The 5th of August marks the anniversary of the first electric traffic signal, which was installed on this day in 1914 on the corner of 105th and Euclid, in Cleveland, Ohio.
At the time, horse drawn wagons and carts competed with an ever increasing number of motorised vehicles, resulting in the sort of chaos and congestion that can probably be still found today in some parts of the world. Previous attempts to control the traffic flow often relied on man-power; either with a police officer standing in the street directing traffic, or through hand operated signs and signals, including a highly-explosive gas-lit variety.
The 101st anniversary of the electric traffic light has been honored with a Google Doodle and you can read more about the history of traffic lights here.
We've certainly come a long way, when you consider that we can now utilise these electric signals to identify the number and types of people ignoring them via Red Light + Rail Runner Surveys!
Sources: The Telegraph UK, Traffic light's 101st Anniversary Celebrated, 5 Aug 2015 and Google Doodles, 101st Anniversary of the First Electric Traffic Signal System, August 5 2015