Born on January 29
Birth of the Automobile
Three wheels, one engine, a new world.
Next: January 29, 2027
Where it comes from
On 29 January 1886, in Mannheim, Germany, Carl Benz applied for a patent for his 'vehicle powered by a gas engine', and this Story marks the anniversary. Patent number 37435 is often called the birth certificate of the automobile.
How it's celebrated
There is no organised observance, but it is a good day to look at an old car with fresh eyes, visit a transport museum, or thank the person who taught you to drive. Families can trace together how far the car has come in a little over a century.
Did you know
In August 1888 his wife, Bertha Benz, took the car without telling him and drove with their sons Eugen and Richard from Mannheim to her birthplace, Pforzheim: about 180 kilometres there and back, the first long-distance journey by car.
Read the full story of Birth of the Automobile
Star sign
Aquarius · January 20 – February 18 · Air sign
Original and independent, a little ahead of their time.