On this day in 1902, Detroit recorded its first automobile fatality when businessman George W. Bissell was thrown from his horse-drawn carriage after it was startled by a speeding car, leading to his tragic death. In 1977, Mary Livingston from Manistique, Michigan, made history as one of the first women to become an Air Force pilot, marking a significant milestone for women in aviation.
TRANSCRIPT
The Clark Historical Library reports that on this day in 1902, Detroit logged its first automobile fatality. At about 9:00 A.M., eighty-one-year-old Detroit businessman George W. Bissell was guiding his horse-drawn carriage down Brooklyn Avenue when an automobile “scorched” by. The horses became frightened and jumped, causing one of the carriage’s wheels to fall off. Bissell was pitched forward, striking his head on the pavement and pronounced dead shortly after.
Also on this day in 1977, a Michigander became one of the first women air force pilots. According to US Air Force archives, Mary Livingston of Manistique in U.P., was among 10 women who pinned on as a pilot in a ceremony at Williams AF Base in Arizona.