The Crittenden Automotive Library

On This Day in Automotive History: October 17

On This Day in Automotive History
October 17

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Birthdays: Ralph Hamlin (1880), Charles Cox (1887), Jack Ensley (1906), Bud Bardowski (1914), Roberto Lippi (1926), Joe Harrison (1928), Jack Zink (1928), John Dalton (1930), John Ziemba (1934), Ed Livingston (1935), Carlos Pairetti (1935), Gene Hobby (1937), Evel Knievel (1938), Dale Williams (1938), Yvon DuHamel (1939), Olindo Iacobelli (1945), Peter Owen (1946), Denny Wilson (1946), Mark Beard (1948), Pat Jones (1952), Rich Thiel (1956), Steve Paquette (1957), Tony Taranto (1959), Daryl Lacks (1960), Peter Gazzard (1961), Gary Hawes (1961), Con Nicolopoulos (1961), Blair Smith (1964), Mike Snow (1965), Tommy Kendall (1966), Yannick Mallegol (1968), Doug Vander (1970), Shane Sawyer (1971), Tim Boulton (1972), Chad Mullis (1976), Gaetano Ardagna (1977), Brian Eckliff (1978), Kimi Raikkonen (1979), Alessandro Balzan (1980), Milo Valverde (1980), Simon Dion-Viens (1982), Scott Saunders (1988), Corey Lewis (1991), Mikael Grenier (1992)

1902: Cadillac introduces the Model A.

1968: The film Bullitt was released.

1973: In Lebanon, 11 Middle East nations proclaim a progressively increasing monthly cut in exports of oil to the United States and other nations perceived as unfriendly to Arab goals. The cut soon becomes a boycott, touching off the first of two energy crises in the 1970s, this one lasting until the spring.

1979: Administrator Karl Bowers presents 110 paintings by Bureau of Public Roads' Carl Rakeman to the Boston Museum of Transportation. The paintings depict scenes from highway history. The paintings are also the centerpiece of Historic American Roads: Frontier Trails to Superhighways by Bureau of Public Roads' Albert C. Rose (Crown Publishers, Inc., 1976). "The birth and growth of America," Bowers says, "has been and continues to be 'The Greatest Show on Earth,' and the Rakeman paintings tell the story of how that show was put on the road." (The paintings are now at the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center and Museum in Fremont, OH, an organization that Rakeman was closely associated with.)

1980: The song “Cadillac Ranch” by Bruce Springsteen was released on his album The River.

1988: The song “Driving Home for Christmas” by Chris Rea was released on his album New Light Through Old Windows.

1989: The Loma Prieta Earthquake, 7.1 on the Richter scale, causes the double-decked Nimitz Freeway (I-880) in Oakland, California, to collapse, killing 42, and damages the Embarcadero Freeway, the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, and other roads in the Bay Area. The death toll is less than at first expected--although the earthquake occurred during evening rush hour, many residents had gone home early to watch the Oakland A's and the San Francisco Giants in the World Series.

2000: Limp Bizkit released their album Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water, which included the song “Rollin' (Urban Assault Vehicle).” Ludacris released his album Back for the First Time, which included the song “Southern Hospitality.”

2006: Former Administrator Mary E. Peters takes the oath of office as the 15th Secretary of Transportation. She becomes the third Secretary, after John A. Volpe (1969-1972) and Rodney E. Slater (1997-2001), who also served as FHWA Administrator. In an address, the new Secretary refers to DOT employees as "the soul of American Transportation Network" and promises to work with them "to tackle today's most pressing transportation challenges."

2006: The direct-to-video film Rest Stop was released.

2008: The Legendary Swagger released their album Sinners, Harlots & Hooligans, which included the song “Brand New Chevy.”

2018: The BMW X7 was unveiled.

On This Day in Automotive History: October 17