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•  The Golden Gate Bridge has been called one of the world's most beautiful bridges.
•  It is also one of the most visited places in the world.
•  Experts say about nine million people visit the bridge each year.
•  They say more than one thousand million vehicles have used the bridge since it opened almost seventy years ago.
•  The bridge has always been painted the color called "International Orange."
•  The color was chosen because it went well with the natural surroundings.
•  It also is easier to see in the heavy fog that often covers the area.
•  But the Golden Gate Bridge was not named for its orange color.
•  It was named for the body of water that it crosses, the Golden Gate Strait.
•  The Golden Gate Strait is the entrance to the San Francisco Bay from the Pacific Ocean.
•  The Golden Gate Bridge links the city of San Francisco with Marin County, California.
•  Planning for the bridge began in the nineteen twenties when the area around San Francisco was growing.
•  People living in the area needed another way to get to the city besides the small ferry boats.
•  The chief engineer for the project was Joseph Strauss.
•  Work began in 1933.
•  Mr. Strauss demanded the strongest safety protections in the history of bridge building.
•  These protections included the first use of the hard hat and special glasses to protect the workers’ eyes.
•  A special safety net was suspended under the bridge.
•  This net saved the lives of 19 men during the construction.
•  Still, 11 others were killed when they fell from the bridge through the net.
•  The Golden Gate Bridge opened in 1937.
•  It extends 1,280 meters across the water.
•  It was the largest suspension bridge in the world until 1964.
•  That is when the Verrazano Narrows Bridge opened in New York City.