Today in History for Oct. 11, 2014

Oct. 11, 1492 – During his first voyage to America, two hours after sunset, Columbus became the first observer on record to notice the unexplained, luminous “white water of the Bahamas,” near the western edges of the Sargasso Sea.

Oct. 11, 1809 – Along the Natchez Trace in Tennessee, famous explorer Meriwether Lewis, age 35, died under mysterious circumstances in the early hours of the morning after stopping for the night at Grinder’s Tavern. at an inn called Grinder's Stand. Some say he committed suicide, while others say he may have been murdered.

Oct. 11, 1862 - Confederate cavalry leader General J.E.B. Stuart looted Chambersburg, Pennsylvania on a daring raid in the aftermath of the bloody Battle of Antietam in Maryland.

Oct. 11, 1870 – Union doctor Edward DeWelden Brenneman passed away at the age of 31 and was buried in Washington, D.C.’s Oak Hill Cemetery. During the Battle of Gettysburg he amputated the right arm of Conecuh Guards’ Mitchell B. Salter.

Oct. 11, 1889 – The Monroe Journal reported that Monroe County native Charles J. Torrey had been elected as Mobile’s city attorney by a “flattering majority.” He served as Monroeville’s chancery registrar before moving to Mobile in 1875. He lost the circuit judge’s race in 1886 by a small margin.

Oct. 11, 1899 – Baseball’s Western League ws renamed the American League of Professional Baseball Clubs.

Oct. 11, 1890 – Rube Burrow was buried in Fellowship Cemetery, about four miles northeast of Vernon in Lamar County, Ala.

Oct. 11, 1895 – Dr. Ray Fountain of Finchburg passed away.

Oct. 11, 1905 – During the evening on the road leading from Claiborne to their homes near Axel (between Peterman and Fountain), Jim Wiggins shot and killed his employee A.T. Aycock after an argument over pay. Aycock was said to have been drunk, and Wiggins shot him in the head with a pistol.

Oct. 11, 1918 – During World War I, James Leroy Burge died.

Oct. 11, 1918 – During World War I, Army Pvt. James Williams of Camden, Army Pvt. Emmett N. Richburg of Castleberry, Army Pvt. Wm. J. McEntire of Brewton, Army Pvt. Fred Dixon of Andalusia and Army Pvt. Caley S. Harrell of Grove Hill “died of disease.” Army Pvt. Wm. McD. Reaves of Camden was killed in action.

Oct. 11, 1925 - The New York Giants played their first NFL game. The Giants lost to Providence, 14-0.

Oct. 11, 1961 – Pro Football Hall of Famer Steve Young was born in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Oct. 11, 1973 – The famous “Pascagoula Abduction” occurred as co-workers Charles Hickson and Calvin Parker claimed that they were abducted by aliens while fishing near Pascagoula, Miss. The case received widespread media attention and is among the best-known cases of alien abduction.

Oct. 11, 1996 – “The Grass Harp,” a comedic drama film based on Truman Capote’s novella, was released. Directed by Charles Matthau, it starred Sissy Spacek, Walter Matthau and Nell Carter.

Oct. 11, 1998 - Steve Young of the San Francisco 49ers became the 20th player in NFL history to throw for 30,000 yards.

Oct. 11, 2003 - A bench-clearing brawl between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees interrupted the third game of the American League playoffs in Boston. During the fight, 73-year-old Yankee bench coach Don Zimmer charged out of the dugout and tried to tackle Red Sox pitcher Pedro Martinez, but Martinez dodged the older man’s blows and threw him to the ground.

Oct. 11, 2004 - The Houston Astros won a postseason series for the first time in their 43-year history. They defeated the Atlanta Braves, 12-3, in Game 5. The Astros had lost seven playoff series previously, three of them to Atlanta.

Oct. 11, 2006 - In New York, Cory Lidle of the New York Yankees and his flight instructor were killed when Lidle's plane crashed into a high-rise apartment building.