The Day the Golden Gate Began to Sing
In 2020, on windy days, San Franciscans began to hear a strange, eerie humming chord across the city. It was the Golden Gate Bridge, singing.
What was reported
In June 2020, people across San Francisco and as far as Marin County began to hear a loud, haunting hum on windy days, like a choir holding a chord, or a giant harmonica. Recordings spread online, and people asked what it was.
It came from the Golden Gate Bridge itself.
Explanations offered
The bridge's sidewalk railings had just been replaced with thinner slats, to make the bridge more stable in high winds. When strong winds blow across them from certain directions, the slats vibrate and sing. Engineers had predicted it, though not how loud it would be.
- When
- Since June 2020
- Where
- Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, California, USA
- Witnesses
- People across San Francisco and Marin
- Status
- Explained
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.
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