Finding the unexpected in the everyday.
April 9, 1961 The California-based Pacific Electric (PE) mass transit system ended its operations after nearly six decades of serving the Greater Los Angeles Area. At its zenith during the 1920s, this network was the world’s largest electric railway system. More than 2,100 PE interurban trains covered about 1,000 miles (1,609 kilometers) of tracks altogether, providing... Continue Reading →
April 8, 1913 In the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW), the steam-powered ferry Karingal was launched at the shipyard of the company Morrison & Sinclair Ltd. in the Sydney suburb of Balmain. This wooden vessel was built by Morrison & Sinclair for Sydney Ferries Ltd., which operated ferry services in that region of... Continue Reading →
April 7, 1878 A newly completed train station in Kansas City, Missouri, made its official debut. “The new Union Depot of Kansas City will be opened to the public for the first time this morning,” announced that day’s edition of the Kansas City Times. “It will be an event in the history of Kansas City... Continue Reading →
April 4, 1901 In Switzerland, a funicular railway in the city of Zurich first went into service. This railway was built to carry people up and down the Zürichberg, a 2,228-foot (679-meter)-high hill in the northeastern part of the city. A key destination on this hill at the time was a restaurant named Rigiblick that... Continue Reading →
April 3, 2016 In Norway’s capital city of Oslo, operations began for a rapid transit station in the borough of Grünerløkka. This station is part of the Oslo Metro, and it was specifically built in Grünerløkka’s neighborhood of Løren. Construction on Løren station started in 2013. Løren station, which is 89 feet (27 meters) underground,... Continue Reading →
April 2, 1870 Henry de La Vaulx, a balloonist and overall proponent of human aviation, was born in the commune of Bierville in northern France. His airborne accomplishments included setting a long-distance flight record in 1900 when he and a companion traveled approximately 1,200 miles (1,931.2 kilometers) in just under 36 hours in a balloon... Continue Reading →
April 1, 1946 Seven months after World War II ended with the surrender of Japan to the Allies, USS Passumpsic (AO-107) was commissioned into the U.S. Navy. The ceremony took place at League Island Navy Yard in Philadelphia; this yard long served as the headquarters for the Fourth Naval District, a geographical area encompassing Pennsylvania,... Continue Reading →
March 28, 2001 Regular operations began for Athens International Airport (AIA) Eleftherios Venizelos in Greece. This airport serves the Greek administrative region of Attica, including the country’s capital city of Athens. AIA is specifically located in Spata, a municipal unit that is 12 miles (20 kilometers) east of downtown Athens. The airport was named in... Continue Reading →
March 27, 1976 The first 4.6 miles (7.4 kilometers) of the Washington Metro were officially opened just over six years after construction on this rapid transit system had begun. “The nation’s capital got a subway Saturday,” announced a subsequent Associated Press news article, “an itty-bitty one by most metropolitan standards, but a subway nonetheless.” This... Continue Reading →
March 26, 1914 The U.S. Navy submarine USS K-6 (SS-37) was launched at the Fore River Shipbuilding Company yards in Quincy, Massachusetts. This vessel was one of the Navy’s eight K-class submarines. All of these submarines were designed by the Connecticut-based company Electric Boat (present-day General Dynamics Electric Boat). K-6 was one of the three... Continue Reading →
Transportation History 