1940... The collapse of the Tacoma Bridge | Historical Pictures

The 1940 bridge that collapsed and rewrtote engineering rules. In 1940, engineers and spectators gathered around Washington’s new Tacoma Narrows Bridge — one of the longest suspension bridges in the world. Nicknamed “Galloping Gertie” for its unusual flexibility, the bridge swayed dramatically even in moderate winds. On November 7, powerful gusts triggered extreme twisting across the roadway. Photographers and newsreel crews captured the bridge buckling and whipping in massive waves, creating so