Finding the unexpected in the everyday.
July 11, 2008 In eastern Poland, a long-awaited bridge in the city of Pulawy was officially opened. This arch bridge, which spans the Vistula (the country’s longest river), carries motor vehicles, bicycles, and pedestrians. Construction on the bridge began on March 7, 2006. The European Regional Development Fund helped provide financing for this project. Those... Continue Reading →
July 6, 1946 An airport of the United Kingdom’s Royal Air Force (RAF) was formally handed over free of charge to the government of Iceland. This military airport, located on the outskirts of Iceland’s capital city of Reykjavík, was transferred to that Nordic island country about 14 months after World War II in the European... Continue Reading →
July 5, 2003 In southern Italy, the Materdei station of the rapid transit system serving Naples was officially opened. This station is one of 18 on Line 1 of the Naples Metro. The Materdei station owes its name to the Naples neighborhood in which it is located. This station was designed by Milan-born architect Alessandro... Continue Reading →
June 29, 2012 In western Switzerland’s canton (member state) of Vaud, a railway station was formally inaugurated in the municipality of Prilly. (This municipality is a western suburb of Lausanne, the capital of Vaud, and located near that city’s district of Malley.) It took three-and-a-half years for Switzerland’s national railway company Swiss Federal Railways (also... Continue Reading →
June 28, 2015 An apostrophe-shaped, cantilevered swing bridge built for pedestrians and bicyclists only was officially opened in the port city and unitary authority of Kingston upon Hull (also known simply as Hull) in northeastern England. This bridge spans the local harbor, which connects with the River Humber, and serves as a link between Scale... Continue Reading →
June 24, 1913 Gustaaf Deloor, who made noteworthy contributions to both road bicycle racing and the exploration of outer space, was born in the town of De Klinge in Belgium. He was the youngest of five brothers. The next-youngest brother was Alfons, and both he and Gustaaf learned how to ride bicycles from their third-oldest... Continue Reading →
June 21, 1884 In Portugal, an engineer named Ricardo Peyroteu formally proposed the construction of a lighthouse to help safely guide vessels in the country’s southernmost region. Peyroteu submitted this proposal to the General Directorate of Posts, Telegraphs and Lighthouses of the Kingdom of Portugal. (At the time, Portugal was a constitutional monarchy.) Construction on... Continue Reading →
June 20, 2006 The West Loch Lomond Cycle Path in Scotland made its debut. This route for bicyclists was officially opened by Tavish Scott, who was both Scotland’s minister of transport and a member of the Scottish Parliament at the time. The West Loch Lomond Cycle Path covers 17 miles (28 kilometers) along the west... Continue Reading →
June 14, 1995 An airport was officially opened on Greece’s Ikaria Island, which is located in the Aegean Sea. More specifically, Ikaria Island National Airport Ikaros is near the village of Faros on the eastern end of the island. The airport’s manager is Athanasios Kritikos. Two Greek airlines now use Ikaria Island National Airport Ikaros... Continue Reading →
June 10, 1921 Professional cyclist Jean Robic was born in the commune of Vouziers in northern France. Robic, whose father was a racing cyclist, moved to Paris in early 1940 and worked there as a bicycle mechanic for the Sausin company. Around the same time that Robic moved to Paris, his own career as a... Continue Reading →
Transportation History 