With 36″ of snow predicted – half of it already on the ground and the other half expected to fall over the next 12 hours – today most schools and even some businesses and restaurants are closed. So when I rolled out of bed this morning it seemed like a good day to stay indoors by the fire and reflect rather than venture out.
Today, same as every day, a This Day in History email appeared in my inbox. But my attention was particularly drawn to a brief blurb about the demise of one of the founders of the Mack Truck company on this date in 1924.
John “Jack” Mack, who co-founded Mack Trucks, Inc. — then known as the Mack Brothers Company — is killed when his car collides with a trolley in Pennsylvania on March 14, 1924.
After the Mack brothers sold their company to investors in 1911, it continued to flourish. In fact it became one of the world’s largest makers of heavy-duty trucks. During World War I, Mack built thousands of trucks for the American and British governments. The company acquired its trademark bulldog logo when British soldiers said the truck’s blunt-nosed hood and durability reminded them of their country’s mascot, the bulldog.
In 1922, the company was renamed Mack Trucks, Inc. And in 2001, Mack was acquired by Volvo of Sweden. Today, the expression “it hit me like a Mack truck” – meaning something that creates a powerful impact – is a standard part of the American lexicon.
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We had a Mack truck miss a 30 degree turn in Hanover, running into a laundromat. It was known as the Big Mac Attack. Not sure if the “k” was in there or if the alliteration was meant for both the vehicle and to the beef.