Completed in 1883, Brooklyn Bridge is one of New York City's most famous sights and it has a rich history too. Given the bridge's lengthy span, New Yorkers were initially nervous of setting foot on the structure, and this fear was heightened after a stampede on the bridge killed 12 people. To help quell these anxieties, notorious circus man P. T. Barnum paraded 21 of his elephants across the length of the bridge to prove that it was safe. Now thousands of vehicles and pedestrians cross this East River bridge on a normal day.

The world's most beautiful bridges