Finding the unexpected in the everyday.
Steamship captain Manuel A. Gonzalez (1832-1902) immigrated to the United States from his native Spain in 1846. He became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1859. During the Civil War, he put his maritime skills to effective use by using a boat on a regular basis to transport needed supplies to the Union Army troops stationed... Continue Reading →
Construction on the Eyre Highway in Australia was completed with the permanent sealing of the South Australian section of this route with bitumen. This final section was the stretch of highway between South Australia’s border with Western Australia and the South Australian town of Penong. A ceremony to commemorate the event took place near Wigunda... Continue Reading →
Aviation pioneer Elwood Richard Quesada was born in Washington, D.C., in 1904 to a Spanish father and Irish-American mother. Quesada’s longtime aviation career began in 1924 when he enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps as a flying cadet. The subsequent highlights of his career included being promoted to lieutenant general in the U.S. Air... Continue Reading →
Inventor and engineer Narcís Monturiol i Estarriol, who made significant contributions to maritime transportation, was born in Madrid. Monturiol invented the first air-independent and combustion-engine-driven submarine. He died in 1885 at the age of 65. For more information about Narcís Monturiol i Estarriol, please check out https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narcís_Monturiol.
In 1991, Lieutenant Commander Marilyn Melendez Dykman became the first Hispanic-American female aviator in the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG). Her achievement helped pave the way for similar opportunities for female cadets of all races and ethnicities at the USCG. For information about Marilyn Melendez Dykman and other Hispanic-American pioneers in the USCG, please check out... Continue Reading →
In Egypt, the first section of the Cairo Metro rapid transit system was opened. This section was an 18-mile segment of Line 1 between the city of Helwan in the Greater Cairo metropolitan area and Ramses Square in Egypt’s capital. The first substantive proposal for such a transit service had been made during the 1930s... Continue Reading →
César Pelli, who was born in Argentina in 1926, has achieved international renown as one of the most innovative and influential architects around today. While Pelli is perhaps best known for designing the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, his considerable body of work has also included major transportation-oriented projects. A key example involves the terminal... Continue Reading →
In a major triumph, the Australian racing yacht Australia II won the America’s Cup. Australia II represented the Royal Perth Yacht Club of Australia. The America’s Cup defender, the New York Yacht Club, had held the sailing trophy since 1851. Australian sailor John Bertrand served as the skipper for Australia II, and he and his... Continue Reading →
Aviation trailblazer Aida de Acosta (1881-1962) was born in Long Beach, New Jersey. She was the daughter of Ricardo de Acosta, a steamship company executive of Cuban descent. In June 1903 Acosta became the first woman to fly a motorized aircraft on her own. While she was visiting Paris, renowned Brazilian aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont taught... Continue Reading →
Champion bicyclist Stanisław Szozda was born in the village of Dobromierz in southwestern Poland. He represented Poland at Summer Olympics in Munich (1972) and Montreal (1976), winning a silver medal in each of those games for the men’s cycling team time trial (in which cyclists race in groups of four from participating nations). Szozda’s other... Continue Reading →
Transportation History 