It took over four years from the start of construction in January 1933, for the Golden Gate Bridge to welcome pedestrians and cars onto its freshly paved roadways 85 years ago in May of 1937. However, the concept for the Bridge was dreamt up well before the 1930s.
The first whisper of building a Bridge across the "Golden Gate Strait" came in 1872 by a railroad entrepreneur. Though it wasn't until four decades later that San Francisco city officials would request the project be looked into seriously by a local engineer. By 1919, Joseph Strauss had put his hat in the ring for the project and the rest is history. Read more here>>
For other moments in Golden Gate Bridge history, check out these links: