View source for Brooklyn Bridge

{{Other uses}}
{{Infobox bridge
 |bridge_name= Brooklyn Bridge
 |image= Brooklyn Bridge Postdlf.jpg
 |image_size= 280px
 |caption= The Brooklyn Bridge, viewed in Manhattan from below
 |official_name=
 |also_known_as=
 |carries= Motor vehicles (cars only)<br /> [[elevated railway|Elevated trains]] (until 1944)<br /> [[Streetcar]]s (until 1950)<br /> Pedestrians and bicycles
 |crosses= [[East River]]
 |locale= [[New York City]] ([[Manhattan]]–[[Brooklyn]])
 |maint= [[New York City Department of Transportation]]
 |id=
 |designer=[[John Augustus Roebling]]
 |design= [[Suspension bridge|Suspension]]/[[Cable-stayed bridge|Cable-stay]] Hybrid
 |mainspan= 1,595 feet 6 inches (486.3&nbsp;m)
 |length= 5,989 feet (1825&nbsp;m)<ref name="nycdot info">{{cite web|url=http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/bridges/bridges.shtml#brooklyn |title=NYCDOT Bridges Information |publisher=New York City Department of Transportation |accessdate=2008-08-23}}</ref>
 |width= 85 feet (26&nbsp;m)
 |below= 135 feet (41&nbsp;m) at mid-span
 |traffic= 123,781 (2008)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/downloads/pdf/bridgetrafrpt08.pdf |title=New York City Bridge Traffic Volumes 2008 |month=March |year=2010 |publisher=New York City Department of Transportation |page=63 |format=PDF |accessdate=2010-07-10}}</ref>
 |open= {{start date and age|May 24, 1883}}<ref>{{cite web
| url         = http://www.endex.com/gf/buildings/bbridge/bbridgefacts.htm
| title       = Brooklyn Bridge Facts, History and Information
| first       = Gary
| last        = Feuerstein
| date        = 1998-05-29
| month       =
| year        =
| work        =
| publisher   =
| location    =
| page        =
| pages       =
| at          =
| language    =
| trans_title =
| doi         =
| archiveurl  = http://web.archive.org/web/20100208205253/http://www.endex.com/gf/buildings/bbridge/bbridgefacts.htm
| archivedate = 8 February 2010
| accessdate  = 2011-05-23
| quote       =
| ref         =
| postscript  =
}}</ref>
 |closed=
 |governing_body = Local
 |toll= Free both ways
 |coordinates = {{Coord|40.70569|-73.99639|region:US_type:landmark|display=inline,title|name=Brooklyn Bridge}}
|extra={{Location map | USA New York City
|label      =
|label_size =
|alt        =
|position   = right
|background =
|lon_dir=W
|lat_dir=N
|lat        =40.70569
|long       =-73.99639
|mark       =
|marksize   =
|border     = none
|float      =
|width      = 250
|caption    = <!-- blank -->
}}
{{Infobox NRHP
| embed = yes
| name                 = Brooklyn Bridge
| nrhp_type            = nhl
| designated_other2_name = NYC Landmark
| designated_other2_color = #ff0000
| designated_other2_link = New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission
| image                = Pont de Brooklyn de nuit - Octobre 2008 edit.jpg
| alt                  =
| caption              =
| location             =
| built                = 1883
| architect            =
| architecture         =
| added                =
| designated_nrhp_type =
| visitation_num       =
| visitation_year      =
| refnum               =
| mpsub                =
| governing_body       =
| built =1883
| architecture= [[neo-Gothic]]
| designated_nrhp_type= January 29, 1964<ref name="nhlsum">{{cite web|url=http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=376&ResourceType=Structure |title=Brooklyn Bridge |publisher=National Park Service}}</ref>
| added = 1966<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|2007a}}</ref>
| refnum=66000523
}}
}}

The '''Brooklyn Bridge''' is one of the oldest [[suspension bridge]]s in the United States. Completed in 1883, it connects the [[New York City]] [[borough (New York City)|boroughs]] of [[Manhattan]] and [[Brooklyn]] by spanning the [[East River]]. With a main span of {{convert|1595.5|ft|m}}, it was the [[List of longest suspension bridge spans|longest suspension bridge in the world]] from its opening until 1903, and the first steel-wire suspension bridge.

Originally referred to as the '''New York and Brooklyn Bridge''' and as the '''East River Bridge''', it was dubbed the Brooklyn Bridge, a name from an earlier January 25, 1867 letter to the editor of the ''[[Brooklyn Daily Eagle]]'',<ref>{{Cite news
|url=http://www.brooklynpubliclibrary.org/eagle/
|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20071019230402/http://www.brooklynpubliclibrary.org/eagle/
|archivedate=2007-10-19
|title=Bridging the East River&nbsp;– Another Project
|author=E.P.D.
|date=January 25, 1867
|newspaper=The Brooklyn Daily Eagle
|page=2 |accessdate=2007-11-26}}{{verify source|date=April 2012}}</ref> and formally so named by the city government in 1915. Since its opening, it has become an icon of [[New York City]], and was designated a [[National Historic Landmark]] in 1964<ref name="nhlsum">{{cite web|url=http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=376&ResourceType=Structure
|title=Brooklyn Bridge|date=2007-09-11|publisher=National Park Service}}</ref><ref name="nrhpinv">{{cite web|url=http://pdfhost.focus.nps.gov/docs/NHLS/Text/66000523.pdf "The Brooklyn Bridge", February 24, 1975, by James B. Armstrong and S. Sydney Bradford]|title=National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination|date=1975-02-24|publisher=National Park Service}}</ref><ref name="nrhpphotos">{{cite web|url=http://pdfhost.focus.nps.gov/docs/NHLS/Photos/66000523.pdf The Brooklyn Bridge—Accompanying three photos, from 1975.]|title=National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination|date=1975-02-24|publisher=National Park Service}}</ref> and a [[List of historic civil engineering landmarks|National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark]] in 1972.<ref>{{cite web|title=Brooklyn Bridge |url=http://www.ascemetsection.org/content/view/339/872/ |publisher=ASCE Metropolitan Section |accessdate=2010-06-30}}</ref>

