Transportation

On June 20, 1819, the SS Savannah arrived in Liverpool, England, becoming the first steamship to cross the Atlantic Ocean.

On June 6, 1933, the first drive-in movie theater opened in Camden, New Jersey. The number of drive-ins in the US would eventually grow to over 4,000, becoming a beloved pastime for millions.

Jacqueline Cochran was born Bessie Lee Pittman on May 11, 1906, in Pensacola, Florida.  The first woman to fly faster than the speed of sound, she held more speed, altitude, and distance records than any other pilot, male or female, in the world.

On May 10, 1869, the Transcontinental Railroad was completed with the driving of the golden spike at Promontory Summit, Utah. Completing the Transcontinental Railroad is widely considered one of the greatest accomplishments of the 19th century!

On April 3, 1860, the Pony Express made its first trip from St. Joseph, Missouri, to Sacramento, California.  Though short-lived, the Pony Express was a revolution in communication, able to transport important letters across the country more than twice as fast as the existing overland mail system.

On March 29, 1867, Independence, Missouri, was founded. Known as the “Queen City of the Trails,” it became the starting point for several trails that carried thousands of settlers to the West.

On March 27, 1841, the first steam-powered fire engine was tested in New York City. Though that first engine was only in use for a short time, it marked the start of a new era in firefighting…

On February 20, 1840, the Gowan & Marx made an impressive run, hauling more than 100 cars weighing 423 tons. It was one of the earliest 4-4-0 locomotives with equalizing levers and became internationally known for hauling a train 40 times its own weight.

On February 2, 1925, a sled dog team took the Iditarod Trail to deliver a much-needed diphtheria antitoxin to Nome, Alaska, following a deadly outbreak.