Finding the unexpected in the everyday.
December 12, 1951 With the holiday season in full swing throughout much of the globe, a four-engined Douglas DC-4 airliner made its way over the North Pole to deliver more than 5,000 letters to Santa Claus. This jolly old elf had been identified as a resident there at least as far back as 1866, when... Continue Reading →
September 5, 2015 The U.S. Coast Guard icebreaker USCGC Healy (WAGB-20) achieved a major transportation milestone when she became the first American surface vessel to reach the North Pole unaccompanied. Healy had been commissioned in 1999. She was named after Michael A. Healy (1839-1904), a career officer with the U.S. Revenue Cutter Service (a predecessor... Continue Reading →
August 3, 1958 At 11:15 p.m., the U.S. Navy submarine USS Nautilus became the first vessel to make it to the top of the world when she passed under an ice cap at the geographic North Pole. Navy Commander William R. Anderson, the commanding officer of Nautilus, formally announced the achievement to his crew of... Continue Reading →
Transportation History 