156 years ago today, construction began on the Brooklyn Bridge! It was the first fixed crossing of the East River, connecting the then-separate cities of Brooklyn and New York. Before the bridge, the only travel between the two cities was by a number of ferry services. At the time of its opening in 1883, it was the longest suspension bridge in the world, with a span of just over 1,595 feet. It held that title until 1903 when the nearby Williamsburg Bridge surpassed it by 4.5 feet.
The bridge’s construction took 14 years to complete at a cost of $15 million (around $490 million today). 8.5 million people crossed the Brooklyn Bridge in 1884, its first full year of operation. P.T. Barnum led a parade of 21 elephants across the bridge in 1884. This was to help lessen doubts about the bridge’s stability while also promoting Barnum’s circus. As of 2022, an average of over 107,000 vehicles and 32,000 pedestrians cross the Brooklyn Bridge every day. Learn more in the audio below!