Finding the unexpected in the everyday.
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 →
A dedication ceremony was held for a new international airport in east-central France. French President Valéry Giscard d’Estaing formally inaugurated the airport, which opened to passengers a week later. Lyon Satolas Airport was built in Colombier-Saugnieu; this commune is approximately 13 miles from Lyon, the third largest city in France. The facility was designed in... Continue Reading →
Transportation History 