==Construction==
[[File:Brooklynbridge tablet 200907.jpg|thumb|left|Tablet signage on the Manhattan-side tower of the Brooklyn Bridge]]
The Brooklyn Bridge was initially designed by German immigrant [[John Augustus Roebling]], who had previously designed and constructed shorter suspension bridges, such as [[Roebling's Delaware Aqueduct]] in [[Lackawaxen, Pennsylvania]], [[Waco Suspension Bridge]] in [[Waco]], [[Texas]], and the [[John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge]] in [[Cincinnati, Ohio]].

<!-- Deleted image removed: [[File:Brooklyn bridge under construction small.jpeg|thumb|300px|The Brooklyn Bridge under construction.]] -->
While conducting surveys for the bridge project, Roebling sustained a crush injury to his foot when a ferry pinned it against a piling. After amputation of his crushed toes he developed a [[tetanus]] infection which left him incapacitated and soon resulted in his death, not long after he had placed his 32-year-old son [[Washington Roebling]] in charge of the project.<ref>{{cite news |accessdate=2009-10-27 |date=May 24, 1883 |url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9F01E5DC1431E433A25757C2A9639C94629FD7CF |title=The Building Of The Bridge.; Its Cost And The Difficulties Met With-- Details Of The History Of A Great Engineering Triumph. |newspaper=The New York Times}}</ref>

Washington Roebling also suffered a paralyzing injury as a result of [[decompression sickness]] shortly after the beginning of construction on January 3, 1870.<ref name=dcs>{{cite journal |author=Butler WP |title=Caisson disease during the construction of the Eads and Brooklyn Bridges: A review |journal=Undersea Hyperb Med |volume=31 |issue=4 |pages=445–59 |year=2004 |pmid=15686275 |doi= |url=http://archive.rubicon-foundation.org/xmlui/bitstream/handle/123456789/4028/15686275.pdf |accessdate=2008-06-19}}</ref> This condition, first called "[[caisson (engineering)|caisson]] disease" by the project physician Andrew Smith, afflicted many of the workers working within the caissons.<ref name=ASmith1886>{{Cite book|author=Smith, Andrew Heermance |title=The Physiological, Pathological and Therapeutical Effects of Compressed Air |year=1886 |publisher=George S. Davis |location=Detroit |url=http://books.google.com/?id=hLq981_A5bMC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Diving |accessdate=2009-04-17 }}</ref><ref name=acottHx>{{cite journal |last=Acott |first=Chris |title=A brief history of diving and decompression illness. |journal=[[South Pacific Underwater Medicine Society]] journal |volume=29 |issue=2 |year=1999 |issn=0813-1988 |oclc=16986801 |url=http://archive.rubicon-foundation.org/xmlui/bitstream/handle/123456789/6004/SPUMS_V29N2_8.pdf |accessdate=2009-04-17 }}</ref> After Roebling's debilitating condition left him unable to physically supervise the construction firsthand, his wife [[Emily Warren Roebling]] stepped in and provided the critical written link between her husband and the engineers on site.<ref name="McCullough">{{cite book | author = McCullough, David | authorlink = David McCullough | year = 1972 | title = The Great Bridge | location = New York | publisher = [[Simon & Schuster]] | isbn = 978-0671212131 }}</ref> Under her husband's guidance, Emily had studied higher [[mathematics]], the calculations of [[catenary]] curves, the strengths of materials, bridge specifications, and the intricacies of cable construction.<ref name=MWeigold>{{Cite book|author=Weigold, Marilyn |title=Silent Builder: [[Emily Warren Roebling]] and the Brooklyn Bridge |year=1984 |publisher=Associated Faculty Press }}</ref><ref name=DMcCullough>{{Cite book|author=McCullough, David |title=The Great Bridge: The Epic Story of the Building of the Brooklyn Bridge |year=1983 |publisher=Simon & Schuster |location=New York |page=421}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.asce.org/PPLContent.aspx?id=2147487328 |title=Emily Warren Roebling |publisher=American Society of Civil Engineers |accessdate=2010-06-30}}</ref> She spent the next 11 years assisting Washington Roebling helping to supervise the bridge's construction.

