Our world is full of wonders and although mother nature beats us hands down when it comes to some of the more truly jaw dropping things we can see, there is still plenty that us humans have to be proud of.
There are many man made, awe inspiring objects in this world and none more so than some of our most recent architecture such as the Burj Khalifa skyscraper in the United Arab Emirates, or the Tokyo Sky Tree in Japan.
However, one of the most unmistakable landmarks, and probably one of the most stunning, is the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. The Golden Gate Bridge is one of the most popular and photographed man made structures in the US. But it was not always so popular. The idea of building a bridge from San Francisco to Marin County was initially met with anger when the idea was first proposed way back in 1916.
The reason for this was that the ferry service which carried people back and forth between the bay and Marin County did not want anyone else taking a cut from the money they made each year.
Despite this outrage, and even a law suit filed by the golden gate ferry company, it was agreed that a bridge had to be built to help the growing economy and more importantly the fledgling automobile industry which was just starting to prove its worth.
For many years Joseph Strauss was widely accredited with the creation of the bridge, but the truth was he simply lit the fire and it was more talented individuals such as Leon Moisseiff and Charles Alton Ellis who stoked the flames and helped create one of the biggest and most wonder us bridges human civilization has built.
Construction of the Golden Gate Bridge did not formerly start until the 5th of January 1933, and even then there were still concerns that it may not be such a good idea. Although by this point it was the army who had voiced more concerns over the bridges construction due to fears it would hinder any war vessels having to move through the bay.
These fears were quickly put to rest thanks to the color which was chosen for the bridge. The army had initially wanted it to be painted black with white and blue stripes on its supports so it could be easily identified. Instead the color you see today is known as International Orange, and thanks to its reflective qualities was enough to keep the army at bay long enough for the construction work to be finished.
The golden gate bridge was officially opened for business on May 27 1937 and saw over 200,000 people during its first week before automobile traffic was allowed on.