Finding the unexpected in the everyday.
October 18, 1871 On Kyūshū -- the third largest of Japan’s five main islands -- a lighthouse built on Cape Sata in the present-day town of Minamiōsumi was first lit. This navigational aid is known as Satamisaki Lighthouse; “Satamisaki,” which is also spelled out as “Sata Misaki,” means “Cape Sata” in English. Work on this... Continue Reading →
October 17, 1989 In the aftermath of a major earthquake that hit northern California, the fireboat Phoenix – under the command of pilot Arvid Havneras -- proved to be pivotal in combatting a fire that endangered San Francisco’s Marina District neighborhood. The Loma Prieta earthquake, measuring 7.1 on the Richter scale, rumbled through the region... Continue Reading →
October 16, 2006 The second version of the U.S. Grant Bridge in southern Ohio was officially inaugurated. This two-lane, cable-stayed bridge carries U.S. Route 23 across the Ohio River and serves as a link between city of Portsmouth in Ohio and the community of South Portsmouth (near the city of South Shore) in Kentucky. This... Continue Reading →
October 12, 1962 The Thatcher Ferry Bridge, which spans the Pacific Ocean entrance to the Panama Canal, was officially opened. This bridge, until the debut of the Centennial Bridge in 2004, was the only non-swinging bridge to reconnect the land masses of North America and South America that had been separated by the canal. The... Continue Reading →
October 11, 2018 In the Republic of Ireland, an offshore patrol vessel built by Babcock Marine in England’s ceremonial county of Devon was delivered to the Irish Naval Service at its base on the island of Haulbowline in Cork Harbour. This vessel was named after George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950), a world-renowned Irish playwright whose works... Continue Reading →
October 10, 1904 In another clear sign that Henry Ford’s pioneering automotive enterprise was expanding even further, the production of his cars in Canada began in the town of Walkerville in the southwestern region of the province of Ontario. This made Canada the first country outside the United States where Fords were built. (In 1935, Walkerville... Continue Reading →
October 9, 1890 French inventor and engineer Clément Ader made aviation history when he attempted to fly a steam-powered aircraft that he had built. This aircraft was named the Éole in honor of Aeolus, the ancient Greek god of the winds, and it featured wings resembling those of a bat. Ader tested his flying machine just... Continue Reading →
October 5, 1889 On Maryland’s Eastern Shore, a vessel built for oyster dredging in the Chesapeake Bay was launched at Tilghman Island in Talbot County. This still-existing vessel is a “bugeye,” a type of sailboat specifically developed to collect bottom-dwelling oysters in that region of the United States. This particular bugeye was give the name... Continue Reading →
October 4, 2008 In India’s western peninsular region, an upgraded version of a domestic airport serving the city of Nanded in the state of Maharashtra was formally inaugurated. This airport is named after Guru Gobind Singh (1666-1708), who was born in present-day Patna City in the state of Bihar in eastern India. He succeeded his... Continue Reading →
October 3, 1906 In southwestern England, a road-rail swing bridge crossing the River Avon in Bristol -- a city, ceremonial county, and unitary authority -- first went into service. The Ashton Avenue Bridge was built as a key part of the Bristol Harbour Railway, a longtime transportation link for Bristol’s docks and wharves. Alfred John... Continue Reading →
Transportation History 