Finding the unexpected in the everyday.
December 5, 1919 The airline popularly known today as Avianca was established as Sociedad Colombo-Alemana de Transporte Aéro (the Colombian-German Air Transport Society), or SCADTA, in the city of Barranquilla, Colombia. The founders of SCADTA were -- on behalf of business interests in Colombia -- Ernesto Cortissoz (who served as its first president), Rafael Palacio, Cristóbal... Continue Reading →
October 24, 1953 In the northern part of Chile, a lighthouse first went into service on a beach in the city and commune of La Serena. This lighthouse was officially inaugurated by Juan Cortés Alcayaga, mayor of La Serena. The Monumental Lighthouse of La Serena (Faro Monumental de La Serena) was designed by Ramiro Pérez... Continue Reading →
October 20, 2015 After more than a half-century without any tram (streetcar) service in Medellín, the transit system known as the Ayacucho Tram was formally launched in that major Colombian city. The Ayacucho Tram, which is operated by the rapid transit network Medellín Metro, is currently the only tram service in all of Colombia. For... Continue Reading →
October 11, 1948 Capitán Vicente Almandos Almonacid Airport in La Rioja Province in western Argentina was officially opened. This airport serves as the principal one for that province. Capitán Vicente Almandos Almonacid Airport is specifically located in the northeastern part of the city of La Rioja, which is the capital of the province sharing its... Continue Reading →
October 7, 1985 Emilio Mitre station on Line E of the Buenos Aires Underground rapid transit system (Subterráneo de Buenos Aires) first went into service. With its opening, this station in Argentina’s capital and largest city replaced José María Moreno station as the western terminus of Line E. José María station had held that distinction... Continue Reading →
September 28, 2019 In the Brazilian state of Santa Catarina, a new terminal for a longtime airport near the municipality of Florianópolis was officially opened. (Florianópolis is the capital of Santa Catarina.) This airport, which traces its origins to the 1920s, was named after Hercilio Pedro da Luz (1860-1924). Luz’s public service on behalf of... Continue Reading →
July 27, 1888 In Argentina’s province of Buenos Aires, a 32.9-mile (53-kilometer) extension of the horse-drawn Buenos Aires Central Railway between the cities of Pilar and Zárate was completed. This took place less than four months after the opening of the railway line’s first segment. That initial segment of 29.2 miles (47 kilometers) was built... Continue Reading →
May 25, 1884 The San Juan de Salvamento Lighthouse made its debut on Isla de los Estados, a remote island within Argentina’s section of the archipelago Tierra del Fuego. Isla de los Estados is located 18 miles (29 kilometers) off the easternmost point of that archipelago’s main island of Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego.... Continue Reading →
May 17, 2018 A station on Line H of the Buenos Aires Underground rapid transit system (Subterráneo de Buenos Aires) was officially opened. This station in the northern section of Argentina’s capital and largest city is adjacent to its namesake, the University of Buenos Aires’ law school (formally known as the Faculty of Law, or... Continue Reading →
April 25, 1960 A global circumnavigation milestone took place when the U.S. Navy submarine USS Triton (SSRN-586) completed the first submerged voyage around the world. The U.S. Navy’s code name for this pioneering circumnavigation was Operation Sandblast. Triton, which had been commissioned the previous November and was under the command of Captain Edward L. “Ned” Beach,... Continue Reading →
Transportation History 