Finding the unexpected in the everyday.
May 4, 1724 In central France, an arch bridge in the present-day prefecture and commune of Blois was formally opened. The structure, which spans the Loire river, was built to replace a stone bridge that dated back to the 11th century and destroyed by massive ice floes in February 1716. Construction on the replacement bridge... Continue Reading →
April 15, 1909 The Unione Sportiva Italiana (USI), which is now one of the oldest cycling clubs in existence in the United States, was formally incorporated in the state of New York. The English translation for the club’s name is “Italian Sporting Union,” and it is generally acknowledged that the founders of this group in New... Continue Reading →
April 2, 1966 In the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW), a dedication ceremony was held for a prestressed concrete box girder bridge carrying Warringah Road (now part of the route known as A38) across Middle Harbour. This six-lane, high-level structure is called the Roseville Bridge. Measuring 1,237 feet (377 meters) in length, it... Continue Reading →
March 24, 2011 The Arganzuela Footbridge in the central area of Madrid, Spain, was opened to the public. This bridge, which took about 14 months to build, serves as a link between the Arganzuela and Carabanchel districts of Spain’s capital and most populous city. French architect and urban planner Dominique Perrault (born in 1953)... Continue Reading →
February 12, 1938 A truss bridge built in the Montopolis neighborhood of Austin, Texas, in Travis County was dedicated during a Saturday ceremony. The next day’s edition of the Austin American reported, “The huge span of smooth concrete and shiny steel was constructed to replace [an] old iron bridge washed out by the flood of... Continue Reading →
July 14, 2012 A bridge for pedestrians and cyclists in Portland, Oregon, made its public debut. This structure is officially named the US Congresswoman Darlene Hooley Pedestrian Bridge at Gibbs Street. Hooley, who served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Oregon from 1997 to 2009, had staunchly championed the construction of... Continue Reading →
July 2, 1971 In west-central Scotland, the Erskine Bridge was formally opened. This cable-stayed box girder bridge, which crosses the River Clyde, serves as a link between the local government council areas of West Dunbartonshire and Renfrewshire. (The bridge is located in the vicinity of the Renfrewshire town of Erskine.) The Erskine Bridge was designed... Continue Reading →
October 8, 1889 Philippe Thys, whose high-achieving career as a cyclist would include winning the Tour de France a total of three times, was born in the municipality of Anderlecht in central Belgium. Early on in his cycling career in 1910, Thys won the first edition of the Belgian National Cyclo-cross Championship. This type of... Continue Reading →
August 1, 1894 Ottavio Bottecchia, who would achieve widespread renown as a champion cyclist, was born in the comune of Colle Umberto in northeastern Italy. He was the eighth of nine children. Bottecchia had only one year of formal schooling. His earliest jobs included working as a shoemaker and then a bricklayer. After Italy entered... Continue Reading →
June 4, 1933 In the northeastern New Jersey township of Nutley, a cycle-racing track was opened in what the Chatham Press newspaper called “a most auspicious manner” and with a standing-room-only crowd of 12,000 people in attendance. The Nutley Velodrome consisted of a saucer-shaped track made of wood and covered with galvanized sheets. The competitors taking... Continue Reading →
Transportation History 