Golden Gate Bridge Opening Day Photograph Showing Massive Public: Fact Check

Story:

Golden Gate Bridge Opening Day Photograph Showing Massive Public

Other Versions

1. On This Day in 1937, the Golden Gate Bridge Opened

2. The opening Day of the Golden Gate Bridge.
May 27, 1937

Fact Check:

A popular story often shared online purports to show the Golden Gate Bridge Opening Day Photograph when it was made public for the first time back in 1937. Notably, number of viewers even went on to believe in the story about the black and white photograph showing massive public. Although the picture is real and does show the Golden Gate Bridge, as explained below, it is not from opening day occasion in 1937.

Golden Gate Bridge Opening Day Photograph

The Golden Gate Suspension Bridge in San Francisco, one of the Wonders of the Modern World, was in fact opened to public on 27 May 1937. Shown above is one of the Golden Gate Bridge opening day photographs. Likewise, some other photographs from the opening ceremony can be seen on San Francisco Chronicle website sfchronicle.com. The video below shows a footage of the opening day of the Golden Gate Bridge. Note, the number of people who were present at the bridge in 1937 was not as large as it appears in the featured photograph.

Image of Golden Gate Bridge 50 Years Celebration in 1987 — Golden Gate Bridge 50 Years Celebration in 1987

The photograph in question was actually taken in May 1987 – during the 50th anniversary celebration for the Golden Gate Bridge. In celebration, the bridge was closed to automobile traffic and only pedestrians were allowed to cross it. Surprisingly, 750,000 to 1,000,000 people turned up for the celebrations, and ineffective crowd control congested the bridge with roughly 300,000 people. People were sandwiched together and could not move, and there were fast blowing winds causing the bridge sway from side to side. As a result, the center span of the Golden Gate bridge flattened out under the weight. Engineers however said suspension bridges are designed to bend and move more than other bridges, and it was not a cause of concern.

So, the claim that the photograph shows opening day ceremony of Golden Gate Bridge in 1937 is a hoax. It was rather shot 50 years later, from the South Tower facing south down onto the roadway with massive public.