The first U.S. patent issued for a pneumatic automobile tire that could readily and easily be detached or mounted to the rim of a wheel. The inventors were Alexander T. Brown and George Stillman of Syracuse, New York (No. 488494). They claimed as their improvement a wheel with an exterior grooved rim with flanges to retain a tire with an inflatable tube. Peripheral metal bands embedded in the tire are designed to form a bead that will be forced by air pressure upon inflation to be seated and retained in the grooved rim. Thus no permanent connection between the tire and the wheel is necessary, and no tools for tightening are required, other than those used for inflation.

The Population Crisis Committee said that Lagos, Nigeria is the worst city in the world to live in, whereas the best cities to live in are Montreal, Melbourne, and Seattle-Tacoma. The best cities scored 100, but Lagos scored only 19. Half of Lago's homes are without water and electricity and only one person in 100 has a telephone. This city has a density of 5.8 persons per dwelling.