Walt Whitman Bridge opened
Walt Whitman Bridge is a 11,981 feet (3,652 m) single-level suspension bridge that connects Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Gloucester City, New Jersey, USA. It is named after American poet and essayist Walt Whitman and was designed by noted civil engineer Othmar Ammann.
Joseph Baermann Strauss dies
American structural engineer Joseph Baermann Strauss revolutionized the design of main bridges when he proposed the use of cheaper concrete counterweights in place of expensive iron ones. He designed many bridges, but is best known as the Chief Engineer of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California. He was involved in worker safety, placing a net under the Golden Gate Bridge during construction, which saved a total of 19 lives.
Mill River dam collapse
Located in Williamsburg, Massachusetts, USA, the Mill River Dam unexpectedly burst, releasing 600 million gallons of water, wiping out 4 towns and resulting in the deaths of 139 people. Lax regulations and cost cutting had led to poor dam design, which collapsed when the reservoir was full. This dam break led to increased regulation of the dam construction.
Joseph Fourier died
French mathematician and physicist Jean-Baptiste Joseph Fourier is best known for initiating the investigation of Fourier series, which eventually developed into Fourier analysis and harmonic analysis. He is also generally credited with the discovery of the greenhouse effect. Fourier died from a combination of complications from a heart aneurysm and an accident he had from falling down stairs.
