Finding the unexpected in the everyday.
August 31, 1965 The maiden flight of the cargo plane “Super Guppy,” which was given that nickname due to both its extra-large size and fish-like appearance, took place in southern California between the Van Nuys Airport in Los Angeles and the Kern County Airport at the southern end of the Central Valley. At the time of its... Continue Reading →
August 28, 2018 In England’s North East region, the recently completed Northern Spire Bridge within the city and metropolitan borough of Sunderland was opened to pedestrians. This two-span cable-stayed bridge carries the highway A1231 over the River Wear and serves as a link between the Sunderland suburbs of Pallion and Castletown. The 1,102-foot (336-meter)-long structure... Continue Reading →
August 27, 1838 The Eastern Railroad, one of the earliest railroads in New England, began operations along a 13-mile (21-kilometer) segment in Massachusetts between Boston’s neighborhood of East Boston and the city of Salem via the then-town of Lynn. Construction on the line had begun in 1836. At the time of the formal debut of... Continue Reading →
Leno H. Menghini, whose career in transportation spanned four decades, was born on January 25, 1925, in the town of Superior, Wyoming. He attended the University of Wyoming until his studies were interrupted by World War II. Menghini was drafted into the U.S. Army and ended up serving in Greenland from 1943 to 1946. After... Continue Reading →
August 25, 1860 The Victoria Bridge in Canada was dedicated. This bridge, which spans the St. Lawrence River and connects Montreal with the south shore city of Saint-Lambert, was officially opened about eight months after the first trains had passed over the new structure. The Victoria Bridge was the first bridge over the St. Lawrence... Continue Reading →
August 24, 1907 A hot-air balloon called the Ben Franklin made a widely publicized maiden flight of more than six hours that began in Philadelphia. This balloon was the largest to be built in the United States up to that time, and its basket could carry a maximum of 3,200 pounds (1,452 kilograms). The... Continue Reading →
August 21, 1958 In New Zealand, Auckland became the first city of that Pacific island country to adopt a street-crossing system for pedestrians that had originated several years earlier in North America. The system, which is generally known as the “pedestrian scramble” and has also been called the “Barnes Dance,” entails having all motor vehicle traffic... Continue Reading →
August 20, 1914 Starting at their home base in the Los Angeles region, the members of the Automobile Club of Southern California formally launched a project that would take them well beyond the Golden State. The inauguration of that project, while easily overshadowed by other news such as the recent outbreak of World War I... Continue Reading →
The last leg of Interstate 70 (I-70) was officially inaugurated in the vicinity of Glenwood Canyon in western Colorado on October 14, 1992. This final stretch of I-70 to make its debut is a 12-mile (19-kilometer) portion that follows the contours of Glenwood Canyon along the Colorado River and encompasses the No Name Tunnel, Hanging Lake... Continue Reading →
August 18, 1838 In Connecticut, a contract was awarded for the construction of a new lighthouse on the west side of the mouth of Connecticut River at what is now the town of Old Saybrook. The recipients of this contract were Connecticut residents Jonathan Scranton, a farmer experienced in constructing breakwaters and wharves along the shoreline;... Continue Reading →
Transportation History 