Finding the unexpected in the everyday.
February 11, 1878 The Boston Bicycle Club was formally established. This club was the first official bicycle organization in the United States, and it took shape a year after the nation’s first periodical focused on that transportation mode – The American Bicycling Journal – had been likewise launched in the capital of Massachusetts. The Boston Bicycle... Continue Reading →
Stephen Myers was a major African American civil rights advocate and Underground Railroad leader in his home state of New York. He harnessed his considerable knowledge of the state’s water transportation system to help secure freedom for runaway slaves in the decades prior to the Civil War and emancipation. Myers been born a slave in the... Continue Reading →
February 9, 1875 The Hoosac Tunnel, which passes through a part of both the Berkshires and the Green Mountains known as the Hoosac Range, was opened in western Massachusetts. (“Hoosac” is an Algonquian phrase for “place of stones.”) Construction on that 4.75-mile (7.7-kilometer)-long tunnel had begun during the early 1850s, and the first train to... Continue Reading →
February 8, 1912 The first plane flight in Greece took place when Emmanouil Argyropoulos piloted an aircraft over his native country. Argyropoulos, who had been born in 1889, was originally a civil engineer. He set aside that career, however, after developing a strong interest in human flight. Argyropoulos pursued this newfound interest by going to Paris,... Continue Reading →
February 5, 1880 Aircraft and automobile manufacturer Gabriel Voisin was born in the commune of Belleville-sur-Saône in eastern France. Voisin developed a strong enthusiasm for the potential of airborne transportation at a young age, and was especially inspired by the work and words of aviation pioneers Clément Ader and Ferdinand Feber. Voisin’s aviation career began in earnest... Continue Reading →
Throughout the history of the United States, African Americans have made considerable contributions in transportation through innovation and resiliency. This AASHTO video highlights some of those stories: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_mLFq57KJA&feature=youtu.be
February 4, 1902 The first flights over Antarctica took place as part of a British exploration of that region of the world. The British National Antarctic Expedition, which was led by Royal Navy Captain Robert F. Scott, had departed from England in the wooden ship RRS Discovery in August 1901. The ship crossed the Antarctic... Continue Reading →
On November 20, 1923, Garrett Augustus Morgan (1877-1963) was granted U.S. patent 1,475,074 for a three-position traffic signal he had developed. Morgan, who was the son of former slaves, had started out life in Kentucky but moved to Ohio as a teenager. He ended up living in Cleveland, where he established himself as a highly regarded... Continue Reading →
February 2, 1957 A dedication ceremony was held for a still-incomplete bridge crossing the Hudson River in southeastern New York. This bridge, which is about 96 miles (154.5 kilometers) north of New York City, serves as a link between the city of Kingston in Ulster County and the hamlet of Rhinecliff (part of the town... Continue Reading →
February 1, 1956 The survey vessel MV Havengore made her maiden voyage in London, England, on the River Thames. This vessel owes her name to Havengore Island, a low-lying marshy island off the coast of southeastern England. The origin of the name “Havengore” can be traced to a combination of the Old English words “haefen”... Continue Reading →
Transportation History 