Finding the unexpected in the everyday.
Automobile manufacturer Ettore Arco Isidoro Bugatti died at age of 65 in the French commune of Neuilly-sur-Seine in the Paris region. Bugatti had been born in Milan, Italy, in 1881. At a young age, Bugatti demonstrated a strong aptitude when it came to constructing motor vehicles. He was only 17, for example, when he built... Continue Reading →
Bicycle pioneer Henri Desgrange died in the commune of Beauvallon in southeastern France at the age of 75. Desgrange had been born into a middle-class family in Paris in 1865. Early on in his working life, he served as a clerk in one of the city’s law firms. Desgrange also developed a strong enthusiasm for... Continue Reading →
American inventor Robert Fulton took his newly-built paddle steamboat out on the Seine River in France for a test run. Unfortunately, the ship sank. Nevertheless, Fulton was not discouraged. He was accustomed to perfecting his designs and inventions in high-profile situations. Born in Pennsylvania in 1765, Fulton grew up in the environs of Philadelphia, and,... Continue Reading →
A Parisian mechanic named Jules Pierre Suriray was awarded French patent number 86,680 for a radial-style ball bearing he had developed for bicycles. By this time, the use of ball bearings to reduce friction between rotating parts had already long been identified with and applied to various forms of transportation. Ball bearings were used for... Continue Reading →
Théodore Vienne, a textile manufacturer and sports entrepreneur who made significant contributions to cycling, was born in the French city of Roubaix. A big proponent of sports events, Vienne coordinated a variety of bullfighting, Greco-Roman wrestling, boxing, and billiards competitions in his hometown. Vienne also happened to be an avid cyclist, so he likewise invested... Continue Reading →
In France, the first line of a new rapid transit system in Paris opened without ceremony. The Paris Métro made its debut while the city was hosting the World’s Fair (Exposition Universelle). “The line extends across the whole of Paris, from Vincennes to the Paris Maillot, Bois de Boulogne,” reported the London-based Standard newspaper. “It... Continue Reading →
An unprecedented and even jaw-dropping victory in a cycling race took place in France when native son Francis Faure set a new world record by pedaling a different type of bicycle at the Vélodrome d’Hiver of Paris. Instead of using a conventional bicycle, Faure competed with a recumbent bicycle – a low-slung model placing the... Continue Reading →
René Pottier, who became a formidable racing cyclist during the early 20th century, was born in the commune of Moret-sur-Loing (now part of the commune Moret-Loing-er-Orvanne) in northern France. Pottier took part in the April 1905 edition of the Paris-Roubaix, a one-day cycle race of about 167 miles, and came in second. He placed second... Continue Reading →
Anatole Mallet, who became a consequential if initially underappreciated engineer and inventor, was born near Geneva, Switzerland. When he was very young, he and his family moved to France. Mallet’s longtime engineering career included helping to build the Suez Canal during the 1860s. His most significant contribution, however, was in the world of railroads. By... Continue Reading →
Engineer and helicopter designer Étienne Edmond Oehmichen established a new aviation record in his native France. He did so by flying his helicopter Oehmichen No. 2, which he had designed and built a couple of years earlier, around a triangular closed circuit of approximately six-tenths of a mile. This flight took seven minutes and 40... Continue Reading →
Transportation History 