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Automobile Chronology |
Date |
Contemporary Events |
| Karl Benz creates the world’s first practical automobile powered by an internal combustion engine. |
1885 |
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| Motor Wagons becomes the first American automobile manufacturer. |
1896 |
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| Only 1 in 9,500 Americans own a car; 22% of these cars run on an internal combustion engine. The remaining vehicles run on steam or electricity. A new car costs approximately $2,000. |
1900 |
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| Horatio Nelson Jackson takes 65 days to make the first transcontinental car journey. |
1903 |
 The Wright brothers invent the first powered flight airplane.
The first transatlantic telegraph cable is laid.
The first wireless radio signals are transmitted across the Atlantic. |
| The U.S. surpasses France as the world’s number one automobile manufacturer. |
1904 |
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| Henry Ford improves the assembly line, making automobile production faster and cheaper. |
1908 |
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| The first Indianapolis 500 road race. |
1911 |
Roald Amundsen reaches the South Pole by dog sled. |
| The Model T dominates the car market. |
1912 |
The Titanic sinks on its maiden voyage. |
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1914 |
World War I begins. |
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1917 |
Workers complete the trans-Siberian railroad in Russia. |
| The first tri-colored stop light appears in Detroit, Michigan. |
1918 |
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1919 |
World War I ends. |
| The Lincoln Highway—connecting San Francisco to New York— becomes the first fully paved road to span the continent. |
1923 |
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| The first rental car company opens. |
1923 |
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| One in seven Americans owns a car. |
1924 |
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1927 |
Charles Lindbergh becomes the first person to cross the Atlantic in an airplane. |
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1929 |
The stock market crashes and the Great Depression begins. |
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1933 |
President Franklin Roosevelt launches the New Deal.
The first drive-in movie theater opens. |
| The first freeways, known as autobahns, open in Germany. |
1934 |
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| The first parking meters appear in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. |
1935 |
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1939 |
World War II begins. |
| Civilian car production halts as World War II rages. |
1942-
1945 |
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1945 |
World War II ends. |
| The first air conditioning units appear in cars. |
1953 |
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| Congress passes the Interstate Highway Act, enabling the creation of a superhighway system connecting all major U.S. locations. |
1956 |
Transatlantic cable telephone service is established. |
| One in three Americans owns a car. |
1960 |
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| The child car seat with safety belt is introduced. |
1962 |
John Glenn becomes first American to orbit the earth. |
| Front safety belts become standard. |
1963 |
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| The Vehicle Air Pollution and Control Act passes Congress, regulating auto emissions. |
1965 |
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1969 |
Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin set foot on the Moon. |
| The American auto industry starts to decline because of cheaper foreign car imports and economic woes across the country. The U.S government grants loans to keep some American car manufacturers from declaring bankruptcy. |
1970s |
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1973 |
The Arab Oil Embargo begins. |
| Japan emerges as the new world leader in automobile production. |
1980 |
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1981 |
The first space shuttle, “Columbia,” launches into space. |
| MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) is founded with a mission to combat drunken driving. |
1982 |
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| New York passes the first law requiring the use of safety belts for all passengers. |
1984 |
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1986 |
The Chernobyl nuclear reactor disaster occurs. |
| Chrysler buys American Motors. |
1987 |
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1991 |
Gorbachev resigns and the Cold War comes to an end. |
| Electric vehicles reappear in auto show rooms after being absent from the market for nearly 90 years. |
1996 |
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1997 |
Sound barrier broken on land. |
| The National Automobile Dealer’s Association puts the average new car price at $23,480. |
1998 |
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1999 |
The first non-stop balloon trip around the world completed. |
| Hybrid vehicles appear for widespread sale in the U.S. |
2000 |
The International Space Station is launched. |
| Automobile manufacturers announce plans to release hybrid SUVs, mid-size sedans and luxury cars. The United States average for car ownership per family is 1.7 vehicles per household. |
2002 |
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