Finding the unexpected in the everyday.
June 24, 1913 Gustaaf Deloor, who made noteworthy contributions to both road bicycle racing and the exploration of outer space, was born in the town of De Klinge in Belgium. He was the youngest of five brothers. The next-youngest brother was Alfons, and both he and Gustaaf learned how to ride bicycles from their third-oldest... Continue Reading →
June 10, 1921 Professional cyclist Jean Robic was born in the commune of Vouziers in northern France. Robic, whose father was a racing cyclist, moved to Paris in early 1940 and worked there as a bicycle mechanic for the Sausin company. Around the same time that Robic moved to Paris, his own career as a... Continue Reading →
June 9, 1853 A railway station in the city of Aalst in northwestern Belgium was opened. This facility was built as one of the stations for the Belgian State Railways, which had been established in 1834 as the country’s first state-owned railway system. Aalst railway station was designed by architect Jean-Pierre Cluysenaar (1811-1880). He also... Continue Reading →
May 20, 2014 A dedication ceremony was held for a single-span bridge in Dublin, Ireland. This structure -- measuring 157 feet (48 meters) in length and 85 feet (26 meters) in width -- crosses the River Liffey and serves as a link between Marlborough and Hawkins Streets in Ireland’s capital city. The bridge is used... Continue Reading →
May 10, 1876 The Centennial International Exhibition -- held in Philadelphia to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in that city -- was opened. Officially called the International Exhibition of Arts, Manufactures and Products of the Soil and Mine, it was the first actual World’s Fair held in the United... Continue Reading →
March 11, 1886 A bicycle club known as the Atalanta Wheelmen was launched in the city of Newark, New Jersey, with a total of 10 charter members. The organizational meeting for the new club took place at the home of Arthur W. Snow. “After much palaver a club was formed, but, as is usually the case,... Continue Reading →
February 2, 1870 As a bicycle craze swept across Europe, the first-ever official race in Italy involving that type of transportation took place. The increased popularity of bicycles owed a lot to two key developments in France during the previous decade -- the launch of the first pedal-equipped bicycle; and the Michaux Company’s subsequent mass production... Continue Reading →
December 23, 1903 Armand Blanchonnet, who would establish himself as a formidable amateur cyclist, was born in the commune of Gipcy in central France. The apex of his cycling career took place during the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris. During those games, Blanchonnet earned the gold medal in the individual component of a men’s road... Continue Reading →
December 13, 1878 The San Francisco Bicycle Club was founded. Along with being one of the earliest bicycle clubs established in the United States, it was the first of those groups on the west coast. The club’s nine charter members included George C. Perkins, who became governor of California just over a year later. Not... Continue Reading →
In 2020, Neilson Powless became the first Native American from the United States to compete in the Tour de France. As a child, he had first aspired to take part in that prestigious multiple-stage bicycle race. “It was so exotic and powerful that even before I turned 10, I dreamed of one day competing in... Continue Reading →
Transportation History 