When iron probes underneath the caisson found the [[bedrock]] to be even deeper than expected, Roebling halted construction due to the increased risk of decompression sickness. He later deemed the [[subsoil|aggregate]] overlying the bedrock 30 feet (9&nbsp;m) below it to be firm enough to support the tower base, and construction continued.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.glasssteelandstone.com/BuildingDetail/435.php |title=GlassSteelandStone: Brooklyn Bridge-tower rests on sand|accessdate=2007-02-20}}</ref> Harbor pilot [[Joseph Henderson (pilot)|Joseph Henderson]] was called upon as an expert seaman to determine the height of the water span of the Brooklyn Bridge.<ref>The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, October 9, 1890, p. 1</ref>

The Brooklyn Bridge was completed thirteen years later and was opened for use on May 24, 1883. The opening ceremony was attended by several thousand people and many ships were present in the East Bay for the occasion. President [[Chester A. Arthur]] and [[Mayor of New York City|New York Mayor]] [[Franklin Edson]] crossed the bridge to celebratory cannon fire and were greeted by Brooklyn Mayor [[Seth Low]] when they reached the Brooklyn-side tower. Arthur shook hands with Washington Roebling at the latter's home, after the ceremony. Roebling was unable to attend the ceremony (and in fact rarely visited the site again), but held a celebratory banquet at his house on the day of the bridge opening. Further festivity included the performance of a band, gunfire from ships, and a fireworks display.<ref name="reeves">{{Cite book| last = Reeves | first = Thomas C. | authorlink = | coauthors = | title = Gentleman Boss | publisher = Alfred A. Knopf | year = 1975 | location = New York | pages = 359–360 | isbn = 0-394-46095-2}}</ref>
[[File:New Brooklyn to New York via Brooklyn Bridge, no. 2, by Thomas A. Edison, Inc.ogv|thumb|right|220px|Edison film, "New Brooklyn to New York Via Brooklyn Bridge", 1899]]
On that first day, a total of 1,800 vehicles and 150,300 people crossed what was then the only land passage between Manhattan and Brooklyn. Emily Warren Roebling was the first to cross the bridge. The bridge's main span over the East River is 1,595 feet 6&nbsp;inches ({{Nowrap|486.3 m)}}. The bridge cost {{Nowrap|$15.5 million}} to build and approximately 27 people died during its construction.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://eagle.brooklynpubliclibrary.org/Archive/skins/BE/NavigationSites/what.htm |title=Brooklyn Daily Eagle 1841–1902 Online |accessdate=2007-11-23 |archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20071114135249/http://eagle.brooklynpubliclibrary.org/Archive/skins/BE/NavigationSites/what.htm <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archivedate = 2007-11-14}}</ref>

On May 30, 1883, six days after the opening, a rumor that the Bridge was going to collapse caused a stampede, which was responsible for at least twelve people being crushed and killed.<ref>{{cite news |title=Dead on the New Bridge; Fatal Crush at the Western Approach |url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=980DE3DA1431E433A25752C3A9639C94629FD7CF |newspaper=The New York Times |date=May 31, 1883 |accessdate=2010-02-20}}</ref> On May 17, 1884, P. T. Barnum helped to squelch doubts about the bridge's stability—while publicizing his famous circus—when one of his most famous attractions, [[Jumbo]], led a parade of 21 elephants over the Brooklyn Bridge.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Bildner |first=Phil |title=Twenty-One Elephants |year=2004 |publisher=Simon & Schuster |location=New York |isbn=0-689-87011-6}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Prince |first=April Jones |title=Twenty-One Elephants and Still Standing |year=2005 |publisher=Houghton Mifflin |location=Boston |isbn=0-618-44887-X}}</ref><ref>{{cite encyclopedia|title=P.T. Barnum&nbsp;– MSN Encarta<!-- Bot generated title -->|url=http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761571960/p_t_barnum.html|work=|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5kwQPajtQ|archivedate=2009-10-31|deadurl=yes}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/09/arts/09expl.html |title=When Barnum Took Manhattan |last=Strausbaugh |first=John |date=November 9, 2007 |newspaper=The New York Times |accessdate=2008-09-21}}</ref>
[[File:BrooklynBridgeSchematic.jpg|thumb|left|Plan of one tower for the Brooklyn Bridge, 1867]]
At the time it opened, and for several years, it was the longest suspension bridge in the world—50% longer than any previously built&nbsp;— and it has become a treasured landmark. Since the 1980s, it has been floodlit at night to highlight its architectural features. The towers are built of limestone, granite, and [[Rosendale cement]]. Their architectural style is [[neo-gothic architecture|neo-Gothic]], with characteristic pointed arches above the passageways through the stone towers. The paint scheme of the bridge is "Brooklyn Bridge Tan" and "Silver", although it has been argued that the original paint was "[[Rawlins, Wyoming|Rawlins]] Red".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/brooklyn/true_cover_up_brooklyn_bridge_paint_OAD0sR49ATyRfLwvkUggRN |author=Gary Buiso, [[New York Post]] |title=A True Cover Up. Brooklyn Bridge Paint Job Glosses over History |date=May 25, 2010 |accessdate=October 23, 2010}}</ref>
[[File:Brooklyn Bridge night lighted 1982.jpg|thumb|Night view of Brooklyn Bridge.]]
At the time the bridge was built, the [[aerodynamics]] of bridge building had not been worked out. Bridges were not tested in [[wind tunnel]]s until the 1950s, well after the collapse of the original [[Tacoma Narrows Bridge (1940)|Tacoma Narrows Bridge]] (Galloping Gertie) in 1940. It is therefore fortunate that the open truss structure supporting the deck is by its nature less subject to aerodynamic problems. Roebling designed a bridge and truss system that was six times as strong as he thought it needed to be. Because of this, the Brooklyn Bridge is still standing when many of the bridges built around the same time have vanished into history and been replaced. This is also in spite of the substitution of inferior quality wire in the cabling supplied by the contractor [[J. Lloyd Haigh]]—by the time it was discovered, it was too late to replace the cabling that had already been constructed. Roebling determined that the poorer wire would leave the bridge four rather than six times as strong as necessary, so it was eventually allowed to stand, with the addition of 250 cables. Diagonal cables were installed from the towers to the deck, intended to stiffen the bridge. They turned out to be unnecessary, but were kept for their distinctive beauty.

