Finding the unexpected in the everyday.
October 12, 2014 Construction began on the Kazungula Bridge between the Republic of Zambia and the Republic of Botswana in the southern region of Africa. The Kazungula Bridge carries vehicular, rail, and pedestrian traffic over the Zambezi River, which is the fourth longest river in Africa and the largest river flowing into the Indian Ocean... Continue Reading →
October 11, 1852 A station in the village of Ferryside in southwest Wales was opened as part of the South Wales Railway. Ferryside railway station was one of five stations serving the South Wales Railway to begin operations on that date. Those other stations were built in the Welsh towns of Llanelly (now known as... Continue Reading →
October 8, 1956 Janice E. Voss, an engineer and NASA astronaut, was born in South Bend, Indiana. In 1975, she received a B.S. in engineering science from Purdue University. Voss earned her M.S.in electrical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) a couple of years later. In 1987, Voss received her PhD in aeronautics... Continue Reading →
October 7, 1826 The first train of the Massachusetts-based Granite Railway went into service. The Granite Railway was among the first railroads in the United States. This enterprise was established to carry granite from the city of Quincy to a dock on the Neponset River in the town of Milton, where that stone was transported by... Continue Reading →
October 5, 1849 On the coast of Scotland’s Western Highlands, Ardnamurchan Lighthouse made its formal debut when an oil light there was first illuminated to help guide ships sailing through the portion of the North Atlantic Ocean in that area. This lighthouse was built on the furthest western reach of the Ardnamurchan Peninsula, which in turn... Continue Reading →
October 4, 1928 The opening day of the First National Aeronautical Safety Conference took place at the Hotel Pennsylvania on Seventh Avenue in New York City. This conference was held under the auspices of the Daniel Guggenheim Fund for the Promotion of Aeronautics. This conference reflected efforts both within the United States and across the... Continue Reading →
October 1, 1906 A major railway tunnel in the Duchy of Carinthia, a part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, was officially opened. The area where this tunnel was built now traverses both the southern region of the Republic of Austria and the northern section of the Republic of Slovenia. The Karawanks Tunnel owes its name to... Continue Reading →
September 30, 2008 The Megyeri Bridge in Hungary’s capital city of Budapest was officially opened to vehicular traffic. This 6,109-foot (1,862-meter)-long bridge, which carries the M0 motorway over the River Danube, serves as a link between both of Budapest’s main sections: Buda in the western part of the city; and Pest on the eastern side.... Continue Reading →
September 28, 1970 More than four decades after her debut, the steam-powered Australian tugboat named Forceful was officially retired from service. This seagoing vessel had been constructed by the shipbuilding company Alexander Stephen & Sons Limited and launched in Scotland in 1925. Forceful subsequently sailed from the River Clyde in Scotland to her assigned homeport... Continue Reading →
September 27, 1899 Aviation pioneer Dean Cullen Smith was born at his grandparents’ home in the city of Cove, Oregon. After graduating from high school in the Beaver State, he attended Principia College in St. Louis, Missouri, for two years. The origins of Smith’s strong interest and involvement in flight activities can be traced to... Continue Reading →
Transportation History 