Finding the unexpected in the everyday.
January 31, 1901 In the northern part of the Massachusetts island of Nantucket, operations began for the current version of a lighthouse at Brant Point on the south side of the island’s harbor. (Nantucket is approximately 30 miles [48 kilometers] south of the Bay State’s Cape Code peninsula.) The New York Times provided details about... Continue Reading →
January 30, 1989 In northern Texas’s Collin County, a bus-only Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) station in the city of Plano was opened. This station is located at the intersection of West 15th Street and Coit Road, and it was built to improve access to public transportation for those living or working in the western... Continue Reading →
January 29, 1944 With the United States still very much embroiled in World War II, the amphibious dock landing ship USS White Marsh (LSD-8) was first commissioned into the U.S. Navy. This ship was named after an unincorporated community in southeastern Virginia. White Marsh’s biggest claim to fame is that it was the birthplace of... Continue Reading →
January 28, 1988 A cantilever bridge spanning the Ohio River was officially opened. This bridge connects Washington Township (near the city of Portsmouth) in Ohio with the community of South Portsmouth in Kentucky. It was named after Carl D. Perkins (1912-1984), who served as a U.S. congressman from Kentucky from 1949 until his death. Measuring... Continue Reading →
January 27, 2024 In the northwestern part of Arizona’s capital city of Phoenix, more than 2,000 people turned out for the opening of a 1.6-mile (2.6-kilometer) extension of Valley Metro Rail. This light rail system’s newest segment at the time encompassed three stations altogether. One of these stations is Metro Parkway station, which is the... Continue Reading →
January 24, 1946 In southern Brazil’s state of Paraná, a major milestone took place for an airport that was completed the previous year. This airport, which had been jointly built by the Brazilian Air Force Ministry and U.S. Army as a military installation during the final months of World War II, was officially dedicated for... Continue Reading →
January 23, 1942 Nearly six weeks after the United States’ entry into World War II on the side of the Allies, a vessel constructed for the U.S. Navy by Ingalls Shipbuilding was launched. This Friday afternoon event took place at the company’s shipyard in the city of Pascagoula in Jackson County, Mississippi. The new ship... Continue Reading →
January 22, 1884 Samuel Eckels, who would carve out a longtime and consequential career in the development of highways in the United States, was born in the borough of West Brownsville, Pennsylvania, in the Pittsburgh area. In 1905, he graduated from Washington & Jefferson College in that region of the Keystone State with a bachelor of... Continue Reading →
January 21, 2019 A bridge in the Gambia (officially called the Republic of the Gambia) was opened to the public. This bridge, which connects the country’s northern and southern regions, carries the Trans-Gambia Highway across the Gambia River. Measuring 1.2 miles (1.9 kilometers) in length, the structure is one of West Africa’s longest bridges. This... Continue Reading →
January 17, 1929 Popeye the Sailor, one of the all-time favorites among cartoon characters, made his debut in a supporting role in E.C. Segar’s comic strip Thimble Theatre. In keeping with what has remained his maritime orientation, Popeye found himself in his first appearance being approached about helping out with waterborne transportation. An enterprising character named... Continue Reading →
Transportation History 