Finding the unexpected in the everyday.
November 19, 1914 The week before Thanksgiving, several race car drivers were gathered in the city of Corona, California, to get ready for the big day. They were not focused on generous helpings of food and gratitude, but rather on something far different: practice runs in their automobiles for that following Thursday’s 109-lap, 300-mile (482.8-kilometer) competition... Continue Reading →
Shirley Reilly, who is of Iñupiat descent, has compiled a noteworthy record as a world-class wheelchair racer. (The Iñupiat are a group of Alaska Natives; their wide-ranging traditional territory extends from Norton Sound, an inlet of the Bering Sea, to the United States’ border with Canada.) Shirley Reilly was born in Anchorage on May 29,... Continue Reading →
Cycling champion Antonio “Tony” Cruz, who is of Mexican descent, was born in Long Beach California, on October 31, 1971. He developed a strong love for bicycles early on in life. Two of Cruz’s biggest influences in this regard were his father and uncle, both of whom were avid cyclists. Cruz competed in his first... Continue Reading →
September 2, 1937 A milestone in American motorcycle history took place at the Individual Speedway World Championship in London. In front of a crowd of approximiately 85,000 spectators in attendance at the original version of Wembley Stadium, 30-year-old California resident Jack Milne won that competition -- widely considered to be one of the premier motorcycle... Continue Reading →
August 18, 2015 Macif, a 98-foot (30-meter)-long vessel, was officially launched. This vessel is an Ultim-class maxi-trimaran, which is a type of multihull boat built with a main hull that has two outrigger hulls (floats) attached to it via lateral beams. Macif -- named for the French insurance company that owns her -- was designed... Continue Reading →
August 11, 1861 Montague Alfred Holbein, who achieved considerable fame for his competitive cycling achievements, was born in what is now the London-area suburban district of Twickenham. He proved himself to be a gifted athlete with an enviable abundance of both skill and stamina. Holbein first drew widespread attention when he readily demonstrated those qualities... Continue Reading →
June 20, 1897 Harold Frederick Pitcairn, who made major contributions to various types of aircraft, was born in Moreland Township in southeastern Pennsylvania. In 1916, residents in the central part of this township broke away to form what is now the home-rule borough of Bryn Athyn; the following year, the remainder of the township was... Continue Reading →
June 11, 1895 One of the first major multi-day motorcar races began in France’s capital city. There were 30 entrants altogether in this round-trip race, which involved driving motor vehicles between Paris in the northern central part of France and the city of Bordeaux in the southwestern area of the country. The total distance covered... Continue Reading →
December 20, 1920 Linton Hope, who earned widespread fame for his contributions to yacht and aircraft design, died in the market town and civil parish of Midhurst in southeastern England. He was 57. Hope had been born April 18, 1863, in northwestern England’s market town and civil parish of Macclesfield as Linton Chorley Hopps. He... Continue Reading →
October 30, 1906 Daniel Albone, an inventor who made key contributions to various types of transportation, died in the market town and civil parish of Biggleswade in southern England. He was 46. Albone was born in Biggleswade on September 12, 1860. He and his family lived in an area located between the Great North Road... Continue Reading →
Transportation History 