2014 Event Chinese auto manufacturer FAW Group begins taking orders for its luxury Red Flag L5 custom-made auto; the vehicle is priced similarly to a Ferrari at approximately $803,000 2013 Event Within days of its launch, the 'Grand Theft Auto V' videogame reaches sales of $1billion, becoming the fastest single entertainment product ever to achieve these sales 2013 Event The fifth installment of the 'Grand Theft Auto' videogame series is released by Rockstar Games, netting $800 million on the day it is launched 2011 Event Canadian Auto Workers vote in favor of striking against Caterpillar Inc's locomotive manufacturing plant in London, Ontario 1996 Death Seymour Cray, computer designer, dies in auto accident at 71 1994 Event 30 die in 3 fatal auto accidents in Texas 1994 Death Simon Prior, British auto maker, dies of injuries 1993 Death Oksana Kostina, Russian gymnast, dies in an auto accident 1992 Death Earl Scheib, CEO (Earl Scheib Auto Paint), dies at 85 1990 Death Muntu Myeza, South Africa anti-apartheid activist, dies in auto at 39 1988 Death Carl Hubbell, pitcher for the New York Giants-253 wins, 2.97 lifetime ERA, dies in an auto accident 1988 Death Trindad Silva, actor (Hill St. Blues), dies at 38 in an auto accident 1988 Death Trinidad Silva, killed in auto accident at 38 1988 Death Adrian Adonis, Keith Franke, WWF wrestler, killed in auto accident 1987 Event Alain Prost wins record 28th Formula one auto race 1985 Death Kirby Grant, actor/singer (Sky King), dies in an auto accident at 74 1984 Event L.A. federal jury acquits auto maker John DeLorean on cocaine charges 1982 Death Gilles Villeneuve, Canadian auto racer, dies in an accident 1980 Event World's longest auto tunnel, St. Gotthard in Swiss Alps, opens 1979 Death Hubert van Doorne, auto manufacturer (DAF), dies at 79 1978 Event Auto with liquid gas crashes and explodes in Spain, 160 killed 1978 Death Wim van Doorne, Dutch auto manufacturer (DAF), dies at 71 1977 Event General Motors introduces 1st U.S. diesel auto (Oldsmobile 88) 1973 Event Insurance industry announces auto racers get into more highway accidents 1972 Event Emerson Fittipaldi is youngest to win an auto race World Championship 1971 Death Georg von Opel, German auto manufacturer, dies at 59 1970 Event Gary Gabelich sets auto speed record 622.4 mph (1,001 kph) 1969 Death Lucien Bianchi, Belgian auto racer, dies at 34 1967 Death Theo Marcuse, actor (Mara of Wilderness), dies in auto accident at 47 1966 Death Jean Peugeot, French auto manufacturer, dies 1964 Event Craig Breedlove sets auto speed record of 846.97 kph 1963 Event Craig Breedlove sets world auto speed record at 407.45 MPH 1962 Birthday Michael Andretti, Indy-car racer/Auto Hall of Fame, elected 1986 1962 Death Ernie Kovacs, comedian (Ernie Kovacs Show), killed in auto crash at 42 1960 Death Albert Camus, French author (Stranger), dies in an auto accident at 46 1959 Death Rosetta Duncan, (Duncan Sisters), dies in an auto accident at 58 1959 Event 1st phone call between auto and plane 1959 Death Hinsdale Smith, developer of roll-down auto windows, dies at 88 1959 Event 1st Daytona 500 auto race-Lee Petty wins (135.521 MPH) 1959 Birthday Brett Bodine, born in Chemung, New York, auto racer, former NASCAR Winston Cup driver, current Sprint Cup, pace car driver, employed as Director of Cost and Research by NASCAR 1958 Death Charles F Kettering, invented auto self-starter, dies at 82 1958 Death Julia Lennon, mother of Beatle John, dies in an auto accident 1958 Event 1st showing of DAF 600 auto 1957 Event Juan-Manuel Fangio, wins his last auto World Championship at 46 1956 Death Jackson Pollock, abstract artist, dies in auto accident (East Hampton) 1955 Birthday Bill Elliott, auto racer, Daytona-1978 1955 Event U.S. Auto Club forms to oversee 4 major auto reacing categories 1955 Event Automobile Association of America ends support of auto racing 1952 Birthday Nelson Piquet, auto racer, 3-time Formula One champ, 1981, '83, '87 1951 Event British auto manufacturers