Golden Gate Bridge: Tens of thousands come out to celebrate anniversary (VIDEO)

The Golden Gate Bridge celebrated its 75th anniversary with throngs of fans on Sunday. 

At least several thousand people had gathered along the waterfront by Sunday afternoon, according to Mary Currie, public affairs director for the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District.

"Everyone is biking and walking and looks very happy. We're off to a great start," Currie told the Huffington Post. 

Since it opened in 1937, more than two-billion vehicles have crossed the 1.7-mile-long bridge named after the Golden Gate Strait, the entrance of water to San Francisco Bay from the Pacific Ocean, according to the Associated Press. 

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As part of the celebration, bridge authority allowed thousands of participants to walk the length of the bridge that was constructed during the great depression. It was the longest suspension bridge ever built when it opened on May 27, 1937.

In the bay below, the World War II Liberty Ship that was part of the D-Day invasion cruised nearby, according to Mercury News. The ship was joined by a fire boat sending jets of water into the air, as well as numerous motor boats and sailboats. The USS Nimitz also joined the celebration fleet on the bay with a crew of more than 3,000 sailors.

The day-long celebration was capped off with a huge fireworks display. 

Golden Gate Bridge celebrates 75 years with… by itnnews

While the celebration was mostly a joyous celebration, members of the group the Bridge Rail Foundation, an organization dedicated to stopping suicide jumps from the bridge, erected a display of 1,558 pairs of shoes, representing the number of people who died in leaps form the bridge since it opened in 1937.

"It's a symbol of how deep and serious this problem has been. We're still losing 30 to 35 a people a year off the bridge,"  Paul Muller, a spokesman for the group told the Associated press.