Finding the unexpected in the everyday.
September 25, 1845 Construction began on a lighthouse in the port city of Calais in northern France. This lighthouse was built as a navigational aid for vessels traveling through the Strait of Dover, a narrow but heavily used passage of water that separates France from England and marks the boundary between the English Channel and... Continue Reading →
September 24, 2004 In the westernmost region of Slovenia, a vehicular bridge crossing the Osp Valley and located near the village of Črni Kal was first opened to traffic. The Črni Kal Viaduct, which is part of the 152.4-mile (245.3-kilometer)-long A1 motorway (also called Slovenika), was jointly designed by Janez Kožel and Marjan Pipenbaher. Construction... Continue Reading →
September 16, 1946 In the aftermath of World War II, the airline Aerolinee Italiane Internazionali was formally instituted in Rome. “British European Airways and the Italian Institute for Industrial Reconstruction signed an agreement today establishing a new British-Italian airline to be called the ‘Italian International Airlines,’” reported the Associated Press. “At the start the line... Continue Reading →
September 11, 1869 In southwestern Wales, a lifeboat station in the village of Solva first went into service. Solva is on the north shore of the River Solva, which is located on the northern side of St Brides Bay. Solva Lifeboat Station was established by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) following a significant financial... Continue Reading →
September 8, 1895 Adam Opel, the founder of a company that has enjoyed considerable success manufacturing two modes of transportation, died at age of 58 in the city of Rüsselsheim am Main in what was then the German Empire (now part of the Federal Republic of Germany). In 1862, Opel went into business for himself... Continue Reading →
September 3, 2006 A railway line in the southern area of Finland began regular train runs. This 47-mile (75.7-kilometer)-line serves as a link between the town of Kerava and the city of Lahti. The start of daily operations for the Kerava-Lahti railway line took place a couple of days after several events commemorating the new... Continue Reading →
September 2, 1937 A milestone in American motorcycle history took place at the Individual Speedway World Championship in London. In front of a crowd of approximiately 85,000 spectators in attendance at the original version of Wembley Stadium, 30-year-old California resident Jack Milne won that competition -- widely considered to be one of the premier motorcycle... Continue Reading →
August 28, 1858 A corvette (small warship) built for the British Royal Navy (RN) was launched at Sheerness Dockyard, which was located at the mouth of the River Medway in southeastern England. The afternoon ceremony for HMS (Her Majesty’s Ship) Clio was described in effusive terms by the London-based Standard. This newspaper reported, “The launch of... Continue Reading →
August 27, 2018 Regular operations began for a light rail station in the German city of Köln (Cologne). This station was built as a link within the Cologne Stadtbahn, an extensive transit system serving Cologne and several surrounding cities. The station is located in Görlinger-Zentrum (Center), part of Cologne’s district of Bocklemünd. Görlinger-Zentrum contains a... Continue Reading →
August 25, 1912 In northern Spain, operations began for a funicular in the city and municipality of San Sebastián. This cable railway system was built on a steep slope of Mount Igueldo. The Igueldo funicular was designed by engineer Emilio Huizi. Another engineer, Severiano Goñi, supervised the construction of the railway. The Igueldo funicular was... Continue Reading →
Transportation History 