Skip to main content

1939

San Jacinto Monument
Society: ASCE Main Category: Civil Sub Category: Buildings Era: 1930-1939 DateCreated: 1939 Ship Channel Houston State: TX Zip: 77571 Country: USA Website: http://www.asce.org/Project/San-Jacinto-Monument/ Creator: Finn, Alfred, Cummins, Robert

The San Jacinto Monument commemorates the decisive 1836 battle near the banks of the Buffalo Bayou and the San Jacinto River that allowed Texas to win independence from Mexico. It is the world's tallest monument, rising 15 feet higher than the Washington Monument.

In 1936, Daughters and Sons of the Republic of Texas led lobbying efforts to allocate funds for a monument that would mark the importance of the Battle of San Jacinto. Ground was broken on April 21, 1936 - 100 years to the day after the victorious battle.

YearAdded:
1992
Image Credit: Courtesy Flickr/Diveofficer (CC BY 2.0) Image Caption: San Jacinto Monument Era_date_from: 1939
Society: AIAA Main Category: Aerospace & Aviation Sub Category: Research Era: 1930-1939 DateCreated: 1939 Moffett Field Mountain View State: CA Zip: 94035 Country: USA Website: http://intranet.aiaa.org/industryresources/PDF/AmesFinalPR.pdf Creator: National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics

Established in 1939 by the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), and named after NACA’s first chairman, Joseph S. Ames, the center has been at the forefront of American, and worldwide, aeronautics research.

YearAdded:
2009
Image Credit: Public Domain (NASA) Image Caption: NASA Ames Research Center Era_date_from: 1939
Dunlap's Creek Bridge
Society: ASCE Main Category: Civil Sub Category: Bridges Era: 1930-1939 DateCreated: 1939 Dunlap's Creek Brownsville State: PA Zip: 15417 Country: USA Website: http://www.asce.org/Project/Dunlap-s-Creek-Bridge/ Creator: Delafield, Richard , U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Not only was Dunlap's Creek Bridge the first cast-iron bridge in America, it was the first metal bridge anywhere to use what its builder, Capt. Richard Delafield, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, described as "standardized, interchangeable, manufactured parts." The bridge was built as part of the federal government's effort to make repairs on the National Road  before handing authority over to the states. Dunlap's Creek at Brownsville was an especially troublesome crossing, having destroyed three previous bridges since 1801.

YearAdded:
1978
Image Credit: Public Domain (National Park Service) Image Caption: Dunlap's Creek Bridge Era_date_from: 1939
Society: ASME Main Category: Mechanical Sub Category: Research and Development Era: 1930-1939 DateCreated: 1939 Taylor Blvd
B
Bethesda State: MD Zip: 20817 Country: USA Website: http://www.asme.org/about-asme/history/landmarks/topics-m-z/research-and-development/-197-david-taylor-model-basin-%281939%29 Creator: Taylor, David
The David Taylor Model Basin is among the largest facilities of its kind in the world, containing a shallow water basin, a deep water basin and a high-speed basin. Using its sophisticated combination of towing carriages, wave makers, and measuring equipment, engineers are able to determine the sea-keeping qualities and propulsion characteristics of ship and craft models up to 40 feet in length. Since it became operational, the facility has provided key support in the development of naval architecture for the Navy, the Coast Guard, the Maritime Administration, and the maritime industry.
YearAdded:
1998
Image Credit: Public Domain (United States Navy) Image Caption: David Taylor Model Basin Era_date_from: 1939
Atanasoff-Berry Computer
Society: IEEE Main Category: Consumer Electronics Sub Category: Computers and Information Processing Era: 1930-1939 DateCreated: 1939 Ames State: IA Zip: Country: USA Website: http://www.ieeeghn.org/wiki/index.php/Milestones:Atanasoff-Berry_Computer,_1939 Creator: Atanasoff, Vincent John, Berry, Clifford E.

John Vincent Atanasoff conceived basic design principles for the first electronic-digital computer in the winter of 1937 and, assisted by his graduate student, Clifford E. Berry, constructed a prototype here in October 1939. It used binary numbers, direct logic for calculation, and a regenerative memory. It embodied concepts that would be central to the future development of computers.

YearAdded:
1990
Image Credit: Courtesy Flickr/Joe Wolf (CC BY-ND 2.0) Image Caption: Atanasoff-Berry Computer Era_date_from: 1939
First practical US helicopter, pioneering the single-main-rotor concept
Society: ASME Main Category: Mechanical Sub Category: Air and Space Transportation Era: 1930-1939 DateCreated: 1939 Henry Ford Museum Dearborn State: MI Zip: 48214 Country: USA Website: http://www.asme.org/about-asme/history/landmarks/topics-a-l/air-and-space-transportation/-95-sikorsky-vs-300-helicopter-%281939%29, https://www.asme.org/getmedia/b997b811-c5c4-44e3-87d3-239bda559734/95-Sikorsky-VS-300-Helicopter.aspx Creator: Sikorsky, Igor I.

America's first practical helicopter, it pioneered the single main rotor concept that became the predominant helicopter configuration throughout the world. The principles that were developed and demonstrated by the VS-300 had direct application in the design of the early mass-production helicopter, marking the beginning of the world's rotorcraft industry.

The initial flight of the VS-300 was piloted by its designer, Igor I. Sikorsky (1889-1972), on September 14, 1939, in Stratford, Connecticut.

YearAdded:
1984
Image Credit: Courtesy ASME Image Caption: Sikorsky VS-300 Helicopter Era_date_from: 1939
Subscribe to 1939
First practical US helicopter, pioneering the single-main-rotor concept

America's first practical helicopter, it pioneered the single main rotor concept that became the predominant helicopter configuration throughout the world. The principles that were developed and demonstrated by the VS-300 had direct application in the design of the early mass-production…

Read More
Atanasoff-Berry Computer

John Vincent Atanasoff conceived basic design principles for the first electronic-digital computer in the winter of 1937 and, assisted by his graduate student, Clifford E. Berry, constructed a prototype here in October 1939. It used binary numbers, direct logic for calculation, and a…

Read More
The David Taylor Model Basin is among the largest facilities of its kind in the world, containing a shallow water basin, a deep water basin and a high-speed basin. Using its sophisticated combination of towing carriages, wave makers, and measuring equipment, engineers are able to determine the sea-… Read More
Dunlap's Creek Bridge

Not only was Dunlap's Creek Bridge the first cast-iron bridge in America, it was the first metal bridge anywhere to use what its builder, Capt. Richard Delafield, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, described as "standardized, interchangeable, manufactured parts." The bridge was built as part…

Read More

Established in 1939 by the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), and named after NACA’s first chairman, Joseph S. Ames, the center has been at the forefront of American, and worldwide, aeronautics research. From its earliest days, the center has made noteworthy contributions to the…

Read More
San Jacinto Monument

The San Jacinto Monument commemorates the decisive 1836 battle near the banks of the Buffalo Bayou and the San Jacinto River that allowed Texas to win independence from Mexico. It is the world's tallest monument, rising 15 feet higher than the Washington Monument.

In 1936, Daughters and…

Read More

We hope you enjoyed this essay.

Please support this 70-year tradition of trusted historical writing and the volunteers that sustain it with a donation to American Heritage.

Donate

Stay informed - subscribe to our newsletter.
The subscriber's email address.