7. The Failed Opening Ceremony of the Henry Hudson Bridge
Image via Wikimedia: ChristiNYCa
On December 21, 1936, the opening of the Henry Hudson Bridge was celebrated with a ceremony that was combined with a birthday party for Mayor LaGuardia. As noted in Robert A. Caro’s The Power Broker, however, the occasion was not one of Moses’ most successful productions. Firstly, a “wild rainstorm” and fierce gusts of wind forced the crowd to move into the tiny administrative building on the bridge toll plaza.
Additionally, the event itself was overshadowed by news that King Edward VIII was giving up his throne to marry a commoner. Mayor LaGuardia, much to Moses’ dismay, insisted on listening to the broadcast of the abdication speech, thereby disrupting the ceremony.