Finding the unexpected in the everyday.
October 16, 1908 An American made what is officially recognized as the first controlled, powered, and sustained heavier-than-air flight in the United Kingdom. Samuel Franklin (S.F.) Cody achieved this milestone when he piloted British Army Aeroplane No. 1, which he designed and built, off the ground in the town of Farnborough in southeastern England. Cody... Continue Reading →
September 4, 1894 A newly built lifeboat was launched at Sheringham, an English town along the North Sea. This rescue vessel replaced the lifeboat Augusta, which had been stationed at Sheringham since 1838.The new lifeboat had been constructed by Sheringham native Lewis “Buffalo” Emery and was provided to the town by a prominent local resident... Continue Reading →
August 28, 2018 In England’s North East region, the recently completed Northern Spire Bridge within the city and metropolitan borough of Sunderland was opened to pedestrians. This two-span cable-stayed bridge carries the highway A1231 over the River Wear and serves as a link between the Sunderland suburbs of Pallion and Castletown. The 1,102-foot (336-meter)-long structure... Continue Reading →
August 13, 1929 A pedestrian advocacy organization that has been not only long-lived but influential was established at a meeting at Essex Hall in London, England. The Pedestrians’ Association was formed in response to the dramatic increase in automobiles throughout England during the 1920s and the resultant road fatalities -- a large portion involving pedestrians --... Continue Reading →
May 14, 1940 Tommy Godwin of England completed a 500-day cycling journey in his native country. He used a total of two bicycles during the course of his ambitious long-distance journey and ultimately set records for that two-wheeled transportation mode when it came to the most miles (kilometers) covered in a single year and the... Continue Reading →
November 27, 2003 The yacht Mirabella V was launched at the VT shipbuilding company’s shipyard at Woolston in the city of Southampton in southeastern England. With a length of more than 245 feet (74.7 meters) and a height of 290 feet (88.5 meters), Mirabella V is the largest single-masted yacht (sloop) ever built. The designer... Continue Reading →
August 16, 1945 In England, the lifeboat Foresters Centenary was taken out into the North Sea to help dozens of people who were stranded together on a vessel. This operation was only one of many rescues undertaken throughout the years by the lifeboat in the waters off England’s eastern coastline. On that summer day in... Continue Reading →
July 19, 1843 In southwestern England, the record-setting iron steamship SS Great Britain was launched at Bristol Harbour amid great fanfare. Prince Albert, Prince Consort of the United Kingdom and the husband of Queen Victoria, arrived in Bristol at ten o’clock that morning to participate in the festivities for the new vessel. The Illustrated London... Continue Reading →
April 5, 1941 Nigel Gresley, a railway engineer who made major contributions to the development of high-powered steam locomotives, died at his home in Hertford, England, at the age of 64. He was born in 1876 in Scotland’s capital city of Edinburgh and raised in the English village and civil parish of Netherseal. After attending... Continue Reading →
March 14, 1908 Motorcycle designer and manufacturer Philip Vincent was born in London, England. It was during his time as a student at Harrow School, a London-based boarding school for boys, that Vincent was introduced to motorcycles. His interest in this means of mobility steadily grew. He bought his first motorcycle, which was a second-hand... Continue Reading →
Transportation History 