Brooklyn Bridge

The iconic Brooklyn Bridge, spanning the East River between Manhattan and Brooklyn, opened on May 24, 1883. As the first fixed crossing over the East River, it remains revered worldwide for its architectural beauty and engineering brilliance. Pioneering the use of steel cable wire and underwater construction with compressed air "caissons," it represented cutting-edge 19th-century technology. Designed by John Augustus Roebling, the project was beset by tragedy. After Roebling's death, his son Washington took over, only to be paralyzed by "caisson disease." Washington's wife, Emily Warren Roebling, then stepped in. With her knowledge of higher mathematics and bridge construction, she supervised the project for 11 years, leading some to consider her the bridge's true designer.Completed after 13 years, the Brooklyn Bridge opened to great fanfare. It was 50% longer than any previous bridge and remained the world's longest suspension bridge for two decades. Its towers stood as the tallest structures in the Western Hemisphere for several years, cementing its place in engineering history.