Finding the unexpected in the everyday.
October 14, 1812 Construction began on Regent’s Canal in England. The original part of this project started in the area just north of central London. The canal was designed by noted architect John Nash (1752-1835) and owes its name to the then-Prince of Wales and future King George IV (1762-1830), who had assumed the role of... Continue Reading →
October 11, 1927 Ruth Elder (1902-1977) and her co-pilot George W. Haldeman (1898-1982) took off from Long Island’s Roosevelt Field in a yellow Stinson Detroiter monoplane named American Girl for what was supposed to be the longest transatlantic flight to date. Elder and Haldeman, both of whom are depicted in the accompanying photo, planned to... Continue Reading →
In 2022, Jo-Ann F. Burdian achieved a notable milestone as part of her service in the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) when she was promoted from captain to rear admiral (lower half). This promotion made her the first Latina in the USCG’s history to become a flag officer. This type of commissioned officer is senior enough... Continue Reading →
September 25, 1938 The big sports event in Washington, D.C., on that Sunday was without question the President’s Cup Regatta. This multi-day series of waterborne competitions had been introduced in the nation’s capital a dozen years earlier, and the annual event quickly became renowned for the motorboats and hydroplanes participating in a variety of races... Continue Reading →
September 13, 2005 National Steel and Shipbuilding Company (NASSCO) began construction on USNS Alan Shepard (T-AKE-3), a U.S. Navy underway replenishment (UNREP) vessel. (This type of vessel is used to transport fuel, munitions, and various other supplies to ships out at sea.) The building of the Alan Shepard took place at NASSCO’s shipyard in San... Continue Reading →
September 12, 1911 More than three decades after achieving worldwide fame as a winner of the America’s Cup, the schooner-yacht Madeleine underwent her final journey when she was towed to the mouth of the Hillsborough River on Florida’s west-central coast to be dismantled and sunk there. During the previous year, the Madeleine had been used... Continue Reading →
August 30, 1849 In the Acushnet River in southeastern Massachusetts, a lighthouse at the entrance to the harbor of the city of New Bedford first went into service. This navigational aid was installed at Palmer Island, which is on the west side of the route into New Bedford Harbor. Palmer Island Light was built by... Continue Reading →
August 28, 1945 Just a few days before World War II ended with the formal surrender of Japan to the Allies, the U.S. Navy tanker USS Chukawan (AO-100) was launched at the Bethlehem Steel Company’s shipyard in Sparrows Point (an industrial area in the vicinity of Baltimore). As part of those festivities, this vessel --... Continue Reading →
August 22, 1978 Appledore II, a privately owned two-masted wooden schooner, was launched from the coast of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. This vessel -- with an overall length of 86 feet (26 meters) -- is larger than her sister ships Appledore I, III, IV, and V. All of these ships were constructed for Herbert and Doris... Continue Reading →
August 15, 1932 In western Mexico’s state of Jalisco, a lighthouse along Matamoros Street in the Pacific beach resort city of Puerto Vallarta first went into service. This black-and-white structure – known as Matamoros Lighthouse – was built and officially inaugurated by Roberto Alcazar, the captain of Puerto Vallarta’s harbor. Matamoros Lighthouse served as a... Continue Reading →
Transportation History 