FIRSTS: The first month of the year does prove a good time to learn about some other firsts in the U.S.

The website geeksforgeeks.org has lists of firsts in lots of categories. The first highway in the U.S. was the Pennsylvania Turnpike in 1940, which marked the beginning of the modern interstate highway system. And those who travel it will tell you it has been under construction or repair ever since.

The first subway was in New York City in 1837. This pioneered urban public transportation.

Also in New York City, the first elevator was installed, this in 1857. Elevators transformed building design and accessibility.

The first transcontinental railroad came in 1869 by Central Pacific Railroad and Union Pacific Railroad, connecting the East and West coasts and revolutionizing transportation and trade.

Not quite transportation, but the first rollercoaster came along in 1884, The Switchback Railway, at Coney Island, N.Y. It was an instant hit.

The Wright Brothers came along in 1903 with the first airplane flight.

In 1922, the USS Langley was the first aircraft carrier, beginning modern naval aviation.

In 1945, ENIAC was the first computer, paving the way for modern computing technology.

Space travel came along in the early 1960s. Alan Shepard and Virgil Grissom were the first Americans to fly in space. In 1962, John Glenn was the second American in space, and the first to orbit Earth.

In 1983, the first female astronaut came along in Sally Ride, who inspired women to pursue careers in science and technology. 

The first commercial radio broadcast was made in 1920 in Pittsburgh by KDKA, pioneering a new era of mass communication.