Finding the unexpected in the everyday.
August 30, 1849 In the Acushnet River in southeastern Massachusetts, a lighthouse at the entrance to the harbor of the city of New Bedford first went into service. This navigational aid was installed at Palmer Island, which is on the west side of the route into New Bedford Harbor. Palmer Island Light was built by... Continue Reading →
August 29, 1998 A dedication ceremony was held for the Chief Standing Bear Memorial Bridge, which spans the Missouri River at the boundary between Nebraska and South Dakota. Approximately 3,000 people turned out for those Saturday afternoon festivities. The ceremony took place on the South Dakota side of that bridge and involved public officials from both... Continue Reading →
August 28, 1945 Just a few days before World War II ended with the formal surrender of Japan to the Allies, the U.S. Navy tanker USS Chukawan (AO-100) was launched at the Bethlehem Steel Company’s shipyard in Sparrows Point (an industrial area in the vicinity of Baltimore). As part of those festivities, this vessel --... Continue Reading →
August 26, 1886 Jerome C. Hunsaker, an aeronautical engineer whose productive career spanned the period from the early days of aviation to the age of space exploration, was born in Creston, Iowa. Hunsaker attended the U.S. Naval Academy, where he graduated at the head of his class in 1908. He was then assigned by the Navy... Continue Reading →
August 22, 1978 Appledore II, a privately owned two-masted wooden schooner, was launched from the coast of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. This vessel -- with an overall length of 86 feet (26 meters) -- is larger than her sister ships Appledore I, III, IV, and V. All of these ships were constructed for Herbert and Doris... Continue Reading →
August 15, 1932 In western Mexico’s state of Jalisco, a lighthouse along Matamoros Street in the Pacific beach resort city of Puerto Vallarta first went into service. This black-and-white structure – known as Matamoros Lighthouse – was built and officially inaugurated by Roberto Alcazar, the captain of Puerto Vallarta’s harbor. Matamoros Lighthouse served as a... Continue Reading →
August 9, 1943 With the United States deeply embroiled in World War II at the time, the U.S. Navy purchased the steamship Zizania for military use on the home front. This acquisition marked only the latest of several major milestones for this longtime and multi-faceted vessel. The origins of Zizania, which owed her name to... Continue Reading →
August 8, 2011 In the Detroit metropolitan area, a newly built intermodal terminal station in the city of Pontiac was officially dedicated. The public officials on hand for this ceremony included Gary Peters, who was the U.S. representative for that region of Michigan at the time and now serves the Great Lakes State as one... Continue Reading →
August 7, 1919 Ernest Charles Hoy (1895-1982), who had recently distinguished himself as a Royal Air Force fighter pilot during World War I, achieved a major aviation milestone when he flew a Curtiss JN-4 biplane across the Canadian Rockies. This marked the first-ever crossing of that steep mountain range by air. In an account of... Continue Reading →
August 5, 1914 What are widely regarded as the world’s first electric traffic lights made their debut at the intersection of Euclid Avenue and East 105th Street in Cleveland, Ohio. Alfred A. Benesch (1879-1973), the city’s director of public safety, placed the lights in operation at 5:00 p.m. Those also on hand for that launch included other... Continue Reading →
Transportation History 