Mazda is a Japanese automaker based in Hiroshima. It was founded as Toyo Cork Kogyo by Jujiro Matsuda, first making cork products and then machine tools, and in 1931 it began producing three-wheeled trucks. The name Mazda is linked both to the founder's surname and to Ahura Mazda, the Zoroastrian god of wisdom. Passenger car production began in 1960. The company became famous for the Wankel rotary engine, which powered the 1967 Cosmo Sport, and in 1991 a Mazda 787B won the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the only victory there for a rotary-engined car. The MX-5 Miata, launched in 1989, became the best-selling two-seat roadster in the world. Ford held a major stake in Mazda from 1979 and reduced it after 2008.
Before and after
- 2 January 1920Birth of Isaac Asimov
- from 17 January 1920 to 5 December 1933Prohibition in the United States
- 19 January 1920Birth of Javier Pérez de Cuéllar
- 20 January 1920Birth of Federico Fellini
- 30 January 1920Founding of Mazda
- 2 February 1920Treaty of Tartu
- 9 February 1920Svalbard Treaty
- 12 February 1920Birth of Pran
- from 8 March 1920 to 25 July 1920Franco-Syrian War
More in Society, economy & sport
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- 1924Origins of Allsvenskan
- from 3 August 1936 to 9 August 1936Jesse Owens wins four gold medals in Berlin
- 1940Katyn massacre
- 15 May 1940Founding of McDonald's
- 1941Rise of Vietnamese Independence League
The era
This moment belongs to the Modern era (1914 CE to 1945 CE), world wars and a changing world. You can also browse everything in the 20th century.