Finding the unexpected in the everyday.
October 22, 1938 Professional cyclist Alfred Letourneur set a new world record during a motor-paced racing competition at a velodrome in Montlhéry, France. Motor-paced racing involves having a cyclist closely follow a motorized vehicle to gain momentum and speed from that vehicle’s slipstream, and Letourneur – while riding his bicycle behind a motorbike in Monthlhéry... Continue Reading →
October 21, 1863 George Alexander Troup, an architect, and engineer who designed a large number of notable railway stations in New Zealand was born to Scottish parents in London, England. Not long after his birth, his family returned to Scotland to live in Edinburgh. By the time he turned 11, Troup was attending a prestigious... Continue Reading →
October 18, 1910 The efforts of journalist and adventurer Walter Wellman to pilot the first transatlantic flight ended when he had to halt the ambitious trip about 450 miles (643.7 kilometers) east of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. With his dirigible America unable to travel any further across the Atlantic Ocean due to both mechanical failures... Continue Reading →
October 17, 2018 A cable-stayed bridge spanning the Nile was opened in the town of Njeru in the Republic of Uganda. Njeru is a suburb of the city of Jinja, which is located on the shores of Lake Victoria. Along with being Africa’s largest lake by area, Lake Victoria is also considered by many to... Continue Reading →
October 16, 1961 Cork Airport was officially opened in the Republic of Ireland. Located in the southwestern part of the country, this airport is four miles (6.5 kilometers) south of the city of Cork. Plans for an airport in the area had been under serious discussion as far back as 1928. The actual construction of... Continue Reading →
Frank Sandoval, whose U.S. Army service during World War II included taking part in one of the most critical and formidable roadbuilding projects of that military conflict, grew up in a predominantly Hispanic American community on Second Street in the small town of Silvis, Illinois. That street is just a block-and-a-half long and consists of... Continue Reading →
October 11, 2008 The Discovery Bridge, carrying U.S. Highway 81 across the Missouri River and connecting the city of Yankton, South Dakota, with Cedar County, Nebraska, was formally opened in a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by thousands of people. Public officials on hand for this Saturday morning event included Nebraska Governor Tim Heineman; U.S. Senators Tim... Continue Reading →
In 2004, Joseph Michael Acabá made history as the first person of Puerto Rican descent to be named as a NASA astronaut candidate. Acabá was born in 1967 in Inglewood, California. His parents, Ralph and Elsie Acabá, are from the municipality of Hatillo in Puerto Rico and had moved to California earlier in the decade.... Continue Reading →
October 9, 1884 In the present-day Federative Republic of Brazil, the Corcovado Rack Railway made its debut in Rio de Janeiro. At the time, Rio de Janeiro was the capital of the Empire of Brazil. Emperor Dom Pedro II officially inaugurated the railway, which transports passengers between the neighborhood of Cosme Velho and the summit... Continue Reading →
From the first decade of the 20th century to 1936, Mexican American businesswoman María G. “Chata” Sada operated an establishment for weary travelers in a remote area of west Texas that has been part of Big Bend National Park since 1944. The establishment became widely known as “Chata’s Place,” and it was basically a combined... Continue Reading →
Transportation History 