After the collapse in 2007 of the [[I-35W Mississippi River bridge|I-35W highway bridge]] in the city of Minneapolis, increased public attention has been brought to bear on the condition of bridges across the US, and it has been reported that the Brooklyn Bridge approach ramps received a rating of "poor" at its last inspection.<ref>{{cite news |first=Sewell |last=Chan |authorlink=Sewell Chan |url=http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/08/02/brooklyn-bridge-is-one-of-3-with-poor-rating/ | title=Brooklyn Bridge Is One of 3 With Poor Rating |newspaper=The New York Times |date=August 2, 2007 |accessdate=2007-09-10}}</ref> According to a NYC Department of Transportation spokesman, "The poor rating it received does not mean it is unsafe. Poor means there are some components that have to be rehabilitated." A {{Nowrap|$725 million}} project to replace the approaches and repaint the bridge was scheduled to begin in 2009.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.baynewsbrooklyn.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=18685076&BRD=2384&PAG=461&dept_id=560112&rfi=6|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20080316224436/http://www.baynewsbrooklyn.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=18685076&BRD=2384&PAG=461&dept_id=560112&rfi=6|archivedate=2008-03-16 |title=Brooklyn Bridge called 'safe'&nbsp;– DOT says span is okay despite getting a 'poor' rating |publisher= Courier-Life Publications |accessdate=2007-08-12}}</ref>

The construction of the Brooklyn Bridge is detailed in the 1978 book ''The Great Bridge'' by [[David McCullough]]<ref name="McCullough"/> and ''[[Brooklyn Bridge (film)|Brooklyn Bridge]]'' (1981), the first [[Public Broadcasting Service|PBS]] documentary film ever made by [[Ken Burns]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pbs.org/kenburns/brooklynbridge/about/ |title=Why I Decided to Make ''Brooklyn Bridge'' |first=Ken |last=Burns |publisher=Public Broadcasting Service |accessdate=2010-02-20}}</ref> Burns drew heavily on McCullough's book for the film and used him as narrator.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.museum.tv/eotvsection.php?entrycode=burnsken |title=Burns, Ken&nbsp;– U.S. Documentary Film Maker |publisher=The Museum of Broadcast Communications |accessdate=2010-02-20}}</ref> It is also described in [[Seven Wonders of the Industrial World]], a BBC docudrama series with accompanying book.

==Pedestrian and vehicular access==
[[File:Brooklyn Bridge cross section.png|thumb|right|Cross section diagram]]
At various times, the bridge has carried horse-drawn and trolley traffic; at present,{{when|date=April 2012}} it has six lanes for motor vehicles, with a separate walkway along the centerline for [[pedestrian]]s and [[bicycle]]s. Due to the roadway's height ({{convert|11|ft|m|abbr=on}} posted) and weight ({{convert|6000|lb|kg|abbr=on}} posted) restrictions, commercial vehicles and buses are prohibited from using this bridge. The two inside traffic lanes once carried [[elevated railway|elevated trains]] of the [[Brooklyn–Manhattan Transit Corporation|BMT]] from [[Brooklyn]] points to a terminal at [[Park Row (BMT station)|Park Row]] via [[Sands Street (BMT station)|Sands Street]]. [[Streetcar]]s ran on what are now the two center lanes (shared with other traffic) until the elevated lines stopped using the bridge in 1944, when they moved to the protected center tracks. In 1950 the streetcars also stopped running, and the bridge was rebuilt to carry six lanes of automobile traffic.

[[File:Brooklyn Bridge NYC August 16, 2010.JPG|thumb|right|A bird soars over the Brooklyn Bridge]]
The Brooklyn Bridge is accessible from the Brooklyn entrances of Tillary/Adams Streets, Sands/Pearl Streets, and Exit 28B of the eastbound [[Brooklyn-Queens Expressway]]. In Manhattan, motor cars can enter from either direction of the [[FDR Drive]], [[Park Row (Manhattan)|Park Row]], Chambers/Centre Streets, and Pearl/Frankfort Streets. Pedestrian access to the bridge from the Brooklyn side is from either Tillary/Adams Streets (in between the auto entrance/exit), or a staircase on Prospect St between Cadman Plaza East and West. In Manhattan, the pedestrian walkway is accessible from the end of Centre Street, or through the unpaid south staircase of [[Brooklyn Bridge-City Hall]] [[Interborough Rapid Transit Company|IRT]] subway station.

[[File:Spiderweb BB jeh.jpg|thumb|left|View from the pedestrian walkway. The bridge's cable arrangement forms a distinct weblike pattern.]]
The Brooklyn Bridge has a wide pedestrian walkway open to walkers and cyclists, in the center of the bridge and higher than the automobile lanes. While the bridge has always permitted the passage of pedestrians across its span, its role in allowing thousands to cross takes on a special importance in times of difficulty when usual means of crossing the East River have become unavailable.

