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On This Day in Automotive History: December 9

On This Day in Automotive History
December 9

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December 8 « Go to » December 10

Birthdays: Doug Serrurier (1920), Ed Elisian (1926), Andre Milhoux (1928), Gene Blair (1932), Wayne Weiler (1934), Bill Dennis (1935), Ben Pon (1936), Johnny Rives (1936), Ed Howe (1938), Sheldon Kinser (1942), Jean-Claude Lagniez (1947), Brad Teague (1947), Jean Krucker (1948), Mickey Meredith (1950), David Sears (1955), Tomy Drissi (1958), Johnny Spradley (1961), Eric Kanfield (1966), Mark Proctor (1968), Wayne Willard (1969), Derek White (1970), Coy Gibbs (1972), Waldemar Coronas (1974), Eric Clement (1975), Antonio Downs (1977), P.J. Chesson (1978), Jesse Metcalfe (1978), Jimmy Renfrew (1978), Tony D'Alberto (1985), Joel Kauffman (1985), Brian Tagg (1985), Jacquelyn Butler (1987), Katsumasa Chiyo (1987), Travis Fadden (1987), Victor Pfluger (1990), Maximilian Buhk (1992), Zach Veach (1994), Corey Deuser (1997)

1918: Logan Page dies of a heart attack in Chicago, Illinois, after becoming ill during a meeting of AASHO's executive committee. During the Joint Highway Congress of AASHO and the Highway Industries Association (December 11-12), Page was to have delivered a talk on "Highway Control by the Federal Government Under War Conditions." An AASHO tribute states, "He more than any other man, has stood for scientific road construction, for education and the use of educated and experienced engineers for carrying out road work."

1921: General Motors engineer Thomas Midgeley Jr. discovered that tetraethyl lead prevented engine knocking.

1983: The film Christine was released.

1991: Federal-Aid Policy Guide Transmittal No. 1 is issued, transmitting the new guide, which replaces the Federal-Aid Highway Program Manual (FHPM). The new guide includes all the regulatory material in the FHPM and current and valid nonregulatory material. An electronic version of the new guide was posted recently on the FHWA Electronic Bulletin Board System.

1993: Administrator Rodney Slater, in a heavily attended ceremony at Union Station in Washington, DC, unveils FHWA's recommendations for the National Highway System. "This is perhaps the most important event I will have the opportunity to participate in as your Federal Highway Administrator," he tells the crowd, "because the National Highway System is going to be the backbone of our national transportation network in the 21st century." Secretary Federico Pea announces an initiative to develop an intermodal National Transportation System to guide planning and investments in America's transportation network.

1994: Production ends on the Dodge Spirit, Plymouth Acclaim, and Chrysler LeBaron.

2014: The series finale of Sons of Anarchy aired.