Golden Spike: First Transcontinental Railroad Completed

On this day, the First Transcontinental Railroad was completed at Promontory Summit, Utah Territory. **The Ceremony:** - Central Pacific Railroad (building from Sacramento, California eastward) - Union Pacific Railroad (building from Omaha, Nebraska westward) - The ceremonial "Golden Spike" was driven by Leland Stanford **Significance:** - Reduced coast-to-coast travel time from months to less than a week - Transformed American commerce and settlement patterns