On this day in…
1883
141 years ago
A rumor that the Brooklyn Bridge, New York, US was going to collapse caused a stampede that killed 12 Read more…
1896
128 years ago
The first motor car accident occurred in New York City Read more…
1896
128 years ago
Cosmopolitan magazine organised a 104 mile race from Manhattan to Irvington-on-Hudson, New York, and back, with a grand prize of $3,000 Read more…
1897
127 years ago
The first Winton, the first American-built automobile was publicly demonstrated with a one mile test run in Cleveland, Ohio, US Read more…
1897
127 years ago
Barney Oldfield driving the Ford 999 at the Empire City Track in New York City, defeated Charles Wridgway in a 40 hp Peerless, in the process becoming the first US citizen to hit 60 mph and breaking the record set just hours earlier by F E Stanley Read more…
1897
127 years ago
The first of the streamlined Stanley ‘Wogglebug’ racers made its debut at the Readville Track near Boston, Massachusetts, US Read more…
1897
127 years ago
The Erie & Sturgis gasoline carriage designed and built by James Philip Erie and Samuel D Sturgis was given its first test drive in Los Angeles, California Read more…
1903
121 years ago
The first American motorcycle hill climb was held at Riverdale in New York state Read more…
1908
116 years ago
A Great Chadwick Six driven by Willi Haupt became the first supercharged car to win a speed hillclimb, when it broke the record at Giant’s Despair, Pennsylvania, covering the one mile climb in 1 minute 38 Read more…
1911
113 years ago
Ray Harroun won the inaugural Indianapolis 500, averaging 74 Read more…
1912
112 years ago
Ralph DePalma’s Mercedes broke its connecting rod after leading 196 laps Read more…
1913
111 years ago
French born Jules Goux driving a Peugeot L76 recorded a 13 minute, 8 second victory over second place Spencer Wishart in the Indianapolis 500 Read more…
1914
110 years ago
Sydney S Guy registered Guy Motors Limited Read more…
1914
110 years ago
France took its second consecutive Indianapolis 500 victory, this time with René Thomas Read more…
1916
108 years ago
The 6th International 300-Mile Sweepstakes Race was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Read more…
1919
105 years ago
Col Jesse G Vincent drove a Packard Twin Six as the pace car for the Indianapolis 500 – a special Packard with a 299-cid V-12 driven by Ralph DePalma finished 6th, the only time a V-12 engined car finished this race Read more…
1921
103 years ago
Indianapolis 500 was won by Tommy Milton Read more…
1922
102 years ago
Jimmy Murphy became the first driver to win the Indianapolis 500 from pole position Read more…
1923
101 years ago
Despite suffering loss of circulation and blistering in his hands due to shrinkage of his tight-fitting, ‘White Kid’ gloves, Tommy Milton became the first driver to win the Indianpolis 500 twice Read more…
1924
100 years ago
Lora Lawrence Corum started the Indianapolis 500 in the #15 entry, and was relieved during the race by Joe Boyer Read more…
1925
99 years ago
Ralph DePalma’s nephew, and former riding mechanic, Peter DePaolo won the Indy 500 Read more…
1927
97 years ago
Rookie George Souders won the Indianapolis 500 by eight laps, the largest margin since 1913 Read more…
1928
96 years ago
Jimmy Gleason had a good lead in the Indianapolis 500 when he stopped for water for the radiator on lap 195 Read more…
1929
95 years ago
Louis Meyer stalled on his final pitstop at the Indianapolis 500, handing the race to Ray Keech, who was killed in a racing crash just two weeks after the ‘500’ Read more…
1930
94 years ago
Billy Arnold took the lead on lap three at the Indianapolis 500 and was never headed again Read more…
1931
93 years ago
Indianapolis 500 1930 winner Billy Arnold was 5 laps ahead on lap 162 when his rear axle broke causing him to crash Read more…
1932
92 years ago
Fred Frame won the Indianapolis 500 from 27th starting position, and was the eighth different leader of the race, a record at the time Read more…
1933
91 years ago
The largest Indianapolis 500 field to date with 42 starters Read more…
