Brooklyn Bridge stampede

Just six days after the bridge officially opened in May 1883, the structure became the site of a disaster that reflected the deep public anxiety of the era. On Memorial Day, thousands of pedestrians crowded onto the wooden promenade, and a rumor began to circulate through the dense throng that the massive suspension bridge was about to collapse. When a woman tripped on the narrow staircase on the Manhattan side and let out a scream, the fear ignited a violent panic. People surged toward the exits, and the resulting crush on the stairs claimed the lives of twelve individuals, leaving dozens more seriously injured.