Finding the unexpected in the everyday.
Frederick Douglass, who became a leading statesman and abolitionist of unsurpassed eloquence, was born into slavery on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. (As was the case with many other slaves, Douglass grew up not knowing the exact date of his birth; ultimately, however, he chose February 14 as the date for celebrating his birthday each year.) By... Continue Reading →
A shipyard owned and operated by African-Americans opened for business in Baltimore. A major force behind this new facility was Isaac Myers (1835-1891), who had been born in Baltimore. While Maryland was a slave state, Myers’ parents were free-born African-Americans. When he was 16, Myers began an apprenticeship as a caulker for ships coming into... Continue Reading →
A World War II ship that played an important role in African-American history was decommissioned by the U.S. Navy. The submarine chaser USS PC-1264, which had been launched during the fall of 1943, was one of only two Navy ships during the war to have a predominantly African-American crew. (The other vessel with this distinction... Continue Reading →
The record-setting MS Navigator of the Seas, a cruise ship built for Royal Caribbean International by Kværnver Masa-Yards, was launched at the Perno shipyard in the city of Turku on Finland’s southwestern coast. She was the fourth Voyager-class ship built for and operated by Royal Caribbean International. Navigator of the Seas entered service with Royal... Continue Reading →
Briggs Cunningham, an entrepreneur and sportsman who made notable contributions involving both yachts and automobiles, was born in Cincinnati. Early on in life, Cunningham spent summers with his family in the northeastern United States. When he was a teenager, his family moved to Southport, Connecticut. Cunningham was 17 when he joined the Star Class racing... Continue Reading →
On the east coast of India, the foundation stone was laid for a new artificial, deep-water port at the municipality of Paradip in the state of Odisha. The area for this planned port -- situated at the confluence of the river Mahanadi and the Bay of Bengal – had once been a swamp formed and dominated... Continue Reading →
In Finland, a naming ceremony was held at Arctech Helsinki Shipyard for a pioneering icebreaker. The naming contest for the new vessel had been launched by the Finnish Transport Agency during the summer of 2014. The winning entry for this contest was Polaris, the name for the major navigational star commonly known as the North... Continue Reading →
The ferry M/S Finnhansa, which had been constructed by the Finnish shipbuilding company Wärtsilä Marine, was launched in Helsinki. The vessel was christened by Sylvi Kekkonen, the wife of longtime Finnish president Urho Kekkonen. Finnhansa was built for Finnlines, a major operator of vessels transporting both passengers and vehicles in the Baltic Sea and the... Continue Reading →
A French crew of 14 sailors on board the vessel Banque Populaire V began an ambitious round-the-world voyage. The voyage was undertaken to win the Jules Verne Trophy for the fastest circumnavigation of the globe by a yacht. Starting in 1993, the Jules Verne Trophy – named for the acclaimed French writer whose works included... Continue Reading →
ICGV Thor (Þór), a new patrol vessel built for the Icelandic Coast Guard (ICG), arrived in Iceland’s capital city of ReykjavĂk two-and-a-half years after being launched at the ASMAR Naval Shipyard in Talcahuano, Chile. The ship was named after the Norse god Thor. The origins of ICGV Thor can be traced to a proposal drafted... Continue Reading →
Transportation History 