2014 Event The Midwest experiences life threateningly low temperatures and forces over 2,500 flight cancellations; the tunnel of arctic air called the "polar vortex" should head eastward during the week 2014 Event Record-low temperatures are expected in the U.S. due to a 'polar vortex'; forecasters anticipate this tunnel of cold air funneling all the way from the North Pole to the U.S. could bring temperatures as low as 15 degrees in Chicago and 25 below zero in Fargo, North Dakota 2013 Event A railway under the sea, first proposed by Ottoman Sultan Abdulmejid 150 years ago is completed; the sea tunnel, connecting Europe and Asia is the deepest submerged railway tunnel of its kind in the world 2010 Event Tibet's Galongla Tunnel, built at an altitude of 3,750 meters, is completed, linking Medog county to the outside world 2010 Event A sophisticated tunnel used by drug smugglers between Tijuana, Mexico and Otay Mesa, California, is discovered by U.S. Border Patrol 2010 Event In the Swiss Alps, final breakthrough occurs on the east bore of the Gotthard Base Tunnel, now the world's longest railway tunnel 2001 Event Eleven die after two trucks collide, head on, in a mountain tunnel in Switzerland 1996 Death Whit Bissell, actor (Time Tunnel), dies at 86 1994 Event 1st trains for public run in English Channel Tunnel 1993 Event Train crash in tunnel at Vega de Anzo Spain, 12 killed 1990 Event British and French workers meet in English Channel's tunnel (Chunnel) 1990 Event Panic in tunnel of Mecca, 1,426 pilgrims trampled to death 1990 Death Gary Merrill, actor (Time Tunnel, Huckleberry Finn), dies at 75 1988 Event Bruce Springsteen "Tunnel of Love Tour," begins in Worcester Mass 1987 Event Bruce Springsteen releases his 9th album "Tunnel of Love" 1986 Event Chunnel announced (railroad tunnel under Canal) 1983 Event World's longest subaqueous tunnel (53.90 km) opens, Honshu-Hokkaid 1982 Event Fire in Salung tunnel, Afghanistan, 1,000+ Russians die 1980 Event World's longest auto tunnel, St. Gotthard in Swiss Alps, opens 1979 Event 22.2-km Oshimizu railroad tunnel holed through, central Honshu, Japan 1975 Event 5 drown in flash flood of sewer and water tunnel (Niagara Falls New York) 1975 Death William F Jenkins, author (Time Tunnel, Land of Giants), dies at 78 1973 Event U.S.S.R.-West Germany gas tunnel opens 1973 Event Eisenhower Tunnel, world's highest/U.S. longest, opens 1972 Event Rock fall inside Vierzy Tunnel (France) causes 2 train crash; 107 die 1968 Event Queen Juliana opens IJ tunnel in Amsterdam 1966 Event Queen Juliana opens Coen tunnel in Amsterdam 1965 Event Mount Blanc Road tunnel between France and Italy opens 1964 Event France and Great Britain sign accord over building channel tunnel 1963 Event England's Dartford-Purfleet tunnel under Thames opens 1962 Event French and Italian workers break through at Mount Blanc Vehicular Tunnel 1962 Event St. Bernard Tunnel finished, Swiss and Italian workers shake hands 1957 Birthday John Webster, rocker, Red Ryder-Light in the Tunnel 1955 Event Minas Gerais Argentina tunnel caves in; 30 die 1952 Event Broadway Tunnel opens in SF 1950 Event Bkln-Battery Tunnel opens in New York City 1944 Event Train crashes in tunnel of Aguadilla Spain; about 500 die 1944 Event Fumes from locomotive stalled in a tunnel suffocates 521 in Italy 1942 Event Rotterdam's Maas tunnel opens 1941 Event 1,000,000th vehicle traverses the New York Midtown Tunnel 1940 Event New York Midtown tunnel linking Manhattan and Queens opens to traffic 1937 Event Lincoln Tunnel, in New York City, opens to traffic 1936 Birthday James Darren, actor, Time Tunnel 1935 Birthday Lee Meriwether, born in Los Angeles, California, Miss America, Time Tunnel, Barnaby Jones 1931 Event 1st full scale wind tunnel for testing airplanes, Langley Field, Virginia 1930 Event 1st vehicular tunnel to a foreign country, Detroit - Windsor, opens 1929 Event 1st high-speed jet wind tunnel completed Langley Field Ca 1927 Event NY-New Jersey Holland Tunnel, 1st twin-tube underwater auto tunnel, opens 1927 Event 1st underwater tunnel, Holland Tunnel connecting New York to New Jersey opens 1925 Birthday Leo Esaki, Esaki Reona, Japan, physicist, Tunnel effect-Nobel 1973 1920 Event Construction begins on Holland Tunnel connecting New Jersey and New York City 1920 Event Belgian-Luxembourg toll tunnel opens 1918 Event Twin Peaks Tunnel longest (11,920') streetcar tunnel begins service 1914 Event Stockton Street Tunnel (SF) completed 1912 Event Woolwich Tunnel under Thames opens 1911 Event Lotschberg tunnel in Switzerland (13,735 m) completed 1909 Birthday Whit Bissel, New York City, actor, Time Machine, General Kirk-Time Tunnel 1908 Event 1st tunnel under Hudson River (railway tunnel) opens 1907 Birthday Helen Vinson, born in Texas, actress, Transatlantic Tunnel, In Name Only 1906 Event 1st freight delivery tunnel system begins, underneath Chicago 1906 Event Italian King Victor Emmanuel and Swiss president open Simplon tunnel 1906 Event Switzerland's Simpion Tunnel open to rail traffic 1905 Event Simplon tunnel in Switzerland completed 1903 Event 6 km long Engadin-railroad tunnel of Switzerland inaugurated 1900 Event World's longest railroad tunnel (Simplon) links Italy and Switzerland, opens 1900 Event Premature blast collapses mine tunnel killing 200 at Scofield, Utah 1899 Event Ill Tel and Tel granted franchise for Chicago freight tunnel system 1896 Birthday William Fitzgerald Jenkins, author, Time Tunnel, Land of Giants 1884 Event 6.2 mile Arlberg railroad tunnel completed in Austria 1882 Event St. Gotthard-railroad tunnel between Switzerland and Italy opens 1880 Event Compressed air accident kills 20 workers on Hudson River tunnel, New York 1880 Event Gotthard railway tunnel between Switzerland and Italy completed 1871 Event Mont Cenis railway tunnel Switzerland opens 1867 Event Queen Victoria and Napoleon III turn down plans for a channel tunnel 1866 Event Chicago water supply tunnel 3,227 m into Lake Michigan completed 1866 Event Work begins on 1st U.S. underwater highway tunnel, Chicago 1842 Event Rotherhithe Thames Tunnel opens 1834 Event 1st railroad tunnel in U.S. completed, in Pennsylvania (275 m long) 1713 Death Thomas Tompion, English clock maker (cylinder tunnel), dies