During transit [[strike action|strikes]] by the [[Transport Workers Union of America|Transport Workers Union]] in [[1980 New York City transit strike|1980]] and [[2005 New York City transit strike|2005]], the bridge was used by people commuting to work, with Mayors [[Ed Koch|Koch]] and [[Michael Bloomberg|Bloomberg]] crossing the bridge as a gesture to the affected public.<ref>{{cite news |title=Koch Faces Day Ebulliently; He Looks Well Rested |first=Anna |last=Quindlen |url=http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F3061EFB395C12728DDDAB0894DC405B8084F1D3 |newspaper=The New York Times |date=April 2, 1980 |accessdate=2010-06-30}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=On Foot, on Bridge and at City Hall, Bloomberg Is Irate |first=Jim |last=Rutenberg |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/21/nyregion/nyregionspecial3/21mayor.html |newspaper=The New York Times |date=December 21, 2005 |accessdate=2010-06-30}}</ref>

Following the [[Northeast Blackout of 1965|1965]], [[New York City blackout of 1977|1977]] and [[2003 North America blackout|2003]] [[power outage|blackouts]] and most famously after the [[September 11, 2001, attacks]] on the [[World Trade Center]], the bridge was used by people in Manhattan to leave the city after subway service was suspended. The massive numbers of people on the bridge could not have been anticipated by the original designer, yet John Roebling designed it with three separate systems managing even unanticipated structural stresses. The bridge has a suspension system, a diagonal stay system, and a stiffening truss. "Roebling himself famously said if anything happens to one of [his] systems, 'The bridge may sag, but it will not fall.'"<ref>{{cite news |title=Point of Collapse |first=Robert |last=Julavits |url=http://www.villagevoice.com/2003-08-26/news/point-of-collapse/ |newspaper=The Village Voice |date=August 26, 2003 |accessdate=2010-02-20}}</ref> The movement of large numbers of people on a bridge creates pedestrian oscillations or "sway" as the crowd lifts one foot after another, some falling inevitably in synchronized cadences. The natural sway motion of people walking causes small sideways oscillations in a bridge, which in turn cause people on the bridge to sway in step, increasing the amplitude of the bridge oscillations and continually reinforcing the effect. High-density traffic of this nature causes a bridge to appear to move erratically or "to wobble" as happened at opening of the [[Millennium Bridge (London)|London Millennium Footbridge]] in 2000.<ref>{{Cite book | author = Strogatz, Steven | authorlink = Steven Strogatz | title=Sync: The Emerging Science of Spontaneous Order | year=2003 | publisher=Hyperion | location=New York | isbn=0-7868-6844-9 | pages=174–175, 312, 320}}</ref>

[[File:1883 Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper Brooklyn Bridge New York City.jpg|Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper, c. 1883|thumb|right|200px]]

==Notable events==
===First jumper===
The first person to jump from the bridge was [[Robert Emmet Odlum]], brother of women's rights activist [[Charlotte Odlum Smith]], on May 19, 1885.<ref name="Odlum">{{cite book |url= http://books.google.com/books?id=FP4NAQAAIAAJ |title= The Life and Adventures of Prof. Robert Emmet Odlum, Containing an Account of his Splendid Natatorium at the National Capital |year= 1885 |author= Catherine Odlum | publisher= Gray and Clarkson }}</ref><ref name="Stanley">{{cite book | author = Stanley, Autumn | authorlink = Autumn Stanley | year = 2009 | title = Raising More Hell and Fewer Dahlias: The Public Life of Charlotte Smith, 1840-1917 | location = [[Bethlehem, Pennsylvania|Bethlehem]] | publisher = [[Lehigh University Press]] | isbn = 978-0-934223-99-7}}</ref> He struck the water at an angle and died shortly thereafter from internal injuries.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=990DE4D91739E533A25753C2A9639C94649FD7CF|newspaper=The New York Times|title=Odlum's Leap to Death|date=May 20, 1885|page=1|accessdate=2008-04-15}}</ref> [[Steve Brodie (bridge jumper)|Steve Brodie]] was the most famous jumper, or self-proclaimed jumper (in 1886).

===Bungee jump===
In June 1993, following 13 reconnoiters inside the metal structure, and with the help of a mountain guide, [[Thierry Devaux]] performed (illegally) eight acrobatic [[bungee jumping|bungee jumps]] above the East River close to the Brooklyn pier, in the early morning. He used an electric winch between each acrobatic figure.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sunnydream.info/index.php?page=brooklyn |title=Brooklyn Bridge |publisher=SunnyDream |accessdate=2010-06-25}}</ref>

===1994 Brooklyn Bridge shooting===
{{Main|Brooklyn Bridge shooting}}
On March 1, 1994, Lebanese-born [[Rashid Baz]] opened fire on a van carrying members of the [[Chabad-Lubavitch]] [[Orthodox Judaism|Orthodox Jewish]] Movement, striking 16-year-old student [[Ari Halberstam]] and three others traveling on the bridge.<ref>{{cite news |title=4 Hasidic Youths Hurt in Brooklyn Bridge Shooting |first=Joe |last=Sexton |url=http://www.nytimes.com/1994/03/02/nyregion/4-hasidic-youths-hurt-in-brooklyn-bridge-shooting.html |newspaper=The New York Times |date=March 2, 1994 |accessdate=2010-06-30}}</ref> Halberstam died five days later from his wounds. Baz was apparently acting out of revenge for the [[Cave of the Patriarchs massacre|Hebron massacre]] of 29 Muslims by [[Baruch Goldstein]] that had taken place days earlier on February 25, 1994. Baz was convicted of murder and sentenced to a 141-year prison term. After initially classifying the murder as one committed out of [[Road rage (phenomenon)|road rage]], the [[United States Department of Justice|Justice Department]] reclassified the case in 2000 as a terrorist attack. The entrance ramp to the bridge on the Manhattan side was named the Ari Halberstam Memorial Ramp in memory of the victim.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.arihalberstam.com/in-memoriam/ |title=In Memoriam |publisher=Ari Halberstam Memorial Site |accessdate=2010-06-30}}</ref>

