On This Day

Sydney Harbour Bridge opens in Sydney, Australia

The Sydney Harbour Bridge is a steel through arch bridge in Sydney, Australia, spanning Sydney Harbour from the central business district (CBD) to the North Shore.

The Sydney Harbour Bridge is a steel through arch bridge in Sydney, Australia, spanning Sydney Harbour from the central business district (CBD) to the North Shore. The view of the bridge, the Harbour, and the nearby Sydney Opera House is widely regarded as an iconic image of Sydney, and of Australia itself. Nicknamed "the Coathanger" because of its arch-based design, the bridge carries rail, vehicular, bicycle and pedestrian traffic.

Under the direction of John Bradfield of the New South Wales Department of Public Works, the bridge was designed and built by British firm Dorman Long of Middlesbrough, and opened in 1932. The bridge's general design, which Bradfield tasked the NSW Department of Public Works with producing, was a rough copy of the Hell Gate Bridge in New York City.

Historical Significance

The Sydney Harbour Bridge is a steel through arch bridge in Sydney, Australia, spanning Sydney Harbour from the central business district (CBD) to the North Shore.

Events Before

  1. "City Lights", American silent romantic comedy film directed by Charlie Chaplin, starring himself and Virginia Cherrill,

    "City Lights", American silent romantic comedy film directed by Charlie Chaplin, starring himself and Virginia Cherrill, premieres at Los Angeles Theater

  2. New Zealand's worst natural disaster, the Hawke's Bay earthquake, kills 256 and injures thousands, devastating Napier an

    New Zealand's worst natural disaster, the Hawke's Bay earthquake, kills 256 and injures thousands, devastating Napier and the Hawke's Bay region

  3. The original "Dracula" film starring Bela Lugosi as the titular vampire is released

    Renfield is a 2023 American action comedy horror film inspired by characters from Bram Stoker's 1897 novel Dracula and its 1931 feature film adaptation.

  4. Chicago White Sox and NY Giants play the first exhibition night game

    The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central Division.

  5. "The Star-Spangled Banner" officially becomes the US national anthem by congressional resolution; lyrics by Francis Scot

    "The Star-Spangled Banner" officially becomes the US national anthem by congressional resolution; lyrics by Francis Scott Key in 1814 are set to John Stafford Smith's 18th-century tune "The Anacreontic Song"

Events After

  1. "Cavalcade" based on the play by Noël Coward, directed by Frank Lloyd and starring Diana Wynyard and Clive Brook premier

    "Cavalcade" based on the play by Noël Coward, directed by Frank Lloyd and starring Diana Wynyard and Clive Brook premieres in New York (Best Production/Picture 1934)

  2. Cricket's Bodyline Tour: Australian batsman Bert Oldfield suffers a fractured skull after being struck by a ball bowled

    Cricket's Bodyline Tour: Australian batsman Bert Oldfield suffers a fractured skull after being struck by a ball bowled by England's Harold Larwood during the Third Test in Adelaide

  3. The name "Pakistan" is coined by Choudhry Rahmat Ali and gradually accepted by Muslims in the Indian subcontinent, who u

    The name "Pakistan" is coined by Choudhry Rahmat Ali and gradually accepted by Muslims in the Indian subcontinent, who use it to push for a separate Muslim homeland in South Asia

  4. President Paul von Hindenburg appoints Adolf Hitler as Reich Chancellor of Germany who forms a government with Franz von

    President Paul von Hindenburg appoints Adolf Hitler as Reich Chancellor of Germany who forms a government with Franz von Papen

  5. Nazi Germany's parliament building, the Reichstag, is destroyed by fire, possibly set by the Nazis, who blame and execut

    Nazi Germany's parliament building, the Reichstag, is destroyed by fire, possibly set by the Nazis, who blame and execute Dutch communist Marinus van der Lubbe

More from the 1930s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on March 19, 1932?
The Sydney Harbour Bridge is a steel through arch bridge in Sydney, Australia, spanning Sydney Harbour from the central business district (CBD) to the North Shore. The view of the bridge, the Harbour, and the nearby Sydney Opera House is widely regarded as an iconic image of Sydney, and of Australia itself. Nicknamed "the Coathanger" because of its arch-based design, the bridge carries rail, vehicular, bicycle and pedestrian traffic.
Why is Sydney Harbour Bridge opens in Sydney, Australia significant?
The Sydney Harbour Bridge is a steel through arch bridge in Sydney, Australia, spanning Sydney Harbour from the central business district (CBD) to the North Shore.

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