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75 years of the Golden Gate Bridge (pictures)

On May 27, San Francisco and the world will celebrate the 75th anniversary of one of the great wonders of the world: The Golden Gate Bridge. CNET takes a look at it from every angle.

Daniel Terdiman
Daniel Terdiman is a senior writer at CNET News covering Twitter, Net culture, and everything in between.
Daniel Terdiman
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1 of 37 Used with permission, goldengate.org

Pedestrian day

On May 27, 1937, a brand new bridge opened to the public for the first time. Connecting San Francisco to its northern neighbor, Marin County, the new bridge -- controversial at the time -- became one of the most photographed man-made projects in history. The Golden Gate Bridge is now a worldwide icon, and this Sunday, it turns 75.

Join CNET in celebrating this great bridge, and get a look at it from nearly every angle, as well as at some terrific historic photographs of its construction.

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2 of 37 Used with permission, goldengate.org

Workers on the main cable

In this 1936 photograph, Golden Gate Bridge construction workers toil away at one of the bridge's main cables, high above the bay below.
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3 of 37 Used with permission, goldengate.org

Sailboats under the construction

Today, anyone who looks out at the San Francisco Bay will see sailboats everywhere. That was no less true in 1937, when the Golden Gate Bridge was still being built.
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4 of 37 Used with permission, goldengate.org

Roadway construction

A look at the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge's roadway. The bridge opened on May 27, 1937, 75 years ago this Sunday.
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5 of 37 Used with permission, goldengate.org

Tower alone

Before there was even a roadway, the Golden Gate Bridge had towers. This is a look at the north tower of the bridge, with Marin County in the background, from 1935.
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6 of 37 Used with permission, goldengate.org

Painter

The Golden Gate Bridge has a famous red color, but that red doesn't last long, given the pounding it takes from wind, clouds, and fog. That means it must be painted almost constantly, and this worker, taking a pause from the job, is one of the heroes who braves the heights of the towers to keep it looking good.
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7 of 37 Daniel Terdiman/CNET

Bridge from the zeppelin

A look at the Golden Gate Bridge from the cabin of the Airship Eureka as it flies slowly over the San Francisco Bay.
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8 of 37 Daniel Terdiman/CNET

Golden Gate Bridge at night

It's a postcard view, famous to anyone who has visited San Francisco: The Golden Gate Bridge, lit up at night, delighting anyone who can see it.
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9 of 37 Daniel Terdiman/CNET

Golden Gate Bridge at dusk

The Golden Gate Bridge at dusk, as seen from Fort Point, just southeast of the southern tower.
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10 of 37 Used with permission, goldengate.org

Worker on the west main cable

A group of Golden Gate Bridge workers descend the western main cable, with San Francisco in the background.
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11 of 37 Used with permission, goldengate.org

Looking down at the Golden Gate Bridge

A look down some of the Golden Gate Bridge's cables at the roadway far below.
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12 of 37 Daniel Terdiman/CNET

Cargo ship and the Golden Gate Bridge

One of the busiest waterways in the world, the Golden Gate welcomes a steady stream of ships coming in to both the ports of San Francisco and Oakland. Here, a cargo ship is seen through the cables of the Golden Gate Bridge.
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13 of 37 Daniel Terdiman/CNET

Iconic picture of the Golden Gate Bridge

If there is one image of the Golden Gate Bridge that most people know, it's probably taken from this spot, Battery Spencer, on the north side of the bridge.
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14 of 37 Daniel Terdiman/CNET

Golden Gate Bridge traffic

With its great beauty, and the fact that it can be seen for miles, it's almost easy to forget that the Golden Gate Bridge is a major roadway. Here, we look down on traffic on the bridge.
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15 of 37 Daniel Terdiman/CNET

Golden Gate Bridge in shadow

A look at the Golden Gate Bridge, seen in shadow, from Fort Baker, just north and east of the bridge.
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16 of 37 Daniel Terdiman/CNET

Pilots and the Golden Gate Bridge

The pilots of the Airship Eureka look through their window at the Golden Gate Bridge as they fly slowly over the San Francisco Bay.
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17 of 37 Daniel Terdiman/CNET