===2003 plot===
In 2003, truck driver [[Iyman Faris]] was sentenced to about 20 years in prison for providing material support to [[Al-Qaeda]], after an earlier plot to destroy the bridge by cutting through its support wires with [[blowtorch]]es was thwarted through information the [[National Security Agency]] uncovered through wiretapped phone conversations and interrogation of Al-Qaeda militants.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.globalsecurity.org/security/profiles/iyman_faris.htm |title=Iyman Faris |publisher=GlobalSecurity.org |accessdate=2010-06-30}}</ref>

===2006 bunker discovery===
In 2006, a [[Cold War]] era bunker was found by city workers near the East River shoreline of Manhattan's Lower East Side. The bunker, hidden within the masonry anchorage, still contained the emergency supplies that were being stored for a potential nuclear attack by the [[Soviet Union]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Cold War "Time Capsule" Found in Brooklyn Bridge |first=Stefan |last=Lovgren |url=http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/03/0324_060324_brooklyn.html |newspaper=National Geographic |date=March 24, 2006 |accessdate=2010-02-20}}</ref>

===100th anniversary celebrations===
The [[centennial]] celebrations on May 24, 1983, saw a cavalcade of cars crossing the bridge, led by President [[Ronald Reagan]]. A flotilla of ships visited the harbor, parades were held, and in the evening the sky over the bridge was illuminated by [[Grucci Fireworks]].<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.nycroads.com/crossings/brooklyn/ |author=NYC Roads |title=The Brooklyn Bridge| accessdate=October 23, 2010}}</ref> The [[Brooklyn Museum]] exhibited a selection of the original drawings made for the bridge's construction, some by Washington Roebling himself.

===125th anniversary celebrations===
Beginning on May 22, 2008, festivities were held over a five-day period to celebrate the 125th anniversary of the opening of the Brooklyn Bridge. The events kicked off with a live performance of the [[Brooklyn Philharmonic]] in [[Empire–Fulton Ferry State Park]], followed by special lighting of the bridge's towers and a fireworks display.<ref>{{cite news |last=Burke |first=Kerry |last2=Hutchinson |first2=Bill |title=Brooklyn Bridge turns 125 with a bang |newspaper=Daily News |location=New York |date=May 23, 2008 |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/brooklyn/2008/05/22/2008-05-22_brooklyn_bridge_turns_125_with_a_bang.html |accessdate=2009-08-01}}</ref> Other events held during the 125th anniversary celebrations, which coincided with the [[Memorial Day]] weekend, included a film series, historical walking tours, information tents, a series of lectures and readings, a bicycle tour of Brooklyn, a miniature golf course featuring Brooklyn icons, and other musical and dance performances.<ref>{{cite web|title= Brooklyn Bridge 125th Anniversary Celebration |url= http://www.ascemetsection.org/content/view/121/830/ |publisher= ASCE Metropolitan Section |accessdate=2009-08-01}}</ref>

Just before the anniversary celebrations, the [[Telectroscope]], which created a video link between New York and London, was installed on the Brooklyn side of the bridge. The [[installation art|installation]] lasted for a few weeks and permitted viewers in New York to see people looking into a matching telectroscope in front of London's Tower Bridge.<ref>{{cite news |last=Ryzik |first=Melena |title=Telescope Takes a Long View, to London |newspaper=The New York Times |date=May 21, 2008 |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/21/arts/design/21tele.html |accessdate=2009-08-01}}</ref> A newly renovated pedestrian connection to [[DUMBO, Brooklyn|DUMBO]] was also unveiled before the anniversary celebrations.<ref>{{cite news |last=Farmer |first=Ann |title=This Way to Brooklyn, This Way |newspaper=The New York Times |date=May 21, 2008 |url=http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/05/21/welcome-to-dumbo-its-right-under-you/ |accessdate=2009-08-01}}</ref>

===Mass arrests===
On October 1, 2011, more than 700 protesters with the [[Occupy Wall Street]] movement were arrested while attempting to march across the bridge on the roadway.<ref>{{cite news |title=Police Arrest More Than 700 Protesters on Brooklyn Bridge |first=Al |last=Baker |first2=Colin |last2=Moynihan |first3=Sarah Maslin |last3=Nir |url=http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/10/01/police-arresting-protesters-on-brooklyn-bridge/ |newspaper=The New York Times |date=October 1, 2011 |accessdate=2011-12-11}}</ref>

==Cultural significance==
[[File:Brooklyn Brücke.jpg|thumb|right|Brooklyn Bridge in front of Downtown Manhattan]]
Contemporaries marveled at what technology was capable of and the bridge became a symbol of the optimism of the time. [[John Perry Barlow]] wrote in the late 20th century of the "literal and genuinely religious leap of faith" embodied in the Brooklyn Bridge&nbsp;... "the Brooklyn Bridge required of its builders faith in their ability to control technology."<ref>[http://ftp.eff.org/pub/Publications/John_Perry_Barlow/HTML/brooklyn_bridge.html Cultural Significance]</ref>

The [[Cuba]]n poet [[José Martí]] wrote an article named ''"The Bridge of Brooklyn"'' for the magazine ''La América'', published in June 1883, shortly after the bridge opened to the public.<ref>{{cite web|last=Martí|first=José|title=El puente de Brooklyn|url=http://www.josemarti.cu/files/El%20puente%20de%20Brooklyn.PDF|accessdate=4 March 2012}}</ref> The article was published in his book ''"Escenas norteamericanas"''.<ref>{{cite book|last=Sampath Nelson|first=Emmanuel|title=The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Multiethnic American Literature: I&nbsp;— M|year=2005|publisher=Greenwood|isbn=978-0-313-33059-9|page=2692}}</ref> In the article, Martí made comparisons between certain animals (like snakes) and the structure of the bridge.{{Citation needed|date=March 2012}}

