It’s 1909. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway track is being built with over 3 million bricks, Detroit Tiger Ty Cobb hits 2 inside the park home runs in the same game, the Wright Brothers form a corporation to manufacture aeroplanes, British explorer Ernest Shackleton claims the South Pole, Admiral Peary is embroiled in controversy over the North Pole, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is formed, William Howard Taft is the first motoring president, gasoline is 12¢ a gallon, the first subway car with side doors goes in service in New York City, Jack Johnson defeats Tommy Burns for the heavyweight boxing title, Gustav Mahler conducts the New York Philharmonic, the first U.S. aeroplane is commercially sold by Glenn Curtiss for $5,000, the Naval base at Pearl Harbor is under construction, British Royal Mail steamship Republic was the recipient of the first radio rescue at sea when it was rammed amidships by the Italian Lloyd SS Florida and Marconi wireless operator on the Republic, Jack Binns, sent out the CDQ distress call, bread is 15¢ a loaf, the first rugby match is held in Twickenham and Pool and Lassiter are selling tobacco at their Center Brick Warehouse in Smithfield. Photo courtesy of the North Carolina Collection Photographic Archives, Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Originally submitted in 2009 by Carter Rabil.
