Finding the unexpected in the everyday.
The South African Navy vessel SAS Isandlwana was launched at a shipyard in Kiel, Germany. Those participating in this ceremony included Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge, South Africa’s deputy minister of defense. SAS Isandlwana was built in Kiel by the European South African Corvette Consortium (ESACC), which consists of the German Frigate Consortium (Blohm+Voss, Thyssen Rheinstahl, and Howardtswerke... Continue Reading →
More than a half-century after establishing a record for walking around the world, Dumitru Dan died in the city of Buzău in his native Romania at the age of 88. His path to international fame began in 1908 while he was a student in Paris. The Touring club de France initiated a contest for circumnavigating... Continue Reading →
The ferry M/S Finnhansa, which had been constructed by the Finnish shipbuilding company Wärtsilä Marine, was launched in Helsinki. The vessel was christened by Sylvi Kekkonen, the wife of longtime Finnish president Urho Kekkonen. Finnhansa was built for Finnlines, a major operator of vessels transporting both passengers and vehicles in the Baltic Sea and the... Continue Reading →
On the eastern coast of New Zealand’s South Island, a new section of a cycling and walking trail was opened between the towns of Prebbleton and Lincoln. This section, an off-road asphalt pathway measuring approximately four miles (7.7 kilometers) in length, is a part of the Little River Rail Trail. The dedication ceremony for the... Continue Reading →
After more than a half-century of service for vessels sailing through that region of the North Atlantic Ocean, the Lighthouse of Ponta dos Capelinhos on the Portuguese archipelago of the Azores ceased operations altogether. This lighthouse, specifically located on the peninsula of Ponta dos Capelinhos and Costa Nau at the western tip of the Azorean... Continue Reading →
A new railway line made its official debut in south Norway. The Krøderen Line, spanning 16 miles (26 kilometers) from the Krøderen lake to the town of Vikersund, was built as a narrow-gauge branch line of the Radsfjorden Line. The formal opening of the Krøderen Line took place without any fanfare; the actual celebration for... Continue Reading →
A French crew of 14 sailors on board the vessel Banque Populaire V began an ambitious round-the-world voyage. The voyage was undertaken to win the Jules Verne Trophy for the fastest circumnavigation of the globe by a yacht. Starting in 1993, the Jules Verne Trophy – named for the acclaimed French writer whose works included... Continue Reading →
The Agra Lucknow Expressway made its official debut in the state of Uttar Pradesh in northern India less than two years after construction on this route had begun. The new highway was officially opened by Akhilesh Yadav, chief minister of Uttar Pradesh. This six-lane expressway, which connects the cities of Agra and Lucknow in Uttar... Continue Reading →
The sixth and final section of the Nanango Branch Railway was officially opened in the Australian state of Queensland. This railway had been authorized in 1882 by the Parliament of Queensland after gold and copper were discovered in the region. The first two segments of the line – between the town of Theebine (known at... Continue Reading →
After more than a half-century of service with the Argentine Navy, the vessel ARA Almirante Brown (Admiral Brown) was decommissioned. ARA Almirante Brown had been built by the British shipbuilding firm Samuda Brothers and launched in 1880. Maria Josefa Martinez de Hoz, whose husband Carlos Casares was a prominent rancher and politician who had recently... Continue Reading →
Transportation History 