1935
89 years ago
The newly introduced yellow ‘caution’ light, requiring drivers to slow and hold position, made its first appearance in the Indianapolis 500 race, to eventual race winner Kelly Petillo’s advantage as many of the late laps are disrupted by rain, neutralising Petillo’s race long battle with Rex Mays and Wilbur Shaw Read more…
1936
88 years ago
Louis Meyer becomes the first driver to win a third time at Indianapolis 500 Read more…
1938
86 years ago
Floyd Roberts driving the ill-fated Burd Piston Ring Special, dominated to win the Indianapolis 500 by three laps Read more…
1939
85 years ago
Defending Indianapolis 500 winner Floyd Roberts (39), driving the same car he drove into victory circle in 1938, died in a crash coming off the second turn onto the backstretch on lap 107 Read more…
1940
84 years ago
Wilbur Shaw sets up a commanding lead at Indianapolis 500 until rain bought out the caution for the last 50 laps and guided Shaw to his third victory, and the first by a driver in consecutive years Read more…
1941
83 years ago
Floyd Davis’ car was relieved by Mauri Rose, who went on to win the Indianapolis 500 Read more…
1946
78 years ago
Tony Hulman, the new Speedway President presided over his first Indianapolis 500 race, won by George Robson Read more…
1947
77 years ago
Bill Holland led 143 laps of the Indianapolis 500 before being overtaken by team mate Mauri Rose Read more…
1948
76 years ago
Veteran driver Paul Pappy outran 19-year-old rookie Fireball Roberts to win the 40-lap Modified championship race at Jacksonville Read more…
1949
75 years ago
After two years of failures to his teammate, Bill Holland finally won the Indianapolis 500 for himself, giving Lou Moore his third consecutive victory Read more…
1949
75 years ago
On the empty Ostend-Jabbeke motorway in Belgium, a prototype Jaguar XK120 timed by the officials of the Royal Automobile Club of Belgium achieved an average of runs in opposing directions of 132 Read more…
1950
74 years ago
Post-war petrol rationing had just come to an end in the UK and so, after a decade, motorists were finally able to use their cars as frequently as they liked should they be fortunate enough to possess one Read more…
1950
74 years ago
The fifth race of the 1950 NASCAR season was run at Canfield Speedway in Canfield, Ohio, US Read more…
1951
73 years ago
Lee Wallard in a Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser won the Indianapolis 500 Read more…
1952
72 years ago
Bill Vukovich led for 150 laps at the Indianapolis 500 until his steering pin broke and he crashed on lap 192 Read more…
1952
72 years ago
Herb Thomas, a 2013 NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee, drove a Fabulous Hudson Hornet to victory in the Poor Man’s 500 at Canfield (Ohio, US) Speedway Read more…
1953
71 years ago
The one-mile superspeedway in Raleigh, North Carolina, US, joined NASCAR and presented a Memorial Day 300-miler Read more…
1953
71 years ago
On the hottest day on record for the running of the Indianapolis 500, Bill Vukovich led for 195 laps and cruised to a win by nearly three laps over 1952 rookie of the year Art Cross Read more…
1955
69 years ago
After two wins and leading 485 laps out of a possible 656 (74%), Bill Vukovich (36) was killed on lap 57 of the Indy 500 after crashing out of the lead Read more…
1956
68 years ago
The AAA dropped out of sanctioning racing after the 1955 Vukovich crash at the Indianapolis 500 and public outcry that briefly followed, and the tragedy at Le Mans that same year Read more…
1957
67 years ago
After thirteen years of trying, Sam Hanks finally won the Indianapolis 500, and then, amidst tears, became the second winner, after Ray Harroun in 1911, to announce his retirement in victory lane Read more…
1958
66 years ago
Fireball Roberts drove his Chevrolet to a big win in the 500-mile NASCAR Grand National race at Trenton, New Jersey (US) Read more…
1958
66 years ago
A huge wreck in turn three on the opening lap of the Indianapolis 500 wiped out several cars, and driver Pat O’Connor was fatally injured Read more…
