eisenhower System of Interstate and Defense Highways; Empire State Building;
Hoover/Boulder Dam; Panama Canal; Sydney Opera House; Aswan High Dam; World
Trade Center; and, the Hong Kong Airport.
July 13, 2000
FasTrak electronic toll collection system is launched on the
Golden Gate Bridge.
August 15, 2000
Golden Gate Sausalito Ferry celebrates 30 years of service on the San Francisco Bay.
September 19, 2000
American Public Works Association selects the Golden Gate Bridge as the Top Ten Public Works Projects of the Century.
September 2000
The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) selects Golden Gate Ferry to receive an MTC Award of Merit for its part in the successful Pacific Bell Park Transit Campaign.
September 2000
The District takes first place in APTA's distinguished 1999 AdWheel Awards Competition for its Bus Operator Recruitment Campaign in the "Marketing on a Shoestring Campaign" category.
October 24, 2000
The first of several shipments of massive cranes, at a maximum height of 223.75 feet above waterline, bound for the Port of Oakland from China, passes under the Golden Gate Bridge with an estimated clearance of about 13 feet.
May 11, 2001
A construction contract is awarded to Shimmick Construction Company, Inc./Obayashi Corportation, a Joint Venture, Hayward, CA for the 2nd Phase of the Golden Gate Bridge Seismic Retrofit Construction.
May 30, 2001
The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) names the Golden Gate Bridge a Civil Engineering Monument of the Millenium.
July 1, 2001
$2.67 discount toll for FasTrak customers
is eliminated.
July 20, 2001
The Golden Gate Ferry high-speed catamaran, Motor Vessel (M.V.) Mendocino, is christened at Noyo Harbor, near Fort Bragg, CA. Built by Nicols Bros., Freeland, WA, it is named in honor of Mendocino County as it is one of six counties that comprise the District.
July 22, 2001
M.V. Mendocino ferry vessel arrives at the Golden Gate Larkspur Ferry Terminal in Larkspur, CA.
August 24, 2001
M.V. Mendocino ferry vessel is christened, for a second time, at the San Francisco Golden Gate Ferry Terminal.
September 10, 2001
M.V. Mendocino ferry vessel enters into service between Larkspur and San Francisco.
April 26, 2002
A contract is awarded for the installation of six new engines on the three original 725-passenger Larkspur Ferry vessels, referred to as teh Spaulding vessels (after the designer).
May 1, 2002
The second shipment of massive cranes, at a maximum height of 227.7 feet above waterline, bound for the Port of Oakland from China, passes under the Golden Gate Bridge with an estimated clearance of about 7.9 feet.
May 27, 2002
Golden Gate Bridge celebrates its 65th anniversary.
June 14, 2002
A third shipment of massive cranes, at a maximum height of 227.7 feet above waterline, bound for the Port of Oakland from China, passes under the Golden Gate Bridge with an estimated clearance of about 10 feet.
September 1, 2002
Golden Gate Bridge toll increases to $5.00 cash, $4.00 FasTrak and $2.50 per axle (for
vehicles exceeding two axles).
In 2007, the San Francisco Bay Guardian named the Golden Gate Bridge the BEST HISTORICAL LANDMARK in its annual "Best of the Bay" edition.
May 28, 2007
Golden Gate Bridge celebrates its 70th Anniversary.
September 17, 2007
TransLink®, the Bay Area’s smartcard fare payment system, is made available to all Golden Gate Transit and Golden Gate Ferry customers.
November 18, 2007
With a permit granted from the Bridge District, artist, educator, and health advocate Michael Grbich tap-danced across the Golden Gate Bridge to celebrate his 75th birthday.
In 2008, the San Francisco Bay Guardian named the Golden Gate Bridge the BEST HISTORICAL LANDMARK in its annual "Best of the Bay" edition.
June 14 & 15, 2008
San Rafael's Italian Street Painting Festival entry of the Golden Gate Bridge by artist Ian Ross.
August 10, 2008
A distressed pelican is rescued from the southbound curb lane of the Bridge at approximately 2:44pm and transferred to animal care.
October 25, 2008
A Zeppelin NT, a 246-foot blimp-like airship, passed over the Golden Gate Bridge en route to its new home at Moffett Field in Mountain View. A California startup plans to offer aerial tours of the San Francisco Bay area in the newly built zeppelin, one of only three in the world. It carries 12 passengers, and tickets start at $495 per person.
March 11, 2009
The largest crane barge on the west coast passes under the Golden Gate Bridge. The crane, nicknamed the "The Left Coast Lifter,'' is fixed to a barge that measures 400 feet by 100 feet. The crane’s boom is 328 feet long, weighs 992 tons, and is capable of lifting 1,873 tons of materials. The crane will be used in the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge Seismic Safety Project and will place all of the self-anchored suspension bridge deck sections and the lower portions of the new span's tower, projected to stand 525 feet tall.
May 3, 2009
At about 6:20 pm, the CHP stopped a horseback rider who was crossing the Golden Gate Bridge sidewalk. Horses are not allowed to cross the Bridge due primarily to safety considerations.
January 22, 2010
It snowed on the north side of the Golden Gate Bridge.
* All Photos copyright © Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District. All Rights Reserved.