Today in History for Aug. 17, 2014

Richmond Pearson Hobson

Aug. 17, 1786 – American soldier, politician and folk hero David “Davy” Crockett was born in Greene County, Tenn. He would be killed at the Alamo in 1836.

Aug. 17, 1833 – Charles D. McCall was named postmaster at Burnt Corn, but he refused to accept the job and J.Walker served as acting postmaster in his place.

Aug. 17, 1853 – Daniel McCool was commissioned for his third and final term as Monroe County’s Circuit Court Clerk.

Aug. 17, 1863 - During the Civil War, Federal batteries and ships bombarded Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina's harbor.

Aug. 17, 1870 - Spanish-American War hero Richmond Pearson Hobson was born in Greensboro, Ala. Hobson later represented Alabama in the U.S. Congress and was active in the prohibition movement. He was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor in 1933 for heroism during the Spanish-American War and became a Rear Admiral in 1934. Hobson died in 1937.

Aug. 17, 1894 - John Wadsworth of Louisville set a major league record when he gave up 28 base hits in a single game.

Aug. 17, 1909 - With a unanimous vote by the legislature, Alabama became the first state to ratify the 16th amendment to the U.S. Constitution. When the amendment went into effect on February 25, 1913, it gave Congress the power to collect income taxes.

Aug. 17, 1914 – Boll weevils arrived in Montgomery County, Ala. as the State Department of Agriculture received a specimen from the plantation of W.V. Bell of Ada in the western part of the county.

Aug. 17, 1933 - New York Yankees first baseman Lou Gehrig played in his 1,308th consecutive game, breaking former Yankee Everett Scott’s record for consecutive games played. Gehrig would go on to play in 2,130 games in a row, setting a record that would stand for over half a century.

Aug. 17, 1986 - Pete Rose of the Cincinnati Reds was struck out for his last at bat by San Diego Padres relief pitcher Rich "Goose" Gossage.