1959
65 years ago
A record sixteen cars finished the entire Indianapolis 500 miles as Rodger Ward held off Jim Rathmann for the win Read more…
1960
64 years ago
Defending Indianapolis 500 winner Rodger Ward took the lead from three-time runner up Jim Rathmann on lap 194 but slowed with tyre trouble and Rathmann retook the lead on lap 197 to win Read more…
1961
63 years ago
1962
62 years ago
A historic pole day at Indianpolis as Parnelli Jones broke the 150 mph barrier in qualifying Read more…
1963
61 years ago
Parnelli Jones won the Indianapolis 500 despite his car (nicknamed “Calhoun”) spewing oil from a broken tank for many laps Read more…
1964
60 years ago
A tragic day as fan favorite Eddie Sachs and rookie Dave MacDonald were killed in a fiery crash on lap 2 of the Indy 500 Read more…
1965
59 years ago
Paul Hawkins crashed into the harbour during the Monaco Grand Prix at Monte Carlo, which was won by Graham Hill driving a BRM P261 Read more…
1966
58 years ago
Jackie Stewart led the Indianapolis 500 by over a lap when his oil pressure dropped too low on lap 192 and his car stalled Read more…
1967
57 years ago
The Mazda 110S Cosmos, the world’s first two-rotor rotary engine production car, was officially launched with NSU rotors, beating even NSU’s own Ro 80 to market by 3.5 months Read more…
1967
57 years ago
The Indianapolis 500 was stopped on lap 19 due to rain and completed the next day (May 31) Read more…
1967
57 years ago
Robert “Evel” Knievel on his motorcycle jumped 16 automobiles Read more…
1968
56 years ago
On lap 174 of the Indianapolis 500 Lloyd Ruby’s engine misfired allowing Joe Leonard’s STP Lotus turbine into the lead Read more…
1970
54 years ago
Al Unser won his first Indianapolis 500 driving the Johnny Lightning Special Read more…
1975
49 years ago
Diamond Reo Trucks Inc was declared bankrupt Read more…
1976
48 years ago
Rain stopped the Indianapolis 500 on lap 102 Read more…
1976
48 years ago
The Monaco Grand Prix was contested over 78 laps of the 3 Read more…
1978
46 years ago
The 20,000,000th Oldsmobile was produced Read more…
1982
42 years ago
Gordon Johncock, who had previously won the rain-shortened 1973 race, was the winner of the Indy 500 Read more…
1986
38 years ago
A tour bus plunged into a river in California killing 21 Read more…
1993
31 years ago
Dale Earnhardt overcame three penalties, one for rough driving, to win the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, North Carolina (US) Read more…
1993
31 years ago
Emerson Fittipaldi won the 77th Indianapolis 500, after taking the lead with 16 laps to go, at an average speed of 157 Read more…
1997
27 years ago
Béla Barényi (90), the father of passive safety in automobiles, who developed the concept of the crumple zone, non-deformable passenger cell, collapsible steering column etc Read more…
1999
25 years ago
Both McLaren’s finally made it to the end of the Spanish Grand Prix with Mika Hakkinen winning from David Coulthard and Michael Schumacher third Read more…
1999
25 years ago
Kenny Brack won the 83rd running of the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, which marked the 90th Anniversary of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Read more…
1999
25 years ago
Nidia and Patricio Leal were killed when their Ford Explorer skidded into a ditch near Brownsville, Texas, US following the unraveling of a Firestone tire Read more…
2001
23 years ago
The European Commission fined Europe’s biggest carmaker Volkswagen 30 Read more…
2004
20 years ago
As Michael Schumacher won the European Grand Prix easily (the standard for 2004), Takuma Sato was providing all the excitement Read more…
2004
20 years ago
Buddy Rice won a rain-shortened 88th Indianapolis 500-Mile Race for team owners Bobby Rahal, the 1986 “500” winner, and late-night talk show host Dave Letterman, an Indianapolis native Read more…
2010
14 years ago
At the Turkish Grand Prix an epic four-way fight at the front between the two Red Bull and the two McLaren drivers ended in huge controversy Read more…