Austin/Moris Motors merge 1951 Birthday Dale Earnhardt, auto racer, 7-time NASCAR national champion 1950 Event Doorne's Auto factory opens in Netherlands 1950 Birthday Jody Schecter, South African auto maker, World Driver's 1979 1950 Event Preston Tucker, auto maker, found not guilty of mail fraud 1950 Birthday Gilles Villeneuve, Canadian auto racer 1949 Event Detroit Tiger pitcher Art Houtteman is critically injured in an auto accident but recovers to win 15 games in 1949 1949 Birthday Nikki Lauda, Austria, formula 1 auto racer, world champ 1975, 77, 84 1949 Event Golfing champ Ben Hogan seriously injured in an auto accident 1948 Birthday Tom Sneva, U.S. auto racer, Indianapolis 500-1983 1948 Death Walter P Reuther, President (United Auto Workers), shot at his home 1947 Event John Cobb sets world auto speed record at 394.2 MPH 1946 Birthday Alan Jones, Australia, auto racer, 1980 World Champion 1946 Death Eduard Veterman, Dutch painter/playwright, dies in an auto accident 1945 Event Rationg of auto tires ends in US 1945 Birthday Jacques Ickx, Belgium, Le Mans auto race, 6-time winner 1943 Birthday Helmut Marko, auto racer, Le Mans Grand Prix 1942 Event U.S. auto factories switch from commercial to war production 1942 Event Henry Ford patents a method of constructing plastic auto bodies 1940 Death Edmund Rumpler, Austria auto/airplane builder, dies 1940 Event Nazi's forbid non-professional auto workers 1939 Birthday David Hobbs, born in Royal Leamington Spa, England, auto racer, commentator for Speed, raced in the 24 Hours of Le Mans twenty times 1939 Birthday Al Unser, auto racer, Indianapolis 500-1970, 71 1939 Birthday Cale Yarborough, auto racer, Daytona 500-1968, 77, 83, 84 1939 Birthday Peter Revson, auto racer, 1971 Indianapolis pole winner 1938 Birthday Thomas Black, English industrial/auto collector 1938 Event George E T Eyston sets world auto speed record at 357.5 MPH 1938 Event John Cobb sets world auto speed record at 350.2 MPH (lasts 1 day) 1938 Birthday Johnny Rutherford, auto racer, 26 championship races 1938 Birthday Johnny Rutherford, auto racer 1937 Birthday Bobby Allison, auto racer, 3 time winner of Daytona 500 1937 Event Prince Bernhard injured in auto accident in Netherlands 1937 Event George E T Eyston sets world auto speed record at 345.49 MPH 1937 Birthday Richard Petty, auto race driver, Daytona 500-1979,81 1937 Birthday Mark Donohue, auto racer, 1972 Indianapolis 500 1937 Birthday Roger Penske, born in Shaker Heights, Ohio, owner, Penske Racing, auto racing team, the Penske Corporation, corporate director, General Electric 1936 Event United Auto Workers stage 1st sit-down strike, at Fisher Body Plant 1935 Birthday Tony Bramall, England, auto dealer/multi-millionaire, Harrogate 1935 Event 1st U.S. airplane flight with auto slung beneath fuselage, New York 1935 Birthday A J Foyt, Houston, auto race driver, Indy 500 1961, 64, 67, 77 1934 Birthday Barry Briggs, New Zealand auto maker, World Champion 1957, 58, 64, 66 1934 Birthday Lucien Bianchi, Belgian auto racer 1934 Birthday Bobby Unser, auto racer, 1968, 75, 81 Indianapolis 500 1934 Event 1st high school auto driving course offered (State College, Penn) 1932 Birthday Ned Jarrett, auto racer/announcer, 50 Grand National victories 1929 Birthday Owen Bieber, United Auto Workers president 1929 Event 1st manned rocket plane flight (by auto maker Fritz von Opel) 1929 Event General Motors acquires German auto manufacturer Adam Opel 1929 Birthday Graham Hill, London, auto racer, 1962, 68 international racing champ 1928 Birthday Jim McElreath, auto racer, 1970 Ontario 500 1927 Event NY-New Jersey Holland Tunnel, 1st twin-tube underwater auto tunnel, opens 1927 Birthday Betsy Ancker-Johnson, physicist and auto company executive 1927 Birthday Bill Rexford, auto racer 1926 Birthday Hans Liebold, Germany, auto racer, Nardo, Italy 1926 Death Emile Coue, French pharmacist (recovery by auto suggestion), dies 1926 Birthday Arthur Arfons, auto racer/designer, Green Monster 