Finding the unexpected in the everyday.
October 10, 1904 In another clear sign that Henry Ford’s pioneering automotive enterprise was expanding even further, the production of his cars in Canada began in the town of Walkerville in the southwestern region of the province of Ontario. This made Canada the first country outside the United States where Fords were built. (In 1935, Walkerville... Continue Reading →
October 9, 1890 French inventor and engineer Clément Ader made aviation history when he attempted to fly a steam-powered aircraft that he had built. This aircraft was named the Éole in honor of Aeolus, the ancient Greek god of the winds, and it featured wings resembling those of a bat. Ader tested his flying machine just... Continue Reading →
For nearly four decades now, Michael P. Huerta has served in a wide range of high-ranking transportation roles. In a 2011 speech at the National Hispanic Coalition of Federal Aviation Employees Annual Training Conference, Huerta addressed not only those professional achievements but also the prejudicial treatment he sometimes encountered early on in life as a... Continue Reading →
October 5, 1889 On Maryland’s Eastern Shore, a vessel built for oyster dredging in the Chesapeake Bay was launched at Tilghman Island in Talbot County. This still-existing vessel is a “bugeye,” a type of sailboat specifically developed to collect bottom-dwelling oysters in that region of the United States. This particular bugeye was give the name... Continue Reading →
October 4, 2008 In India’s western peninsular region, an upgraded version of a domestic airport serving the city of Nanded in the state of Maharashtra was formally inaugurated. This airport is named after Guru Gobind Singh (1666-1708), who was born in present-day Patna City in the state of Bihar in eastern India. He succeeded his... Continue Reading →
October 3, 1906 In southwestern England, a road-rail swing bridge crossing the River Avon in Bristol -- a city, ceremonial county, and unitary authority -- first went into service. The Ashton Avenue Bridge was built as a key part of the Bristol Harbour Railway, a longtime transportation link for Bristol’s docks and wharves. Alfred John... Continue Reading →
October 2, 1872 The Denver, South Park and Pacific Railway (DPSP&P) was incorporated with 2.5 million dollars in capital in what was then the Colorado Territory. The original trustees for this narrow gauge railway were Walter S. Cheesman, Frederick A. Clark, Henry Crow, Leonard H. Eicholtz, John Evans, John Hughes, Charles B. Kountze, Donald H.... Continue Reading →
In 2002, Angelina Hidalgo became only the second Hispanic American woman in the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) to command an afloat unit. As a lieutenant junior grade, she was specifically named commanding officer of the coastal patrol boat USCGC Kingfisher (WPB-87322). This appointment was made just two years after Hidalgo graduated from the USCG Academy... Continue Reading →
September 28, 2022 Bródno station on Line M2 of the Warsaw Metro rapid transit underground system first went into service. This station, which marks the eastern terminus of that line, is located in the vicinity of Kondratowicza, Rembielińska, and Bazyliańska Streets in the Bródno neighborhood of Poland’s capital city. Construction on the station began in... Continue Reading →
September 21, 1856 The Illinois Central Railroad (IC) became the world’s longest railroad up to that time with the official completion of 705 miles (1,134.6 kilometers) of tracks. The southernmost point for that railroad was the city of Cairo. The IC line coursed north from that city, which is at the southern tip of Illinois, to... Continue Reading →
Transportation History 