The Crittenden Automotive Library

On This Day in Automotive History: December 13

On This Day in Automotive History
December 13

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Birthdays: Neil Whalen (1886), Gus Monckmeier (1888), Prince de Cystria (1898), Harry McQuinn (1905), Stan Kross (1917), Gib Orr (1918), Bill Vukovich (1918), Nick Garin (1919), Sterling Long (1921), George Dunn (1931), Earl Balmer (1935), Yvon Tapy (1939), Jim Vandiver (1939), Jim Hopkinson (1942), Steve Barclay (1944), James Cox (1945), Richard Lach (1945), Brian McGuire (1945), Mark Montgomery (1946), Mike Mosley (1946), Harvey Sprague (1947), Robert Rodriguez (1948), Axel Plankenhorn (1951), Dick Karth (1952), Chris Barns (1953), Andrew MacPherson (1957), Neil Cox (1958), Steve Smith (1959), Brent Cross (1960), Tim Spurgeon (1960), Keith Comiskey (1961), Todd Souza (1964), Bret Curtis (1966), Doug Greig (1968), John Falb (1971), Imran Husain (1976), Travis Benjamin (1978), Anthony Simone (1979), David Stover (1979), Travis Rodewald (1980), Tuka Rocha (1982), Christian Engelhart (1986), Dakota Stroup (1990), Aaron Telitz (1991), Jarett Andretti (1992), Victor Carbone (1992), Roman Lagudi (1994), Ronnie Osmer (1999)

1913: In Boston, Massachusetts, Director Logan Page addresses the Civil Service Reform League on "The Merit System in Road Management." His conclusion notes, "I hope this distinguished body will actively join in the good roads movement, not for the purpose of urging larger expenditures, not for the purpose of urging national aid, not for the purpose of developing better methods of construction and maintenance, but for the distinct purpose of seeing that this great public trust is administered for the benefit of the public and as an example of civic righteousness and good management."

1934: At 2:30 this afternoon, President Franklin Roosevelt convenes a meeting with Interior Secretary Harold Ickes, Relief Administrator Harry Hopkins, Treasury Secretary Henry Morgenthau, Admiral Christian Peoples, and Chief Thomas MacDonald to discuss a proposed transcontinental highway. According to Ickes' diary: "At intervals during the last year I have suggested the possibility of such a highway to the President. He has always been rather taken by the idea, but it has now really struck his imagination and he is giving very serious thought to it. Recently at one of our conferences to consider a program of public works for next year, the President outlined a route for a transcontinental highway from east to west and routes for two or three north and south highways. The meeting today was to consider these routes as outlined on a map of the United States and to consider costs, etc."

1982: The song “Roll Me Away” by Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band was released on their album The Distance.

1968: Secretary Alan Boyd announces allocation of 1,472.5 miles of the 1,500 miles added to the Interstate System by the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1968. The mileage, he says, "will lend more flexibility to the entire system to permit it to meet the tremendous changes in population and development that have occurred since the original 41,000 mile network was charted." The longest sections added are in California (102.5 miles from San Diego to Colton) and Texas (125 miles from Amarillo to Lubbock). The shortest addition is in Iowa (the 0.5-mile Iowa portion of the Sioux City-South Sioux City spur).

1996: The final 1994-1996 Chevrolet Impala SS was produced.

2012: The third generation Silverado was introduced.

2016: Waymo was founded from the Google Self-Driving Car Project.

2018: The film Bumblebee was released in Russia (initial public release).

On This Day in Automotive History: December 13