1964-536.71 MPH 1924 Birthday Olivier Gendebien, Belgian auto racer 1924 Event Malcolm Campbell sets world auto speed record at 146.16 MPH 1922 Event Dutch auto/airplane manufacturer Trompenburg declares bankruptcy 1922 Birthday Diarmuid Downs, auto engineer 1921 Birthday Jean Behra, auto racer 1915 Event Gil Anderson races auto (165.1 km record) in Sheepshead Bay, New York 1914 Event Charlie Chaplin debuts "The Tramp" in "Kid Auto Races at Venice" 1913 Event Bkln Dodger Jake Daubert earns a new Chalmers auto as NL MVP 1913 Event Louis Perlman patents demountable auto tire-carrying wheel rim 1913 Event 1st sedan-type car (Hudson) goes on display at 13th Auto Show (New York City) 1912 Birthday Georg von Opel, German auto manufacturer 1911 Event Ty Cobb (AL) and Frank Schulte (NL) are 1st MVPs, each gets an auto 1911 Event 1st Indianapolis 500 auto race is run 1910 Event Neon lights, 1st publically seen (Paris Auto Show) 1910 Death Daniel Kinet, auto racer/1st Belgian flyer, dies 1910 Event Chalmers Auto Co offers a new car to each leagues' batting champ 1910 Event 1st race at Los Angeles Motordrome (1st U.S. auto speedway) 1909 Birthday Bernd Rosemeyer, German auto racer, Indy 500 1908 Event New York to Paris auto race (via Alaska and Siberia) begins in New York City George Schuster wins after 88 days behind the wheel 1907 Event Prince Scipone Borchesi wins Beijing to Paris, 7,500 mile auto rally 1905 Event 1st auto to exceed 100 mph (161 kph), A G MacDonald, Daytona Beach 1904 Event 1st Vanderbilt Cup auto race (Hicksville, Long Island, New York) 1904 Event Camille Jenatzy sets world auto speed record at 65.79 MPH 1903 Event 1st transcontinental auto trip begins in San Francisco; arrives New York 3-months later 1901 Event New York becomes 1st state requiring auto license plates ($1 fee) 1900 Event 1st-ever U.S. auto show opens in Madison Square Garden in New York City 1900 Birthday Hubert van Doorne, Dutch auto manufacturer, DAF 1899 Death Henry Bliss, 1st auto death (New York City) 1899 Event 1st auto repair shop opens (Boston) 1898 Event 1st auto insurance policy in U.S. issued, by Travelers Insurance Co 1897 Event Automobile Club of Great Britain established (now: Royal Auto Club) 1896 Event 25th auto built in US 1896 Event 1st closed-circuit auto race, at Cranston, RI 1896 Birthday Jean Peugeot, Frans auto manufacturer, Peugeot 1896 Event 1st auto (Benz) to arrive in Netherlands 1896 Event 1st auto in Detroit, Charles B King rides his "Horseless Carriage" 1895 Event America's 1st auto race starts; 6 cars, 55 miles, winner avg 7 MPH 1895 Event 1st U.S. patent granted for auto, George B. Selden 1895 Event 1st auto manufacturer opens-Duryea Motor Wagon Company 1895 Event Emile Levassor wins 1st Paris-Bordeaux-Paris auto race (24 kph) 1894 Event Karl Benz of Germany receives U.S. patent for gasoline-driven auto 1893 Event 1st auto built in U.S. (by Duryea brothers) runs in Springfield 1892 Event Charles Duryea takes 1st American-made auto out for a spin (Mass) 1891 Death Nicholaus Otto, auto pioneer (internal combustion engine), dies 1886 Event Karl Benz patents 1st auto with burning motor 1885 Birthday Malcolm Campbell, 1st auto racer to travel 5 miles/min, 8 km/min 1878 Birthday Andre-Gustave Citroen, France, auto maker 1877 Birthday Charles Stewart Rolls, British auto manufacturer, Rolls-Royce Ltd 1876 Birthday Charles F Kettering, Ohio, inventor, auto self-starter 1872 Birthday Edmund Rumpler, Austria, auto/airplane builder 1869 Birthday J Frank Duryea, inventor, 1st auto built and operated in U.S. 1864 Birthday Ransom Eli Olds, auto, Oldsmobile, and truck, REO, manufacturer 1863 Birthday Henry Ford, Dearborn Township, Michigan, auto maker, Ford 1861 Birthday Charles Edgar Duryea, inventor, 1st auto built and operated in U.S. 1857 Birthday Elwood Haynes, auto pioneer, built one of 1st U.S. autos 1857 Birthday Emile Coue, French pharmacist, recovery by auto suggestion 1844 Birthday Karl F Benz, German designer/auto manufacturer, 4-taktmotor
