Today in History for Sept. 6, 2014

Marquis de LaFayette

Sept. 6, 1540 – The DeSoto Expedition passed through the Indian village of Ecunchati (Ecunchate, Ikan-tchati, Red Ground), which was located on a buff on the Alabama River where the City of Montgomery now stands.

Sept. 6, 1620 – The Mayflower set sail from Plymouth, England.

Sept. 6, 1757 – The Marquis de LaFayette was born in Chavaniac, France.

Sept. 6, 1825 – During his tour of the United States, the Marquis de Lafayette arrived in Washington, D.C., where he met the new U.S. President John Quincy Adams, addressed a joint session of Congress and celebrated his 68th birthday at a White House banquet with President Adams.

Sept. 6, 1861 - Union General Ulysses S. Grant occupied Pudacah and Southland.

Sept. 6, 1863 - Confederate forces evacuated Battery Wagner and Morris Island, S.C. The Union attack began two days earlier.

Sept. 6, 1864 - Lieutenant General Richard Taylor, CSA, assumed the command of the Department of Alabama, Mississippi and East Louisiana.

Sept. 6, 1905 - Frank Smith of the Chicago White Sox pitched a no-hitter against the Detroit Tigers. The game set a record for the most lopsided margin of victory for a no-hitter in AL history as the White Sox won, 15-0.

Sept. 6, 1909 - Robert Peary, American explorer, sent word that he had reached the North Pole. He had reached his goal five months earlier.

Sept. 6, 1924 - Urban Shocker of the St. Louis Browns pitched two complete games against the Chicago White Sox. He won both games, 6-2.

Sept. 6, 1943 - The youngest player to appear in an American League baseball game was pitcher Carl Scheib of the Philadelphia Athletics. Scheib was 16 years, eight months and five days old.

Sept. 6, 1946 – The first peanuts of the 1946 season arrived in Evergreen on this day and were grown by S.J. Wiggins, who lived near McKenzie.

Sept. 6, 1976 - Steve Yeager of the Los Angeles Dodgers was seriously injured when part of a broken bat struck him in the throat. He was waiting in the on-deck circle when the incident occurred.

Sept. 6, 1981 - Fernando Valenzuela of the Los Angeles Dodgers tied a National League record of seven shutouts by a rookie pitcher.

Sept. 6, 1995 – Baltimore Orioles shortstop Cal Ripken Jr. broke “Iron Horse” Lou Gehrig’s streak for consecutive games played when he took the field for his 2,131st straight game.

Sept. 6, 1996 - Eddie Murray of the Baltimore Orioles hit his 500th career home run during a game against the Detroit Tigers. He was only the third person to have at least 3,000 hits and 500 home runs.

Sept. 6, 2000 - Scott Sheldon of the Texas Rangers became the third player in major league baseball history to play all nine positions in one game.

Sept. 6, 2001 - Barry Bonds of the San Francisco Giants became the fifth player in major league baseball history to hit 60 home runs in a season.