References to "selling the Brooklyn Bridge" abound in American culture, sometimes as examples of rural gullibility but more often in connection with an idea that strains credulity. For example, "If you believe ''that'', I've got a bridge to sell you."{{Citation needed|date=September 2010}} [[George C. Parker]] and [[William McCloundy]] are two early 20th-century con-men who had (allegedly) successfully perpetrated this scam on unwitting tourists.<ref>{{cite news |title=For You, Half Price |first=Gabriel |last=Cohen |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/27/nyregion/thecity/27brid.htm |newspaper=The New York Times |date=November 27, 2005 |accessdate=2010-02-20}}</ref>
The 1949 [[Bugs Bunny]] cartoon [[Bowery Bugs]] is a joking reference to Bugs "selling" a story of the Brooklyn Bridge to a naive tourist.

The [[Modernist literature|Modernist]] American poet [[Hart Crane]] used the Brooklyn Bridge as a central metaphor and organizing structure for his second and most important book of poetry, ''[[The Bridge (long poem)|The Bridge]]''. This book takes the form of a long poem spanning eight parts, beginning with an ode ("Proem: To Brooklyn Bridge") and ending with a transfigured vision of the bridge as the unifying symbol of America ("Atlantis"). Crane briefly lived in an apartment overlooking the bridge that, he later learned, once housed [[Washington Roebling]], the Brooklyn Bridge's builder and son of its architect, [[John A. Roebling]].

It has been shown in films such as ''[[It Happened in Brooklyn]]'', ''[[Once Upon A Time In America]]'', ''[[Captive Women]]'', ''[[The Fifth Element]]'', ''[[Deep Impact (film)|Deep Impact]]'', ''[[Godzilla (1998 film)|Godzilla]]'', ''[[Aftershock: Earthquake in New York]]'', ''[[Gangs of New York]]'', ''[[I Am Legend (film)|I Am Legend]]'', ''[[Life After People]]'', ''[[Cloverfield]]'', ''[[Zombi 2]]'', ''[[Oliver & Company]]'', ''[[Enchanted (film)|Enchanted]]'', ''[[Step Up 3D]]'', and ''[[Kate & Leopold]]''.

A bronze plaque is attached to one of the bridge's anchorages, which was constructed on a piece of property occupied by a mansion, the [[Samuel Osgood House (New York City)|Osgood House]], at 1 Cherry Street in Manhattan. It served as the first Presidential Mansion, housing George Washington, his family, and household staff from April 23, 1789 to February 23, 1790, during the two-year period when New York City was the national capital. Its owner, [[Samuel Osgood]], was a Massachusetts politician and lawyer, who married Maria Bowne Franklin, widow of Walter Franklin, the New York merchant who built it in 1770.<ref>{{cite news |title=A Historic Home Marked |url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F50710FE3F5414728DDDAB0894DD405B8985F0D3 |newspaper=The New York Times |date=May 2, 1899 |accessdate=2011-12-11}}</ref> Washington moved in a week before his 1789 inauguration as first President of the United States. In addition to living quarters, the Osgood House contained the President's private office and the public business office, making it the first seat of the executive branch of the federal government.

==See also==
{{Portal|New York City}}
* [[Queensboro Bridge]]

