Finding the unexpected in the everyday.
December 17, 1983 In northern Virginia, multiple celebrations marked the opening of an extension of the Yellow Line of the Washington Metro rapid transit system. The debut of this extension, covering 4.2 miles (6.8 kilometers) between National Airport (now officially called Ronald Regan Washington National Airport) and the community of Huntington in Virginia’s Fairfax County,... Continue Reading →
December 16, 1944 The transport ship USS Queens (APA-103), which had been named after one of New York City’s five boroughs, was commissioned for service in the U.S. Navy during World War II. Captain John J. Mockrish of the U.S. Navy Reserve became the first commanding officer of this vessel. After a period of testing... Continue Reading →
December 15, 1924 The first national initiative to address the widespread and steadily increasing fatalities and injuries caused by traffic accidents was launched in Washington, D.C. This initiative was a two-day conference. More than 900 representatives of municipal and state police departments, automobile organizations, other stakeholders in the motor-vehicle industry, educational groups, and civic associations... Continue Reading →
December 13, 1878 The San Francisco Bicycle Club was founded. Along with being one of the earliest bicycle clubs established in the United States, it was the first of those groups on the west coast. The club’s nine charter members included George C. Perkins, who became governor of California just over a year later. Not... Continue Reading →
December 10, 1948 A single-runway airport on Northerly Island, a 91-acre (437-hectare) artificial peninsula located along the section of Lake Michigan that is in Chicago, was officially opened. Construction on this airport had begun in 1946. The public officials taking part in the dedication ceremonies for Northerly Island Airport included Martin H. Kennelly, mayor of... Continue Reading →
December 9, 1903 The American Automobile and Power Company was incorporated in the city of Sanford in southern Maine. The eight officers selected at the time for that company included Boston resident Henry D. Long, who became the president; and Sanford native Ernest M. Goodall, who was appointed to serve as the treasurer. The automobile produced... Continue Reading →
December 8, 1921 The eighth annual meeting of the American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO) came to an end. (More than a half-century later, AASHO officially renamed itself the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials [AASHTO] to reflect what had become a broader mission encompassing different modes of transportation rather than just... Continue Reading →
December 7, 1941 Without a formal declaration of war or any other explicit warning, the Empire of Japan attacked the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor in what was then the Territory of Hawaii. The Japanese Imperial Navy’s surprise strike left in its wake a staggering number of deaths and injuries – both military and... Continue Reading →
December 3, 2012 Starting at 2:00 p.m., a newly completed parkway in southeastern Pennsylvania was formally dedicated. The George A. Penglase Memorial Parkway was created as part of a realignment of U.S. Route 202 (US 202), a highway that encompasses 59 miles (95 kilometers) altogether and courses through the western and northern suburbs of Philadelphia.... Continue Reading →
December 1, 1866 A suspension bridge spanning the Ohio River between Cincinnati, Ohio, and Covington, Kentucky, was opened to the public when people were first allowed to walk across the new structure. The next day’s edition of the Cincinnati-based Commercial Gazette reported, “The new bridge was thronged throughout the day, fully 20,000 having crossed between sunrise... Continue Reading →
Transportation History 