Today in History for Oct. 18, 2014

Cyrus Reed Teed

Oct. 18, 1540 - The largest Indian battle in North America occurred at the village of Mabila (or Mauvila) between Hernando de Soto’s Spaniards and Chief Tuscaloosa’s warriors. Accounts vary, but most agree that the Indian village and most of its more than 2,000 inhabitants were destroyed, including Chief Tuscaloosa. The exact location of this battle has eluded researchers for centuries.

Oct. 18, 1767 - The Mason-Dixon line was agreed upon when Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon completed their survey of the boundary between the colonies of Pennsylvania and Maryland. The survey included other areas that would eventually become the states of Delaware and West Virginia.

Oct. 18–19, 1824 – During his tour of the United States, the Marquis de Lafayette arrived by steamer in Petersburg, Va. for a visit to Yorktown for festivities marking the 43rd anniversary of the battle.

Oct. 18, 1839 - Cyrus Reed Teed, an eclectic physician and alchemist turned religious leader, was born in Delaware County, N.Y. In 1869, after an "illumination," he took on the name Koresh, and proposed a new set of scientific principles including a Hollow Earth theory.

Oct. 18, 1842 - Samuel Finley Breese Morse laid his first telegraph cable.

Oct. 18, 1851 – Herman Melville's “Moby-Dick” was first published as “The Whale” by Richard Bentley of London.

Oct. 18, 1863 - Union General Daniel Sickles returned to visit his old command, the Third Corps of the Army of the Potomac. He was recovering from the loss of his leg at the Battle of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania in July 1863, and the visit turned sour when the army's commander, General George Meade, informed Sickles that he would not be allowed to resume command until he completely recovered from his injury.

Oct. 18, 1864 – During the Civil War, a skirmish occurred near Huntsville, Ala.

Oct. 18, 1873 - The first rules for intercollegiate football were drawn up by representatives from Rutgers, Yale, Columbia and Princeton Universities.

Oct. 18, 1889 – The Monroe Journal reported that there were four steam, one water and six horse and mule ginneries within a five-mile radius of Monroeville.

Oct. 18, 1904 – Journalist Abbott Joseph “A.J.” Liebling was born in New York City. His 1956 boxing book, “The Sweet Science,” is generally considered to be one of the finest sports books ever written.

Oct. 18, 1916 - A strong earthquake occurred around 4 p.m. in an unnamed fault east of Birmingham, with the epicenter near Easonville in St. Clair County. The earthquake caused buildings to sway in downtown Birmingham and tied up all phone lines in the city with 25,000 calls recorded at the main exchange in the hour following the quake. Two additional weaker tremors were reported that evening.

Oct. 18, 1918 – During World War I, Army PFC Joseph M. Wright of Georgiana and Army Pvt. Milton McLeod of Grove Hill “died from disease.”

Oct. 18, 1922 – The British Broadcasting Company (later Corporation) was founded by a consortium, to establish a nationwide network of radio transmitters to provide a national broadcasting service.

Oct. 18, 1924 – At 10 a.m., a general meeting of all strawberry growers in the Castleberry area was held in Castleberry.

Oct. 18, 1924 - Red Grange of Illinois scored four touchdowns in the first 12 minutes of a game against Michigan. He scored a fifth touchdown, intercepted a pass and threw a touchdown-pass in the second half.

Oct. 18, 1928 – Sportscaster Keith Jackson was born in Roopville, Ga.

Oct. 18, 1929 – Excel and Monroe County High School played in Monroeville, but the result of that game is unknown.

Oct. 18, 1933 – Pro Football Hall of Fame player and coach Forrest Gregg was born in Birthright, Texas. He would go on to play for the Green Bay Packers and the Dallas Cowboys before serving as the head coach of the Cleveland Browns, Toronto Argonauts, Cincinnati Bengals, Packers, SMU Mustangs and Shreveport Pirates.

Oct. 18, 1935 - Peter Boyle, who won an Emmy Award in 1996 for a guest-starring role on the science-fiction drama “The X-Files,” was born in Norristown, Pa.

