Finding the unexpected in the everyday.
April 28, 1946 The start of the first six-day bicycle race to be held in the United States following the end of World War II took place inside the Chicago Coliseum. Those six-day races had become hugely popular nationwide in the years leading up to the war. A six-day race involved having teams of bicyclists compete against... Continue Reading →
April 27, 1952 The airborne ambulance service known today as Rega -- and also called Swiss Air-Rescue -- was established during the ninth annual meeting of the Swiss Rescue Association (SRA). The SRA delegates in attendance at that meeting, which took place in the municipality of Twann in west-central Switzerland, formally approved creating the Swiss... Continue Reading →
April 26, 2015 EverLine, an automated driverless guideway transit line (also known as a people mover) in South Korea’s city of Yongin in the Seoul Capital Area -- the fourth largest metropolitan region in the world -- was formally opened to great fanfare. This transit line serves as a key link between Everland, which is... Continue Reading →
April 25, 1928 Florida’s Tamiami Trail, which encompasses the southernmost 275 miles (443 kilometers) of U.S. Route 41, was officially opened. This highway starts at State Road 60 in Tampa on the west coast of the state, courses along what has become the Big Cypress National Preserve, intersects with Naples, cuts through the tropical and swampy... Continue Reading →
April 24, 2010 A unique type of pedestrian bridge was officially dedicated in southern Singapore. The Double Helix Bridge (now called just the Helix Bridge), which spans Marina Bay, serves as a major link between Marina South peninsula and -- within Singapore’s economic center known as Downtown Core -- Marina Centre. The Helix Bridge was... Continue Reading →
April 21, 2015 A still-intact world speed record for rail vehicles was established in Japan when a seven-car L0 Series train reached a maximum of 375 miles (603 kilometers) per hour. This record-breaking trip took place on a test track in the city of Tsuru in Yamanashi Prefecture, which is part of the Chūbu region... Continue Reading →
April 20, 1882 In what was then the Kingdom of Italy, the Italian Royal Navy’s screw corvette Vettor Pisani departed from the city of Naples for an ambitious voyage across the globe. (A screw corvette is a small warship powered by both a steam engine and screw propeller.) The key objectives for this global circumnavigation... Continue Reading →
On April 8, 1996, a dedication ceremony was held for the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) Employee Memorial near the city of Paxico in the northeastern region of the Sunflower State. This memorial, which is specifically located at the Paxico Safety Rest Area on Interstate 70, commemorates state highway employees who have lost their lives... Continue Reading →
April 18, 1965 A funicular railway serving Greece’s capital city of Athens was inaugurated. Regular operations for this means of public transit began the following day. This railway, which is located in the central section of Athens, was built by the Greek National Tourism Organization to carry people up and down a steep limestone hill... Continue Reading →
April 17, 2018 The Australian Sikh Heritage Trail was formally opened. This group of interconnected pathways is located in Adenia Park in Riverton, a southeastern suburb of Perth in the state of Western Australia (WA). The local government area of Riverton is the City of Canning. The trail commemorates the history of Sikhs in Australia.... Continue Reading →
Transportation History 