Finding the unexpected in the everyday.
December 15, 1874 In southern California’s Los Angeles area, Point Fermin Light on the west side of the entrance to San Pedro Bay had its inaugural lighting. This structure had been designed by architect and civil engineer Paul J. Pelz, who was serving the U.S. Lighthouse Board at the time as its chief draftsman. Point Fermin... Continue Reading →
December 14, 2006 A bridge in Amman, the capital and largest city of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, made its formal debut. This 1,368-foot (417-meter)-long structure, which is the only cable-stayed bridge in Jordan, crosses Wadi Aboun -- a stream bed with a small artery road running through it -- and serves as a link... Continue Reading →
December 13, 1969 In northeastern Argentina, an underwater road tunnel was officially opened between the provinces of Entre Ríos and Santa Fe. This tunnel, measuring 7,864 feet (2,397 meters) in length, carries National Route 168 across the Paraná River. The tunnel serves as a link between Entre Ríos province’s capital city of Paraná and an... Continue Reading →
December 12, 1918 Lieutenant Dagoberto Godoy of the Chilean Army completed a record-breaking flight when he piloted a monoplane over the Andes. In April of that year, Lieutenant Luis C. Candelaria of the Argentine Army had become the first person to fly a plane over that mountain range when he piloted a French-built Morane-Saulnier Parasol... Continue Reading →
December 9, 2018 In the northern part of Norway, the Hålogaland Bridge in Narvik Municipality made its formal debut. This suspension bridge crosses the mouth of the fjord known as the Rombaken. The Hålogaland Bridge carries European Route E6, a major north-south thoroughfare for Norway as well as the western coast of Sweden, across that... Continue Reading →
December 8, 1930 The diesel-powered vessel Aras was launched by her manufacturer Bath Iron Works at the Maine-based company’s location on the Kennebec River. Measuring 243 feet and nine inches (74 meters) in length, this luxury yacht had been built for paper and wood products magnate Hugh J. Chisholm. His wife Sara (“Aras” is her... Continue Reading →
December 7, 2017 Blaise Diagne International Airport, which is located in the western part of the Republic of Senegal, was formally opened for scheduled flights. This facility replaced Léopold Sédar Senghor International Airport in that region as the main airport for Dakar, the capital and largest city of Senegal. Blaise Diagne International Airport is 27... Continue Reading →
December 6, 1860 Railroad executive Howard Elliott was born in New York City. He started his longtime railway career during the summer of 1880 when -- while on vacation from college -- he worked as a surveyor’s assistant for the Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy Railroad. After graduating from Harvard University’s Lawrence Scientific School with a... Continue Reading →
December 5, 1919 The airline popularly known today as Avianca was established as Sociedad Colombo-Alemana de Transporte Aéro (the Colombian-German Air Transport Society), or SCADTA, in the city of Barranquilla, Colombia. The founders of SCADTA were -- on behalf of business interests in Colombia -- Ernesto Cortissoz (who served as its first president), Rafael Palacio, Cristóbal... Continue Reading →
December 2, 2020 In the western section of New Zealand’s North Island, a bridge for bicyclists and pedestrians was officially opened in the vicinity of the settlement of Upokongaro. The Upokongaro Cycle Bridge spans the Whanganui River. This 430-foot (130-meter) structure connects Upokongaro on the Whanganui River’s left bank with the community of Papaiti on... Continue Reading →
Transportation History 