Talk about an astonishing pace!
Seven miles per hour–first place!
Fifty miles to run
In eight hours it won
My, that motorized wagon could race!

Event: The Chicago-Times Herald race, considered the first American automobile race
Year: 1895
Learn more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_Times-Herald_race

“See, controlling a man’s speech and prayer
Can’t you tell that it’s really not fair?”
“Oh, my world, she is rocked!”
“Sacré bleu! I am shocked!”
“Now you know why they call me Voltaire”

Event: Birth of François-Marie Arouet (better known as Voltaire)
Year: 1694
Learn more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voltaire

Now the captain had started to flip
Hearing of this unorthodox trip
“I don’t sail on your plane!
I don’t bike on your train!
Why on earth would you fly off my ship?”

Event: Eugene Ely performs the first successful takeoff from a ship
Year: 1910
Learn more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugene_Ely

In the wind, she would flutter a ton
Some may even have thought it looked fun
But poor Galloping Gertie
Never made it to thirty
Nor twenty, nor fifteen, nor one

Event: The first Tacoma Narrows Bridge (nicknamed Galloping Gertie) collapses
Year: 1940
Learn more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galloping_Gertie