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November2007
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November Notables

The month of November is most often known for its Thanksgiving celebrations and veterans' commemorations. Even the Library of Congress celebrates an anniversary this month. Did you know, though, that the sport of car racing also marks a milestone this month?

Lippincott's [for] November. 1895. REO Mountaineer, New York to San Francisco and back. Ca. 1900.

At 8:55 a.m. on Nov. 28, 1895, six "motocycles" left Chicago's Jackson Park for a 54-mile race to Evanston, Ill., and back through the snow. Number 5, piloted by inventor J. Frank Duryea, won the race in just over 10 hours at an average speed of about 7.3 miles per hour. He took home winnings of $2,000. One could say that these early races begat automobile evolution. The Stanley twins built a steam-powered vehicle in 1897, and it achieved fame when brother F. E. Stanley did a mile in 2:11 on a dirt track with a 30-degree incline. When the Stanley's brought their 150 horsepower "T. E. (Thoroughly Educated) Wogglebug" to the 1906 winter races at Ormond Beach, Fla., driver Fred Marriott clocked 127.66 mph, becoming the first to move faster than two miles per minute. In 1911 the Indianapolis 500 was born. This famous race fostered the development of innovations such as the rear view mirror. Searching for the terms "automobile," "car" and "automobile racing" in American Memory will result in a wide variety of images relating to the sport and industry, including the presentations "Touring Tour-of-the-Century America" and "History of the American West.

To discover other notable events that occurred in November, visit the Today in History site, which is presented as part of the Library's American Memory collections. You can search for specific key words, by month and even a specific day of the year.


A. Lippincott's [for] November. 1895. Prints and Photographs Division. Reproduction Information: Reproduction No.: LC-USZC2-433 (color film copy slide); Call No.: POS - US .C376, no. 12 (B size) [P&P]

B. REO Mountaineer, New York to San Francisco and back. Ca. 1900. Prints and Photographs Division. Reproduction Information: Reproduction No.: LC-D4-60046 DLC (b&w glass neg.); Call No.: LC-D4-60046