July 29

1870: America's first asphalt pavement was laid in Newark, N.J. 1909: Georges Legagneux made the first airplane flight in Sweden in his Voisin biplane. 1914: The first transcontinental telephone service was inaugurated when two people held a conversation between New York, NY and San Francisco, CA. 1914: Baron Marcel Bich, who built his business empire by creating throwaway Bic pens, razors and lighters, was born. 1920: The first transcontinental airmail flight relay from New York to San Francisco took place. 1927: The first iron lung (electric respirator) was installed at Bellevue hospital in NY for the post war polio epidemic. 1938: Comic strip "Dennis the Menace," first appeared. 1952: The first transpacific non-stop flight by jet occurred with a SAC RB-45C. 1958: The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) was authorized by the U.S. Congress. 1979: Pioneer 11 flew past Saturn and returned pictures revealing the unknown F ring. 1982: Vladimir Zworykin, inventor of the iconoscope and known as "the father of television," died.