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite book | author = Cadbury, Deborah | authorlink = Deborah Cadbury | year = 2004 | title = Dreams of Iron and Steel | location = New York | publisher = [[HarperCollins]] | isbn = 0-00-716307-X }}
* {{cite book | author = Haw, Richard | year = 2005 | title = The Brooklyn Bridge: A Cultural History | location = New Brunswick | publisher = [[Rutgers University Press]] | isbn = 0-8135-3587-5 }}
* {{cite book | author = Haw, Richard | year = 2008 | title = Art of the Brooklyn Bridge: A Visual History | location = New York | publisher = [[Routledge]] | isbn = 0-415-95386-3 }}
* {{cite book | author = McCullough, David | authorlink = David McCullough | year = 1972 | title = The Great Bridge | location = New York | publisher = [[Simon & Schuster]] | isbn = 978-0671212131 }}
* {{cite book | author = Odlum, Catherine | authorlink = Charlotte Odlum Smith | year = 1885 | title = The Life and Times of Prof Robert Emmet Odlum | location = Washington, DC | publisher = Gray & Clarkson }}
* {{cite book | author = Strogatz, Steven | authorlink = Steven Strogatz | year = 2003 | title = Sync: The Emerging Science of Spontaneous Order | location = New York | publisher = [[Hyperion books]] | isbn = 978-0-7868-6844-5 }}
* {{cite doi|10.1038/438043a}}
* {{cite book | author = Trachtenberg, Alan | authorlink = Alan Trachtenberg | year = 1965 | title = Brooklyn Bridge: Fact and Symbol | location = Chicago | publisher = [[University of Chicago Press]] | isbn = 0-226-81115-8 }}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Brooklyn Bridge}}
*[http://collections.mcny.org/MCNY/C.aspx?VP3=SearchResult_VPage&VBID=24UP1GTRW4XB&SMLS=1&RW=1202&RH=743 Images of the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge from the collections of the Museum of the City of New York]
*[http://www.beautyofnyc.org/TheBrooklynBridge%5B2-a%5D.pdf The Brooklyn Bridge: A Study in Greatness] by John Stern and Carrie Wilson
*[http://www.nycroads.com/crossings/brooklyn/ NYCroads.com&nbsp;– Brooklyn Bridge]
*[http://www.transalt.org/bridges/brooklyn.html Transportation Alternatives Fiboro Bridges&nbsp;– Brooklyn Bridge]
*[http://www.cbsforum.com/cgi-bin/articles/partners/cbs/search.cgi?template=display&dbname=cbsarticles&key2=brooklyn&action=searchdbdisplay The story of Brooklyn Bridge]&nbsp;– by [http://www.cbsforum.com/ CBS Forum]
*[http://www.dualmoments.com/Panorama/1903brooklyn.htm Panorama of Brooklyn Bridge 1899&nbsp;– Extreme Photo Constructions]
*{{structurae|id=s0000011|name=Brooklyn Bridge}}
*[http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/Brooklyn_Bridge.html Great Buildings entry] for the Brooklyn Bridge
*{{cite web|url=http://www.asce.org/history/brdg_brooklyn.swf|title=American Society of Civil Engineers|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20090320170713/http://www.asce.org/history/brdg_brooklyn.swf|archivedate=20 March 2009}}
*[http://catskillarchive.com/rrextra/bbpage.Html Railroad Extra&nbsp;– Brooklyn Bridge and its Railway]
*[http://web.archive.org/web/20080622011019/http://www.brooklynmuseum.org/research/digital-collections/brooklynbridge/ Images of the Brooklyn Bridge from the Brooklyn Museum]
*{{Gutenberg|no=28191|name=Opening Ceremonies of the New York and Brooklyn Bridge, May 24, 1883}}
*[http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=20143 Brooklyn Bridge] at Historical Marker Database
*[http://www.yellowecho.com/site/tag/brooklyn-bridge/ Brooklyn Bridge Photo Gallery] with a Flash VR 360 of the [http://www.yellowecho.com/site/2006/09/11/tribute-in-light-2006-360vr/ Brooklyn Bridge Pedestrian Walkway] taken during the 9/11/2006 Tribute in Light
{{Crossings navbox
|structure       = Crossings
|place           = [[East River]]
|bridge          = Brooklyn Bridge
|bridge signs    =
|upstream        = [[Manhattan Bridge]]
|upstream signs  = {{NYCS Manhattan Bridge|time=bullets}}
|downstream      = [[Cranberry Street Tunnel]]
|downstream signs = {{NYCS Eighth far south express|time=bullets}}
}}
{{LongestBridge
| type = suspension
| start = 1883
| end = 1903
| previous = John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge
| current = Brooklyn Bridge
| next = Williamsburg Bridge
}}
{{NYC Bridge}}
{{Registered Historic Places}}
{{Visitor attractions in New York City}}

[[Category:Bike paths in New York]]
[[Category:Bridges completed in 1883]]
[[Category:Bridges in New York City]]
[[Category:Bridges on the National Register of Historic Places in New York City]]
[[Category:Brooklyn-Manhattan Transit Corporation]]
[[Category:East River]]
[[Category:Historic Civil Engineering Landmarks]]
[[Category:Landmarks in New York City]]
[[Category:National Historic Landmarks in New York City]]
[[Category:Railroad bridges in New York]]
[[Category:Road bridges in New York]]
[[Category:Road-rail bridges in the United States]]
[[Category:Suspension bridges in the United States]]
[[Category:Transportation in Brooklyn]]
[[Category:Visitor attractions in Brooklyn]]
[[Category:Visitor attractions in Manhattan]]
[[Category:Visitor attractions in New York City]]

[[af:Brooklyn-brug]]
[[ar:جسر بروكلين]]
[[az:Bruklin körpüsü]]
[[bg:Бруклински мост]]
[[ca:Pont de Brooklyn]]
[[cs:Brooklynský most]]
[[da:Brooklyn Bridge]]
[[de:Brooklyn Bridge]]
[[dv:ބްރޫކްލީން ބްރިޖް]]
[[el:Γέφυρα του Μπρούκλιν]]
[[es:Puente de Brooklyn]]
[[eo:Broklina Ponto]]
[[eu:Brooklyn zubia]]
[[fa:پل بروکلین]]
[[fr:Pont de Brooklyn]]
[[ko:브루클린 교]]
[[id:Jembatan Brooklyn]]
[[it:Ponte di Brooklyn]]
[[he:גשר ברוקלין]]
[[kn:ಬ್ರೂಕ್ಲಿನ್ ಸೇತುವೆ]]
[[ka:ბრუკლინის ხიდი]]
[[lb:Brooklyn Bréck]]
[[lt:Bruklino tiltas]]
[[hu:Brooklyn híd]]
[[ms:Jambatan Brooklyn]]
[[nl:Brooklyn Bridge]]
[[ja:ブルックリン橋]]
[[no:Brooklyn Bridge]]
[[pl:Most Brookliński]]
[[pt:Ponte do Brooklyn]]
[[ro:Podul Brooklyn]]
[[ru:Бруклинский мост]]
[[simple:Brooklyn Bridge]]
[[sk:Brooklynský most]]
[[sr:Бруклински мост]]
[[sh:Бруклински мост]]
[[fi:Brooklyn Bridge]]
[[sv:Brooklyn Bridge]]
[[tl:Tulay ng Brooklyn]]
[[ta:புரூக்ளின் பாலம்]]
[[th:สะพานบรูคลิน]]
[[tr:Brooklyn Köprüsü]]
[[uk:Бруклінський міст]]
[[vi:Cầu Brooklyn]]
[[yi:ברוקלין בריק]]
[[zh-yue:布碌侖大橋]]
[[zh:布魯克林大橋]]