Finding the unexpected in the everyday.
July 11, 2005 On the north end of the island of Montserrat – a British Overseas Territory in the Caribbean Sea – an airport in the village of Gerald’s first went into service. The formal opening of this airport took place nearly five months after it had been dedicated by Anne, Princess Royal, daughter of... Continue Reading →
July 1, 2002 On Japan’s island of Shikoku, a passenger railway station was opened in the town of Kagami in Kōchi Prefecture. (In 2006, Kagami became part of the newly formed city of Kōnan; however, the name of the station has remained the same.) Kagami Station is located on the 26.5-mile (42.7-kilometer)-long Asa Line of... Continue Reading →
June 25, 1982 In Switzerland, the Furka Base Tunnel connecting the village of Oberwald with the municipality of Realp was opened. At the time, this structure was the world’s longest narrow-gauge tunnel. This 9.6-mile (15.4-kilometer)-long rail tunnel, which took nine years to build in the face of formidable engineering challenges, has made it possible for the Matterhorn-Gotthard-Bahn... Continue Reading →
June 13, 2007 A dedication was held for a newly completed airport in the Filipino province of Iloilo, which is located on the country’s island of Panay. (One of this province’s widely used nicknames is “Heart of the Philippines”.) Iloilo International Airport was built in Cabatuan, a municipality that is 15 miles (24 kilometers) northwest... Continue Reading →
June 12, 2004 In the western region of the Federal Republic of Germany, a train station at Cologne Bonn Airport made its formal debut. Cologne/Bonn Airport station was officially opened by Gerard Schröder, who served as chancellor of Germany from 1998 to 2005. Construction on this four-track underground station had started on January 29, 2002.... Continue Reading →
June 7, 1886 The fourth and current version of the facility serving as the base of operations for Star Boating Club was officially opened in New Zealand’s capital city of Wellington. The origins of Star Boating Club can be traced to 1866. It is the oldest rowing club in Wellington and one of the earliest... Continue Reading →
May 10, 1865 A foundation stone was laid for the third and current version of St Bees Lighthouse in northwestern England. This ceremony marked the start of construction on this structure on the headland known as St Bees Head, which overlooks the Irish Sea. Those on hand for the ceremony included Henry Norris, an engineer... Continue Reading →
May 3, 1956 Kurt-Schumacher-Platz in Berlin, Germany, was officially opened. This underground station is a link in the Berlin U-Bahn, the rapid transit system serving the country’s largest city (and capital of the present-day Federal Republic of Germany). Kurt-Schumacher-Platz was built as part of the extension of the Berlin U-Bahn’s north-south line known as U6.... Continue Reading →
During his long career as an architect, Gyo Obata achieved international acclaim for the wide range of major buildings that he designed. He was born to Japanese immigrants on February 28, 1923, in San Francisco. His mother Haruko Obata was a well-established floral designer and his father Chiura Obata became a widely known artist. ... Continue Reading →
April 30, 1939 The 1939 New York World’s Fair at Flushing-Meadows Corona Park was formally opened. This world’s fair ranks second only to the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis as the largest event of its kind to be held in the United States. With its opening slogan of “Dawn of a New Day,”... Continue Reading →
Transportation History 