The history of the Brooklyn Bridge: "Such an iconic piece of New York City and beyond"

The Brooklyn Bridge has been an indelible part of the New York City skyline for nearly 140 years. When it was completed in 1883, it was hailed as an engineering marvel and called the eighth Wonder of the World. It also linked what were then two of America's largest cities — New York and Brooklyn. 

On a May night in 1983, more than a million people gathered along the East River in New York City to say Happy 100th Birthday to the Brooklyn Bridge. The celebration included parades, street fairs and one of the biggest fireworks displays the city had ever seen. 

In the crowd that day was historian Jeff Richman. The mega-party touched off a passion in him for the bridge that's lasted for decades.