Finding the unexpected in the everyday.
January 16, 1984 In the Republic of South Africa, an experimental high-speed commuter train service began regular runs between the cities of Pretoria and Johannesburg. This service was called MetroBlitz, and it was operated by the South African Transport Services (SATS). MetroBlitz replaced a commuter train service known as the Jacaranda Express, which had been... Continue Reading →
January 15, 1853 Sidney Suggs (third from left on the top row in the picture above), a leading good roads advocate who became the first director of the Oklahoma Department of Highways (forerunner of today’s Oklahoma Department of Transportation), was born near the city of Tupelo, Mississippi. When Suggs was 14, he and his family... Continue Reading →
January 14, 1995 An icebreaker that had been in service with the Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) for more than a quarter-century officially became part of the Chilean Navy’s fleet. This vessel was constructed by Canadian Vickers Limited at its shipyard in Montreal and acquired by the CCG in 1969. The vessel’s original name was CCGS... Continue Reading →
January 13, 2011 In south-central Africa, the Luanda Railway in the Republic of Angola officially resumed regular freight and passenger services after a long period of inactivity. This 263-mile (424-kilometer) railway, which is operated by state-owned company Caminho de Ferro De Luanda E.P. (CFL EP), connects the country’s capital of Luanda with the city of... Continue Reading →
January 9, 1926 Less than 20 months after construction on it had begun, a new lighthouse was completed in the western region of what is now the State of Libya. At the time of this lighthouse’s completion, the area of present-day Libya was an Italian colony known as Italian Tripolitania. Italian Tripolitania was unified with... Continue Reading →
January 8, 1927 In the northwestern area of Washington state, a new bridge crossing the Puyallup River and linking the cities of Tacoma and Fife in Pierce County was dedicated. The Puyallup Avenue Bridge had been designed by engineers of the Washington State Department of Highways (now part of the Washington State Department of Transportation)... Continue Reading →
January 7, 1911 Just over seven years after the Wright Brothers’ pioneering flight at Kitty Hawk, the first bulk delivery of newspapers via a plane took place in California. French barnstorming pilot Didier Masson agreed to transport several bundles of the Los Angeles Times from Los Angeles to San Bernardino. The bundles were strapped to the... Continue Reading →
January 6, 2011 The Philippines-based airline Cebu Pacific (CEB) achieved a major milestone by flying its 50 millionth passenger. CEB, which in 2010 had become the Philippines’ largest airline based on the number of passengers flown on both domestic and international routes, began operations in 1996. The airline’s 50 millionth passenger was Harold Toifl, who... Continue Reading →
January 3, 1905 Automobile designer Dante Giacosa was born in Rome, Italy. His work covered a wide range of automobiles, from minicars to sports cars. Giacosa was especially instrumental in spearheading the design of small automobiles during his many years at the Fiat company. Giacosa studied engineering at the Polytechnic University of Turin. He joined Fiat... Continue Reading →
January 2, 1998 A new vehicular bridge connecting Malaysia with the Republic of Singapore was opened to traffic. This bridge crosses the section of the Straits of Johor that is situated between Iskandar Puteri (the southernmost city of continental Eurasia) in the Malaysian state of Johor and the planning area of Tuas in the West... Continue Reading →
Transportation History 