Oct. 18, 1935 – Excel defeated Monroe County, 14-7, in Monroeville.

Oct. 18, 1939 – Pro Football Hall of Famer Mike Ditka was born in Carnegie, Pa. He would go on to play for the Chicago Bears, the Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys. He would later serve as the head coach of the Bears and New Orleans Saints.

Oct. 18, 1939 – Lee Harvey Oswald, who allegedly assassintated John F. Kennedy in 1963, was born in New Orleans, La.

Oct. 18, 1942 – MLB left fielder and designated hitter Willie Horton was born in Arno, Va. He would go on to play for the Detroit Tigers, Texas Rangers, Cleveland Indians, Oakland Athletics, Toronto Blue Jays and Seattle Mariners.

Oct. 18, 1950 – Dorothy Forstein mysteriously disappeared from her Philadelphia home, and her disappearance remains one of the most unusual, unexplained crimes in American history.

Oct. 18, 1950 - Connie Mack announced that he was going to retire after 50 seasons as the manager of the Philadelphia Athletics.

Oct. 18, 1952 – MLB third baseman and manager Jerry Royster was born in Sacramento, Calif. He would go on to play for the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Atlanta Braves, the San Diego Padres, the Chicago White Sox and the New York Yankees.

Oct. 18, 1956 - NFL commissioner Bert Bell disallowed the use of radio-equipped helmets by NFL quarterbacks.

Oct. 18, 1957 – Under head coach W.C. Majors, Excel improved to 1-2-2 on the season by beating Beatrice, 35-0, in Excel.

Oct. 18, 1962 – Under head coach Gerald R. Irby, Excel picked up its first win of the season by beating Beatrice, 25-2, in Beatrice.

Oct. 18, 1967 - The American League granted permission for the A's to move to Oakland. Also, new franchises were awarded to Kansas City and Seattle.

Oct. 18, 1969 – Under head coach Carvel Rowell, Excel improved to 7-0 on the season with a 40-0 win over J.U. Blacksher at Uriah.

Oct. 18, 1975 – Under head coach Lee Holladay, Excel improved to 8-0 on the season with a 16-8 win over J.U. Blacksher at Uriah.

Oct. 18, 1977 - In the sixth game of the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees outfielder Reggie Jackson hit three home runs in a row off of three consecutive pitches from three different pitchers. Only the great Babe Ruth had ever hit three homers in a single World Series game (and he did it twice, once in 1926 and once in 1928) —but he didn’t do it on consecutive pitches or even consecutive at-bats. Jackson’s amazing home-run streak helped the Yankees win the game and the series, the team’s first since 1962.

Oct. 18, 1980 – Under head coach Lee Holladay, Excel improved to 5-3 on the season with a 21-20 win over J.U. Blacksher in Excel.

Oct. 18, 1980 – Robert Gaston Bozeman Sr., who passed away in October 1974, was inducted into Alabama Newspaper Hall of Honor.

Oct. 18, 1984 – The Evergreen Courant reported that William S. Stallworth of Evergreen had been officially accepted into West Point Military Academy.

Oct. 18, 1985 - A television version of Alabama author Robert R. McCammon's book “Nightcrawlers” was broadcast as part of the “Twilight Zone” series.

Oct. 18, 1985 – Under head coach Roland Pettie, Georgiana improved to 4-3 on the season with a 35-0 win over Excel in Georgiana. Excel dropped to 1-7.

  

Oct. 18-20, 1991 – The first South East Regional Fly In (SERFI) was held at Middleton Field in Evergreen.

Oct. 18, 1996 – Under head coach Al Bowen, Excel improved to 6-1 on the season with a 41-14 win at McIntosh.

Oct. 18, 1997 - Hanson sang the national anthem at the opening game of the World Series.

Oct. 18, 1997 – Under head coach Al Bowel, Excel improved to 7-0 on the season with a 34-6 win over McIntosh in Excel.

Oct. 18, 2013 – Under head coach Richard Anderson, Excel improved to 3-5 on the season with a 33-16 win over Southside-Selma in Selma.