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On This Day in Automotive History: November 9

On This Day in Automotive History
November 9

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Birthdays: Victor Hugo Green (1892), Johnny Hannon (1908), Georg Meier (1910), Bob Clutterham (1922), Ken Klutzz (1931), Neil Corner (1937), Bernard Tramont (1938), Al Straub (1940), Digby Martland (1942), John Heinricy (1947), Alan Strobridge (1950), Ken Talbert (1950), Chet Blanton (1952), David Leslie (1953), Don Satterfield (1953), Tony Newman (1956), Terry Markovic (1959), Jeff Kincaid (1965), Mike LaMarra (1967), Alex Popow (1975), Harald Proczyk (1975), Nikolaus Mayr-Melnhof (1978), Shawn Turple (1978), Marcus Fux (1981), Eric Goodale (1985), Kei Cozzolino (1987), Frank Jiovani (1989), Franck Matelli (1991), Dexter Stacey (1992), Sam MacLeod (1994), Mason Keller (1999)

1921: President Warren Harding signs the Federal-Aid Highway Act, revitalizing the Federal-aid highway program by focusing funds on a system consisting of 7 percent of each State's road mileage. Three-sevenths of the system must consist of routes that are "interstate in character" and up to 60 percent of Federal funds can be spent on this portion. Chief Thomas MacDonald and AASHO's W. C. Markham participate in the ceremony, which is filmed because of its importance.

1921: Forty trucks, furnished by BPR, begin operating on a test pavement in Pittsburg, California. The trucks run at a set speed and are loaded with only a moderate tonnage. As the test continues, the loads will be increased. Heavy war equipment will be used at the end of the test to give the final touch of demolition to the highway. The Pittsburg test highway, which is 1,371 feet long, includes 13 sections paved with concrete slabs ranging from 5 to 8 inches in thickness.

1965: The film Red Line 7000 was released.

1966: The National Traffic Safety Bureau and the National Highway Safety Bureau, authorized by the Highway Safety Act of 1966, are established in the Department of Commerce under the direction of Dr. William Haddon, Jr. On April 1, 1967, both bureaus are transferred to the new USDOT as part of FHWA; they are consolidated by Executive order into the National Highway Safety Bureau under Dr. Haddon on June 6, 1967. The NHSB became NHTSA in March 1970.

1973: With the Nation in an energy crisis, FHWA releases tests by retired FHWA employee E.M. Cope on whether lower speed limits save gas. In the tests, fuel consumption increased by 30 percent when the speed of the test vehicles went from 50 to 70 mph.

2012: The song “Burning Desire” by Lana Del Rey was released on her album Paradise.