Finding the unexpected in the everyday.
November 19, 1914 The week before Thanksgiving, several race car drivers were gathered in the city of Corona, California, to get ready for the big day. They were not focused on generous helpings of food and gratitude, but rather on something far different: practice runs in their automobiles for that following Thursday’s 109-lap, 300-mile (482.8-kilometer) competition... Continue Reading →
November 18, 1876 The entire segment of Ocean Parkway in Brooklyn, New York, was opened to the public about two years after construction on that route had begun. (Brooklyn was still an independent incorporated city at the time and would not become a borough of New York City until 1898.) The new parkway, spanning 5.5... Continue Reading →
Shirley Reilly, who is of Iñupiat descent, has compiled a noteworthy record as a world-class wheelchair racer. (The Iñupiat are a group of Alaska Natives; their wide-ranging traditional territory extends from Norton Sound, an inlet of the Bering Sea, to the United States’ border with Canada.) Shirley Reilly was born in Anchorage on May 29,... Continue Reading →
November 14, 1938 After two days of being made available exclusively for pedestrians to cross, the newly completed Lions Gate Bridge in the Canadian province of British Columbia was first opened to vehicular traffic. This suspension bridge traverses the First Narrows of Burrard Inlet and links the city of Vancouver with the North Shore municipalities... Continue Reading →
November 13, 1899 In a widely publicized flight, Brazilian aviation pioneer Alberto Santos-Dumont (1873-1932) piloted an airship in the skies above Paris. He had been born in southeastern Brazil’s municipality of Palmira, which was eventually renamed after him, and ended up spending most of his adult life in France to more fully pursue his strong... Continue Reading →
November 12, 1946 In yet another example of the ever-increasing prevalence and use of automobiles in everyday life, the first comprehensive drive-through operations in the United States for bank customers made its debut in Chicago. The Exchange National Bank of Chicago introduced this service, which was called the Autobank, at its location at 130 South... Continue Reading →
A pedestrian bridge in Kuching, the capital and most populous city of Malaysia’s state of Sarawak, was formally dedicated. This 905.5-foot (276-meter)-long structure crosses the mouth of Sarawak River and has the distinction of being the only pedestrian bridge connecting the northern and southern sections of Kuching. Abdul Taib bin Mahmud (1936-2024), who served as... Continue Reading →
Robbie Hood, a member of the Cherokee Nation, has made notable flight-oriented contributions as an atmospheric scientist. She is a direct descendant of John Ross (1790-1866), whose tenure as principal chief of the Cherokee Nation from 1828 to 1866 was the longest of anyone serving in that role. Ross achieved lasting prominence for his pivotal... Continue Reading →
November 7, 1924 The world airspeed record for seaplanes was decisively broken in the skies above southeastern Virginia. The pilot for this flight was Lieutenant Victor E. Bertrandias of the U.S. Army Air Service (USAAS). He was accompanied by USAAS Lieutenant George C. McDonald. Their flight began at 10:45 a.m. and it entailed traveling a... Continue Reading →
Richard Francis "Dick" Gordon Jr., who made notable contributions as both a U.S. Navy aviator and NASA astronaut, died at his home in the city of San Marcos, California. He was 88. Gordon had been born in Seattle on October 5, 1929. After graduating from the University of Washington in 1951 with a B.S. in... Continue Reading →
