Finding the unexpected in the everyday.
July 12, 1809 In England, renowned pedestrian Robert Barclay Allardice (widely known as Captain Barclay) completed a mile (kilometer)-per-hour walk of 1,000 miles (1,609.3 kilometers) in 1,000 consecutive hours in the town of Newmarket. When he finished his ambitious walk at 3:37 on that Wednesday afternoon, he did so – in the words of an 1813... Continue Reading →
July 5, 328 A Roman Empire bridge built across the river Danube made its formal debut. This opening of the bridge took place in the presence of Constantine I (also called Constantine the Great), who reigned as Roman emperor from 306 to 337. The structure, which has become known as Constantine’s Bridge, was constructed in... Continue Reading →
July 3, 1886 The Benz Patent-Motorwagen, which is widely regarded as the first functioning automobile, made its debut when inventor Karl Benz officially unveiled the motorized vehicle in the city of Mannheim in the present-day Federal Republic of Germany. (At the time, Mannheim was part of the German Empire state known as the Grand Duchy... Continue Reading →
June 29, 1900 A pioneering passenger ship built for the Hamburg-Amerikanische Packetfahrt-Actien-Gesellschaft (HAPAG, or the Hamburg-America Line) was launched at the city of Hamburg in what was then the German Empire (now part of the Federal Republic of Germany). The ship was christened by the Countess von Waldersee (formerly Mary Esther Lee), the U.S.-born wife... Continue Reading →
June 28, 1939 Ushering in a new age of scheduled transatlantic passenger airplane service, the Dixie Clipper “flying boat” made its first run along Pan Am Airways’ newly established route between New York and Marseilles, France, via the South Atlantic Ocean. This long-range aircraft was one of several produced by the Boeing Airplane Company between... Continue Reading →
June 22, 1927 The ocean liner SS Île de France embarked on her maiden voyage from the French port of Le Havre to New York City by way of the then-town of Plymouth, England. Those on board for this transatlantic journey included Myron T. Herrick, U.S. ambassador to France and a former governor of Ohio;... Continue Reading →
June 21, 1886 In England, construction of the Tower Bridge in London began when a foundation stone was put in place during an extravagant Monday afternoon ceremony attended by royalty. The need for a bridge spanning across the River Thames at that location had become urgent as commercial development in London’s East End grew dramatically... Continue Reading →
June 20, 1954 A new bridge was opened between Romania and Bulgaria at a time when both countries were still part of the Soviet Union’s bloc of satellite states in Eastern Europe. Spanning the river Danube, the steel truss bridge connects the Romanian city of Giurgiu with the Bulgarian city of Ruse. The 7,295-foot (2,223.52-meter)-long... Continue Reading →
June 13, 1842 Queen Victoria took her first train ride. Victoria, whose reign as British monarch lasted 63 years altogether, was also the first in that royal lineage to ride a train. Her inaugural ride took her from the Slough railway station (near Windsor Castle) to Bishop’s Bridge near Paddington in London. The name of... Continue Reading →
June 6, 1915 In England’s capital city, a new station was formally opened as part of the rapid transit system known as the London Underground (also called the Underground, or the Tube). The station was built in northwest London’s Maida Vale residential district and is specifically located at the junction of Randolph and Elgin Avenues.... Continue Reading →
Transportation History 