Golden Gate Bridge from the Presidio cliffs

A look at the Golden Gate Bridge, as seen from the cliffs of San Francisco's Presidio.
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18 of 37 Daniel Terdiman/CNET

Golden Gate Bridge in heavy fog

Sometimes the fog is so heavy on the Golden Gate Bridge that the roadway just seems to disappear.
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19 of 37 Daniel Terdiman/CNET

Golden Gate Bridge, lost in the fog

At dusk in heavy fog, the Golden Gate Bridge is almost a mirage. Foghorns let incoming and outgoing boats and ships be aware of the dangers they face in the narrow Golden Gate.
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20 of 37 Daniel Terdiman/CNET

Golden Gate Bridge straight on

A look at the two towers of the Golden Gate Bridge, directly to the south.
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21 of 37 Daniel Terdiman/CNET

Golden Gate Bridge with Blue Angels

Another look straight through the towers of the Golden Gate Bridge.
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22 of 37 Daniel Terdiman/CNET

Golden Gate Bridge underneath

A look at the underside of the Golden Gate Bridge's roadway, as seen from just north and west of the bridge.
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23 of 37 Daniel Terdiman/CNET

Golden Gate Bridge patrol

A Golden Gate Bridge police officer enters a secure area, with the bridge in the background.
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24 of 37 Daniel Terdiman/CNET

Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz

The Golden Gate Bridge is so famous that it almost makes people forget one of San Francisco's other treasures, Alcatraz. Here, in this photograph taken from the Airship Eureka, you can see both.
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25 of 37 Daniel Terdiman/CNET

Golden Gate Bridge in the distance

A look at the Golden Gate Bridge, far off in the distance.
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26 of 37 Daniel Terdiman/CNET

Golden Gate Bridge from the Headlands

The Golden Gate Bridge can be seen from an almost infinite number of angles, including from far to the west at the Marin Headlands.
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27 of 37 Daniel Terdiman/CNET

Golden Gate Bridge tower disappears

In this photograph, the top of the north tower of the Golden Gate Bridge disappears in fog.
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28 of 37 Daniel Terdiman/CNET

Golden Gate Bridge with Plastiki

On March 20, 2010, David de Rothschild's Plastiki set sail for the other side of the world. The vessel, seen here with the large sail to the right of the Golden Gate Bridge, was made from all recycled plastic, as a way of bringing attention to the plight of the world's oceans.
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29 of 37 Daniel Terdiman/CNET

The Golden Gate Bridge in golden light

A look at the Golden Gate Bridge from the Marin Headlands.
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30 of 37 Daniel Terdiman/CNET

Golden Gate Bridge from the hill

There are countless places to sit and admire the view of the Golden Gate Bridge, including this hill just to the north.
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31 of 37 Daniel Terdiman/CNET

Underneath from Fort Baker

A look up at the Golden Gate Bridge from underneath and just to the east, at Fort Baker.
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32 of 37 Daniel Terdiman/CNET

Golden Gate Bridge from Baker Beach

Another famous view of the Golden Gate Bridge is this one, from San Francisco's Baker Beach.
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33 of 37 Daniel Terdiman/CNET

Golden Gate Bridge from Crissy Field

A look at the Golden Gate Bridge from Crissy Field in San Francisco's Presidio.
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34 of 37 Daniel Terdiman/CNET

Golden Gate Bridge at sunset with fog

As the sun sets and fog rolls in, the Golden Gate Bridge is seen from San Francisco's Doyle Drive -- which has since been torn down.
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35 of 37 Daniel Terdiman/CNET

North tower

A look from above at the north tower of the Golden Gate Bridge.
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36 of 37 Daniel Terdiman/CNET

Golden Gate Bridge from Tiburon

A view of the Golden Gate Bridge makes almost any property more valuable, and the neighborhoods and nearby towns that have such views can boast some of the most expensive real estate in the world. This is a view of the bridge from Tiburon, a small town to the north of the bridge.
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37 of 37 Daniel Terdiman/CNET

Golden Gate Bridge from the roadway

It's probably not a good idea to drive and photograph, but then again, who can resist a shot like this?

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