Finding the unexpected in the everyday.
May 21, 1914 With 1914 nearly halfway over, 28-year-old Swedish immigrant Eric Wickman was dealing with more than his usual share of challenges. He had arrived in the United States in 1905, and found work as a drill operator in iron ore mines in the northeastern city of Hibbing, Minnesota. In 1914, however, Wickman was laid... Continue Reading →
May 20, 1959 The Ford Motor Company introduced the concept model of the Levacar Mach I, an air-propelled automobile, in the Ford Rotunda in Dearborn, Michigan. The guiding force behind the design for the single-passenger, wheels-free Levacar was Andrew A. Kucher, vice president of engineering for the Ford Motor Company and the head of its... Continue Reading →
May 18, 1940 A highway bridge built across the Manning River in the town of Taree in the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW) made its public debut. This steel truss bridge was officially opened by Alexander Mair, who served as premier of NSW from 1939 to 1941. The structure replaced a steam-driven ferry... Continue Reading →
May 17, 1992 A Baltimore-area light rail system that is operated by the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) began regular train runs. The initial segment of this system covered 13 miles (20.9 kilometers) between the community of Timonium in Baltimore County and the then-new Major League Baseball stadium (formally named Oriole Park at Camden Yards and... Continue Reading →
May 14, 1920 The Michigan Avenue Bridge, which spans the main stem of the Chicago River in downtown Chicago, was officially opened. This structure is widely believed to have been the first double-deck bridge built with roadway on both levels – the upper level for automobiles, the lower level for heavy commercial vehicles. In addition, the bridge... Continue Reading →
May 13, 1933 A trolleybus system made its debut in the resort town of Bournemouth on England’s southern coast. The new system was formally inaugurated by John Robert Edgecombe, the lord mayor of Bournemouth. The first of those trolleybuses to go into service was driven by William Biddlecombe. Over the next few years, this trolleybus... Continue Reading →
May 11, 1930 August Charles Fruehauf, a freight transportation pioneer, died at his home in Grosse Pointe Park, Michigan, at the age of 61. Fruehauf was born in Fraser, Michigan, in 1868. By 1914, he had established himself in Detroit as a blacksmith and carriage builder. The turning point in Fruehauf’s career took place that same... Continue Reading →
May 10, 1901 George M. Hendee and Carl Oscar Hedström introduced what became the first commercially successful, gasoline-powered motorcycle in the United States. The debut and demonstration of their prototype motorcycle took place on a steep hill on Cross Street in Springfield, Massachusetts. The two men had officially entered into a business partnership only about four... Continue Reading →
May 7, 1927 A newly completed airport in the San Francisco area was inaugurated. This facility, which was officially named Mills Field Municipal Airport, had been built on 150 acres (60.7 hectares) of a cow pasture. The property was leased to the city of San Francisco by Ogden L. Mills, a member of a prominent local... Continue Reading →
May 6, 1896 An aviation milestone took place in the vicinity of Quantico, Virginia, when Aerodrome No. 5 made the first successful flights of an unpiloted, tandem-winged, engine-powered, heavier-than-air model of substantial size. (“Aerodrome” is derived from a Greek phrase that roughly means “air runner.”) Samuel Langley, who invented Aerodrome No. 5, launched it twice using... Continue Reading →
Transportation History 