NATIONAL ODOMETER DAY

National Odometer Day on May 12th each year provides an opportunity to learn a little bit about the odometer.

An odometer is an instrument that indicates the distance traveled by a vehicle. It may be electronic, mechanical or a combination of both. The word odometer comes from the Greek words hodos meaning path or gateway and metron, meaning measure. In some countries, an odometer is called a mileometer, kilometer, or tripometer.

Odometers were first developed in the 1600s for wagons and other horse-drawn vehicles to measure distances traveled. Arthur P. and Charles H. Warner of Beloit, Wisconsin developed the first odometer for the automobile which appeared in 1903 and was patented as the Auto-Meter.

The brothers would also patent other items including a tachometer, paper making machine, electric brake, and power clutch. At one point their business, Stewart-Warner Speedometer corporation developed a thermometer for the motor. However, they faced a lawsuit for patent infringement which they ultimately lost.

Arthur Warner was one of the earliest pilots in America. His engineering curiosity led him to assemble and eventually fly a Curtiss Pusher airplane.

While technology has changed greatly since 1903, the odometer continues to track how far we have traveled. It also tells us how far we go in a single trip. Other gauges monitor fuel consumption and oil pressure, speed, and RPMs.

HOW TO OBSERVE #NationalOdometerDay

Whether your odometer is at 0 or 999,999, this day is for new and classic car enthusiasts, too. Use #NationalOdometerDay to post on social media.

NATIONAL ODOMETER DAY HISTORY

While National Day Calendar continues to research this technology related holiday, we’ll check the tires and look under the hood for more information to share.

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