August 29
| 1939 | Construction of the 105-mile Skyline Drive in the Shenandoah National Park is completed. Bids on the first Skyline Drive contract (19.97 miles from Thornton's Gap to Big Meadows, VA) had been opened on June 25, 1931. Albert Brothers Contractors, Inc., of Salem, VA, was awarded the contract on June 26. Work on the first section began on July 22 and was completed on schedule on September 8, 1932. By the time of its 50th anniversary in 1989, Skyline Drive had attracted more than 90 million visitors. As part of Shenandoah National Park, the drive serves a dual purpose. During the 50th anniversary, Chuck Anibel of the NPS explained, "It is a recreational experience in and of itself for the views and overlooks, as well as serving as an access road to the rest of the recreational facilities in the national park."
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