1941 – Budapest Makes the 3:00 AM Switch to Right-Hand Traffic
At 3:00 a.m. on November 9, 1941, the streets of Hungary’s capital fell into the unfamiliar rhythm of right-side driving as Budapest and its environs completed a carefully timed conversion from left-hand traffic. The switch was the second phase of a nationwide change that had begun in the countryside on July 6 that year; the capital’s overnight flip required coordinated sign changes, police deployment and reorienting tram and bus operations across tight city arteries. For drivers, delivery services and public transit alike, that pre-dawn hour represented the end of a transitional choreography and the beginning of a new traffic pattern that redefined how Budapest’s streets were used from that moment onward.
1947 – Birth — John "Heinrocket" Heinricy
Born November 9, 1947, John Heinricy would become one of the most recognized test drivers and development engineers in American performance car circles — a hands-on Corvette man nicknamed “Heinrocket.” Over a long career at General Motors he combined engineering leadership with seat-of-the-pants testing, serving as Corvette development manager and turning testing duties into a public persona through racing stints and performance demonstrations. Heinricy’s blend of engineering knowledge and track experience made him a go-to figure when Corvette tuning and validation required the rigorous eye and daring that only an in-house test driver could supply.
1953 – Birth — David Leslie, British Touring Car Racer
David Leslie was born on November 9, 1953, in Annan, Dumfriesshire, and went on to become one of Britain’s most familiar touring-car competitors. Leslie made his name in the British Touring Car Championship and endurance racing, driving a variety of competitive machinery through a career that combined speed and consistency; his passing on 30 March 2008 cut short the life of a driver noted for textbook racecraft and reliability in multi-class fields. In the paddock he was respected as a driver who could extract performance from production-based cars and deliver strong results across sprint and longer-distance events.
1960 – Robert S. McNamara Named President of Ford
On November 9, 1960, Robert S. McNamara was named president of Ford Motor Company — the first person to hold that office who was not a member of the Ford family. The promotion came the day after the U.S. presidential election and placed McNamara at the head of one of the world's largest automakers during a period of postwar expansion and industrial modernization; this executive role at Ford preceded his move into government service as U.S. Secretary of Defense. His elevation reflected a mid-century shift toward professional management in the auto industry and set the stage for his subsequent national career.
1962 – Fire Destroys the Ford Rotunda in Dearborn
Workers preparing the Ford Rotunda’s annual Christmas display found themselves fighting a far larger emergency when a blaze broke out on the roof and quickly consumed the landmark on November 9, 1962. The beloved Dearborn exhibition space burned so fiercely that crews could not save the building or its display vehicles and exhibits; photographs and accounts from Ford and local historians remember the Rotunda’s dramatic destruction. Once a high-profile showcase for new models and public events, the Rotunda’s sudden loss erased a community icon and a custom-built exhibition venue that had been closely tied to Ford’s public face.
