Finding the unexpected in the everyday.
December 1, 1901 A newly built lighthouse made its formal debut at Cape Byron in the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW) to help protect ships traveling through that area of the Pacific Ocean. Cape Byron Lighthouse, which remains in service today and can be found approximately two miles (3.2 kilometers) northeast of the town... Continue Reading →
November 29, 1987 Kay Cottee departed from Sydney, Australia, on board the yacht Blackmore's First Lady for what would become a notable voyage across the globe. When she returned to Sydney Harbour 189 days later, Cottee made history as the first woman to sail around the world solo, non-stop, and without any assistance. Cottee, who... Continue Reading →
During World War II, Nellie Locust played a groundbreaking role as one of several Native American women from Oklahoma to serve in the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Women’s Reserve. USCG Women’s Reserve, also known as the SPARS (the acronym for “Semper Paratus – Always Ready”), was established in 1942 as the women’s branch of the... Continue Reading →
November 8, 1873 The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) began construction on a lighthouse on Hereford Inlet in the borough of Anglesea (now the city of North Wildwood) in southern New Jersey. The Hereford Inlet Light was built to replace a life-saving station that had been installed at that location only a couple of... Continue Reading →
October 26, 1972 Uffa Fox, a renowned boat designer and sailing expert, died in London at the age of 74. He had been born on January 15, 1898, on England’s Isle of Wight. Fox is widely credited with popularizing modern-day dinghy sailing and making several major contributions to that small-boat activity. One of these contributions was Fox’s... Continue Reading →
October 24, 1953 In the northern part of Chile, a lighthouse first went into service on a beach in the city and commune of La Serena. This lighthouse was officially inaugurated by Juan Cortés Alcayaga, mayor of La Serena. The Monumental Lighthouse of La Serena (Faro Monumental de La Serena) was designed by Ramiro Pérez... Continue Reading →
October 5, 1871 Work was completed on a lighthouse built on the Pacific coast of Honshu, the largest and most populous of Japan’s islands. This navigational aid was the original version of Irōzaki Lighthouse. That lighthouse was specifically built in the town of Minamiizu, which is located on Cape Irōzaki (a headland on the southernmost... Continue Reading →
September 27, 1979 A lighthouse built in the Ve Skerries region of Scotland first went into service. The Ve Skerries are a group of low skerries (small, rocky islands) located along the southwest perimeter of St Magnus Bay and northwest of Papa Stour. Papa Stour is one of the largest islands of Shetland (also known... Continue Reading →
September 20, 1909 A lighthouse on Pengjia Islet, a volcanic island that is about 38 miles (60 kilometers) northeast of the northern tip of Taiwan, first went into service. The Pengjia Lighthouse was built in response to a large number of shipwrecks in that region of the Pacific Ocean at the time and the consequent... Continue Reading →
September 16, 1956 A newly built lighthouse first went into service in the Tuscany region of central Italy. This lighthouse is located at the south entrance of the port of the city of Livorno, which is on the coast of the Ligurian Sea (an arm of the Mediterranean Sea). The Port of Livorno is the... Continue Reading →
Transportation History 