Finding the unexpected in the everyday.
February 3, 2008 Bicycle mechanic and expert Sheldon Brown died in the Boston-area city of Newton, Massachusetts, at the age of 63. Brown was the parts manager, technical consultant, and webmaster for a bicycle shop near where he lived, but his formidable expertise and interest in both vintage and contemporary bicycles earned him acclaim that went... Continue Reading →
January 30, 2015 Only a dozen days after his 92nd birthday, road cyclist Gerardus “Gerrit” Petrus Voorting died at his home in the municipality and town of Heemskerk in the Netherlands. Voorting, who had been born in the Dutch municipality of Velsen, began his cycling career in 1947. His younger brother Adrianus “Adri” Voorting (1931-1961)... Continue Reading →
January 20, 1995 A cable-stayed road bridge in northwestern France’s Normandy region first went into service. The Pont de Normandie (Normandy Bridge) spans the river Seine and connects the commune of Honfleur with the major port city of Le Havre. This bridge has the distinction of being the last bridge to cross the Seine before... Continue Reading →
January 13, 1902 John Keen, an internationally renowned English cyclist, died of tuberculosis at the age of 52 in the London-area community of Finchley. “A CHAMPION’S DEMISE,” announced a headline in the next day’s edition of the London-based Echo newspaper. Keen, who started out life in 1849 in the English village of Broadway, was a carpenter... Continue Reading →
January 8, 1867 George Pilkington Mills, who earned acclaim as a formidable competitor in races involving various modes of transportation, was born in Paddington (an area in the City of Westminster within central London). Mills firmly established himself as the preeminent English racing cyclist of his generation. He set numerous racing records on both bicycles... Continue Reading →
December 3, 1995 In Australia’s state of New South Wales (NSW), a cable-stayed bridge in Sydney was formally opened to traffic. This bridge, crossing Johnstons Bay on the western edge of the city’s central business district, is a major link between the suburb of Pyrmont and the port facility of Glebe Island within the suburb... Continue Reading →
October 31, 1886 A double-deck metal arch bridge on Portugal’s northwestern coast was formally opened. This structure, crossing the river Douro, serves as a link between the cities of Porto and Villa Nova de Gaia. The bridge was named after Dom Luís I (1838-1889), who reigned as king of Portugal from 1861 until his death.... Continue Reading →
October 21, 2001 The Goodwill Bridge in Brisbane, the capital and largest city of Australia’s state of Queensland, was officially opened. This structure, which spans the Brisbane River, was built for walking, bicycling, and inline skating. The Goodwill Bridge serves as a connection between Gardens Point in the central business district of Brisbane; and --... Continue Reading →
Cycling champion Antonio “Tony” Cruz, who is of Mexican descent, was born in Long Beach California, on October 31, 1971. He developed a strong love for bicycles early on in life. Two of Cruz’s biggest influences in this regard were his father and uncle, both of whom were avid cyclists. Cruz competed in his first... Continue Reading →
October 10, 1992 The first segment of the Montour Trail in the Pittsburgh region was formally opened in Cecil Township. The dedication ceremony for this 4.4-mile (7.1-kilometer) section of the multi-use recreational trail was specifically held at Cecil Park. Those taking part in this ceremony included Robert A. Hall, supervisory community planner for the Federal... Continue Reading →
Transportation History 