By Michelle LockeSAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The Golden Gate Bridge is turning 75 this year. And what a historic span it’s been. Big, bold and orange, the bridge is a beloved symbol of San Francisco and one of the most instantly recognisable landmarks in the world.The public can celebrate by taking part in many events this year including art exhibits, film screenings, tours and talks. The biggest celebration takes place on the anniversary of its opening date, May 27.Organisers are inviting the public to share personal stories and photos of the bridge online at http://goldengatebridge75.org/celebrate/share-stories-photos.html.“Everybody has a unique experience of the bridge,” says Mary Currie, public affairs director for the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District. “I don’t know that grace and beauty is that draws you in, but it draws you in.”Here are some details on activities, events and history related to the Golden Gate Bridge’s 75th birthday.FUN FACTS: The bridge is not named for its colour, but for the Golden Gate Strait, which is the entrance by water to San Francisco Bay from the Pacific Ocean. The bridge was painted orange partly for aesthetic reasons and party to increase visibility in the fog.When it opened, the Golden Gate Bridge was the longest suspension bridge in the world, a status it retained until the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge opened in New York City in 1964. Two billion-plus vehicles have crossed it since 1937. The bridge has only been closed three times due to weather, but it is often partly shrouded in fog.POP CULTURE: The Golden Gate Bridge served as a picturesque backdrop for Jimmy Stewart and Kim Novak’s first meeting in “Vertigo” in 1958 and was nearly decimated by a falling Romulan drill-of-death in 2009’s “Star Trek.”EVENTS: A calendar of events to mark the bridge’s birthday can be found at http://www.goldengatebridge75.org.The biggest public celebration is scheduled for Sunday, May 27, with events at multiple venues along a stretch of waterfront from Fort Point at the south anchorage of the bridge to Pier 39 at Beach Street and The Embarcadero. Fireworks will be viewable along the waterfront from Fort Point to Marina Green East.BEFORE THE BRIDGE: Learn about the history of the bridge before its construction through an exhibit at Montgomery Street Barracks. Information is at http://www.presidio.gov.FISHERMAN’S WHARF: Several events are planned at Fisherman’s Wharf on May 26-27. Music, historic images, vintage automobiles from 1937 and maritime history exhibits will be on display at the Hyde Street Pier.SWING OUT: Get into the musical mood of the 1930s at Pier 39 with Fil Lorenz Orchestra swing band. Free swing dance lessons provided in the entrance plaza on May 27. Information is at http://www.pier39.com.WATCH: Bring a blanket or a low lawn chair to the Presidio for an outdoor screening on May 26 of “It Came from Beneath the Sea,” the 1955 sci-fi movie in which a giant, radioactive octopus takes out a chunk of the bridge after engaging in hand-to-tentacle combat with the military and assorted others.TRAGIC ENDINGS: One tragic aspect of Golden Gate history: Hundreds of people have leapt to their deaths from the bridge. The Bridge Rail Foundation, which is devoted to stopping the suicides, is staging an exhibit May 27 at the far west end of Crissy Field, near the Warming Hut on the Presidio, using more than 1,500 pairs of shoes to represent lives lost.Debate on how to prevent suicides has been ongoing since the first death the year the bridge opened. Fencing has been proposed but never built. The bridge’s Board of Directors has approved putting a steel net below the bridge, but funding has yet to be arranged.Online: Golden Gate Bridge 75th celebration: http://www.goldengatebridge75.org