Finding the unexpected in the everyday.
Professional road bicycle racer Roger Pingeon was born in the commune of Hauteville-Lompnes in eastern France. As a teenager, Pingeon initially took up cross-country skiing as his favorite means of mobility and recreational activity. He eventually refocused his time and attention on bicycling instead. Pingeon developed a strong interest in a career in bicycle racing... Continue Reading →
Automobile manufacturer Ettore Arco Isidoro Bugatti died at age of 65 in the French commune of Neuilly-sur-Seine in the Paris region. Bugatti had been born in Milan, Italy, in 1881. At a young age, Bugatti demonstrated a strong aptitude when it came to constructing motor vehicles. He was only 17, for example, when he built... Continue Reading →
Oscar Alfredo Gálvez, who established himself as one of Argentina’s most celebrated racing car drivers, was born in the Buenos Aires suburb of Caballito. In 1934, Gálvez’s interest in automobiles led him to buy a Model T Ford with money that he earned while working in his father’s engineering workshop. Another and arguably even bigger... Continue Reading →
Alberto Ascari, who became one of the world’s leading race car drivers, was born in Milan, Italy. His father Antonio Ascari was also an accomplished racecar driver. He died after his vehicle crashed in the 1925 French Grand Prix, just a little over a week before Alberto’s seventh birthday. Despite the tragic circumstances of his... Continue Reading →
Louis Chiron, a record-setting Monégasque driver in the Grands Prix that are part of the Formula One car races, died in Monte Carlo at the age of 79. Chiron, who was born in Monte Carlo in 1899, developed a strong interest in both cars and racing as a teenager. Chiron’s first big racing victory occurred... Continue Reading →
Professional racing cyclist Lee Wai Sze, who also goes by the name of Sarah Lee, was born in the urban area of Kowloon in Hong Kong. Despite being born with anemia, Lee participated in and excelled in athletics at an early age. She eventually developed a strong interest in cycling, and started pursuing that sport on a... Continue Reading →
Gino Bianco, who achieved fame as a racecar driver from Brazil, died in Rio de Janeiro at the age of 67. He had been born Luigi Emilio Rodolfo Bertetti in Milan, Italy, in 1916, and immigrated to Brazil as a child with his family. His original automotive career involved working as a car mechanic and... Continue Reading →
Thorvald Ellegaard, one of Denmark’s leading track racing cyclists, died in the Danish community of Charlottenlund at the age of 77. He had been born on the Danish island of Funen in 1877. Ellegaard began competing as a cyclist in 1895, turning professional about three years later. He eventually established himself as an international champion... Continue Reading →
Transportation History 