Finding the unexpected in the everyday.
April 24, 1951 In Pennsylvania’s Allegheny County, a cantilever bridge crossing the Monongahela River was officially opened at noon. The bridge serves as a connection between the city of McKeesport and borough of Dravosburg. (Both McKeesport and Dravosburg are part of the Greater Pittsburgh area; the Steel City is not only the largest city in... Continue Reading →
April 15, 1924 The Rand McNally Auto Chum, a highways map guide for car travel throughout the United States, was published. This guide was the first edition of what ultimately became the best-selling Rand McNally Road Atlas. The Auto Chum came out at a time when cars were increasingly embraced and used nationwide, and highways to accommodate... Continue Reading →
April 10, 1951 The Battery Park Underpass, a vehicular tunnel at the southernmost tip of Manhattan in New York City, was officially opened during a noontime ceremony. This underpass is located near the neighborhoods of Battery Park and South Ferry. It serves as a link between Franklin D. Roosevelt East River Drive (popularly known as... Continue Reading →
March 25, 1992 The Ria Bridge, which is located in northwestern Spain’s autonomous community of Galicia, was opened to traffic. (A ria is a coastal inlet that has been formed for the partial submergence of a river that was never covered or otherwise impacted by any glaciers or ice sheets.) This bridge is part of... Continue Reading →
March 19, 2018 In northern Italy’s autonomous region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, a railway station built to serve Trieste Airport near the commune of Ronchi dei Legionari was officially opened. (Ronchi dei Legionari is 19 miles [30 kilometers] northwest of Trieste, a major seaport and the capital city of Friuli-Venezia Giulia.) Those attending the inauguration of... Continue Reading →
March 18, 2017 An inaugural ceremony was held for a cable-stayed highway bridge built between the Federative Republic of Brazil; and French Guiana, an overseas department and region of France. This structure spans the Oyapock River and links the Brazilian municipality of Oiapoque in the state of Amapá with the French Guianese commune of Saint-Georges-de-l’Oyapock... Continue Reading →
March 14, 2017 In the Republic of the Philippines, a bus station was inaugurated in Quezon City in Metro Manila (an area that is officially known as the National Capital Region) on the island of Luzon. This station is specifically located in Araneta City, an 86-acre (35-hectare) commercial mixed-use, transit-oriented development within Quezon City. The... Continue Reading →
March 6, 1998 In northeastern Wales, a bridge in the county of Flintshire was formally opened. This cable-stayed bridge, spanning the Dee Estuary, connects both Flint and Connah’s Quay – each collectively classified as a town and community – with the area just north of the River Dee and at the southern part of the... Continue Reading →
In 1971, Richard H. Austin became the first African American to serve as Michigan’s secretary of state. Austin remained in this position until 1995, being reelected a total of four times. His extensive duties as secretary of state included administrating elections within the Wolverine State; maintaining both the Great Seal of Michigan and records of... Continue Reading →
February 11, 1933 In Allegheny County, a suspension bridge built in Pittsburgh’s South Side was opened to traffic without any formality or notable amount of fanfare. This bridge’s low-key debut was reported in the next day’s edition of the Pittsburgh Press. “Undedicated and without ceremony, the county’s new bridge across Monongahela River at Tenth Street... Continue Reading →
Transportation History 