Editing Le Mans (section)

==History==
{{see also|Timeline of Le Mans}}

First mentioned by [[Claudius Ptolemy]],<ref>''Geography'' 2.8.8</ref> the [[Roman Empire|Roman]] city ''Vindinium'' was the capital of the [[Aulerci]], a sub tribe of the [[Aedui]]. Le Mans is also known as ''Civitas Cenomanorum'' (City of the [[Aulerci Cenomani|Cenomani]]), or ''Cenomanus''. Their city, seized by the Romans in 47 BC, was within the ancient [[Roman province]] of [[Gallia Lugdunensis]]. A 3rd-century [[amphitheatre]] is still visible. The ''[[thermae]]'' were demolished during the [[Crisis of the Third Century|crisis of the third century]] when workers were mobilized to build the city's defensive walls. The ancient wall around Le Mans is one of the most complete circuits of [[Gallo-Roman]] city walls to survive.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Butler |first1=R. M. |date=1958 |title=The Roman Walls of le Mans |journal=The Journal of Roman Studies |volume=48 |issue=1/2 |pages=33–39 |doi=10.2307/298210 |jstor=298210 |s2cid=162544388 }}</ref>

As the use of the French language replaced late [[Vulgar Latin]] in the area, ''Cenomanus'', with [[dissimilation]], became known as ''Celmins.'' ''Cel-'' was taken to be a form of the French word for "this" and "that", and was replaced by ''le'', which means "the".

As the principal city of [[Maine (province of France)|Maine]], Le Mans was the stage for struggles in the eleventh century between the counts of [[County of Anjou|Anjou]] and the dukes of [[Normandy]]. When the Normans had control of Maine, [[William the Conqueror]] successfully invaded England and established an occupation. In 1069 the citizens of Maine revolted and expelled the Normans, resulting in [[Hugh V of Maine|Hugh V]] being proclaimed [[List of Counts and Dukes of Maine|count of Maine]]. [[Geoffrey V of Anjou]] married [[Matilda of England]] in the [[Le Mans Cathedral|cathedral]]. Their son [[Henry II of England|Henry II Plantagenet, king of England]], was born in the town.<ref>{{Cite book |last=King |first=Edmund |title=King Stephen |date=2010 |publisher=Yale University Press |isbn=978-0-300-11223-8 |location=New Haven, Connecticut, United States |page=37}}</ref>

In the 13th century Le Mans came under the control of the French crown.  It was subsequently invaded by England during the [[Hundred Years' War]].<ref name="britannica.com">{{Cite web|url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Le-Mans|title = Le Mans &#124; History, Geography, & Points of Interest &#124; Britannica| date=11 June 2023 }}</ref>

Industrialization took place in the 19th century which saw the development of railway and motor vehicle production as well as textiles and tobacco manufacture.<ref name="britannica.com"/>

[[Wilbur Wright]] began official public demonstrations of the airplane he had developed with his younger brother [[Orville Wright|Orville]] on 8 August 1908, at the Hunaudières horse racing track near Le Mans.<ref name="hc">{{cite book |last1=Combs |first1=Harry |title=Kill Devil Hill: Discovering the Secret of the Wright Brothers |date=1979 |publisher=TernStyle Press, Ltd. |location=Englewood |isbn=0940053020 |pages=266–281}}</ref>

===World War II===
Just outside Le Mans city centre there used to be an [[Le Mans Airfield|airfield]], built to protect the [[Renault]] factory.

Soon after Le Mans was liberated by the U.S. [[79th Infantry Division (United States)|79th]] and [[90th Infantry Division (United States)|90th]] Infantry Divisions on 8 August 1944,<ref>Blumenson, Martin, ''Breakout and Pursuit'', Center of Military History, United States Army, Washington, D.C., 1989, pp. 436–8</ref> engineers of the [[Ninth Air Force]] Engineering Command began construction of a combat [[Advanced Landing Ground]] on a location the Germans had used a simple airfield. The airfield was declared operational on 3 September and designated as "[[Le Mans Airfield|A-35]]". It was used by several American fighter and transport units in additional offensives across France; the airfield was closed in November 1944.<ref>Johnson, David C. (1988), ''U.S. Army Air Forces Continental Airfields (ETO), D-Day to V-E Day;'' Research Division, USAF Historical Research Center, Maxwell AFB, Alabama.</ref><ref>Maurer, Maurer. ''Air Force Combat Units of World War II.'' Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History, 1983. {{ISBN|0-89201-092-4}}.</ref>