Childrens Illustrated Encyclopedia

transportation, history of

529

AirplAnes

Today, millions of people depend on airplanes for both business and pleasure. But the golden age of

airplane development occurred only 90 years ago, when daring pilots took great risks in testing

airplanes and flying long distances. Jet-powered passenger airplanes appeared in the 1950s.

A supersonic airliner, Concorde, was in service from

1976 to 2003. At 1,550 mph (2,500 km/h), it

traveled faster than the speed of sound.

spAce TrAvel

not content with the sky, humans wanted to explore

space and distant planets as well. in 1957, the soviets

fired the first satellite, sputnik 1, into orbit (a path

round earth). in 1968, the United states sent the

first manned craft around the moon. Then, in 1969, astronaut

neil Armstrong became the first person to walk on the moon.

In the early days of flying,

airline companies used

colorful posters to encourage

people to fly with them.

BAlloons

long before airplanes were invented,

people flew in balloons—bags filled

with hot air or a lighter-than-air gas.

in 1783, the Montgolfier brothers of

France built the first balloon to lift

humans into the air. Balloons were

used by the French emperor

napoleon as flying lookout posts,

and later, balloons were used during

the civil War and World War i.

Today, ballooning is a popular sport.

Air TrAvel

in 1783, the Frenchmen

pilâtre de rozier and the

Marquis d’Arlandes made

the first human flight in

a hot-air balloon. Then,

in 1903, to everyone’s

amazement, brothers

orville and Wilbur

Wright built and flew the

first powered plane near

Kitty Hawk, north carolina.

Aircraft developed rapidly in

the two world wars that followed.

in 1918, the Us post office began

the first airmail service. Today, it is hard

to imagine a world without aircraft.

The Apollo II

spacecraft

Pollution-free transPortation

Many of today’s forms of powered transportation pollute the environment

because their engines send out dangerous gases. cars now use catalytic converters

and lead-free gasoline to reduce the amount of pollutants they release. electric

cars emit no gases, but may use electricity from power stations that do. The

transportation systems that cause the least pollution are those using natural

power, such as wind. on land, people can help preserve our planet by walking or

bicycling. ships are still the least polluting way of moving large loads a long way.

In-line skating Skateboarding Walking Bicycling

Find out more

Aircraft

cars

ships and boats

Trains

Technology

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