Exquisita & magno aliquot mensium periculo lustrata et iam retecta Freti Magellanici facies

Today in History: Straits of Magellan

Today in History–November 28–the Library of Congress features the Straits of Magellan. On this day in 1520, three ships under the command of Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan sailed into the “Sea of the South”. The fleet reached the island of Guam just four months later thanks to a remarkably smooth voyage that led the explorers to…

Today in History: First American Automobile Race

Today in History: First American Automobile Race

Today in History–November 28–the Library of Congress features the first American automobile race, run on this day in 1895. Inventor J. Frank Duryea, battled snow and breakdowns to win the 54-mile race from Chicago’s Jackson Park to Evanston, Illinois in just over 10 hours. Learn more about early automobiles and the sport of auto racing by visiting…