Finding the unexpected in the everyday.
September 23, 2017 The Taiping Sky Bridge in Meishan Township of southwestern Taiwan’s Chiayi County was opened for regular use by pedestrians. Measuring 921.9 feet (281 meters) in length, this footbridge holds the record as Taiwan’s longest suspension bridge. A little over a month after the Taiping Sky Bridge first went into daily service, it... Continue Reading →
September 19, 1981 A bridge spanning the Saint John River in Fredericton, the capital city of the Canadian province of New Brunswick was officially dedicated. This bridge is an extension of Westmorland Street in the central district of Fredericton and it connects that area with New Brunswick Route 105 in the city’s neighborhood of Nashwaaksis.... Continue Reading →
September 18, 1929 John Peter Bollons, an acclaimed New Zealand naturalist and ethnographer who also achieved fame as a marine captain, died in Wellington at the age of 66. “HIS LAST VOYAGE, A MARINER’S PASSING,” announced that day’s edition of the Wellington-based Evening Post. Bollons was born on November 10, 1862, in the London-area civil... Continue Reading →
September 17, 1862 An unimposing bridge in Maryland played a pivotal role in one of the most significant battles of the American Civil War. The Battle of Antietam, which was fought near the town of Sharpsburg, was the first major military engagement of that war to take place on Union soil. This battle also encompassed the... 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 12, 1998 In the Portland metropolitan area of Oregon, a light rail station in the Quatama area of the city of Hillsboro was officially opened. Originally known as Quatama/NW 205th Avenue Station, this facility is part of the regional light rail system known as the Metropolitan Area Express (MAX). This station is the eighth... 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 10, 1965 The Rio Grande Gorge Bridge, located 10 miles (16 kilometers) northwest of the New Mexico town of Taos, was dedicated. Approximately 4,000 people were on hand for the grand opening of this steel deck arch bridge. Jack M. Campbell (1916-1999), who served as governor of New Mexico from 1963 to 1967, cut... Continue Reading →
September 9, 2011 An automated people mover (APM) at Miami International Airport (MIA) was formally opened with considerable fanfare. This transit system, which is called the MIA Mover, was built to quickly transport people between the airport’s central terminal; and Miami Intermodal Center (MIC), a major hub for commuter rail, rapid transit, bus, and rental... 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 →
Transportation History 