Today in History for Nov. 8, 2014

Timothy Horton Ball

Nov. 8, 1805 - The "Corps of Discovery" reached the Pacific Ocean. The expedition was lead by William Clark and Meriwether Lewis. The journey had begun on May 14, 1804, with the goal of exploring the Louisiana Purchase territory.

Nov. 8, 1824 – During his tour of the United States, the Marquis de Lafayette attended a public banquet at the University of Virginia in nearby Charlottesville, Va.

Nov. 8, 1827 – While serving in the U.S. Army, Edgar Allan Poe traveled by ship on the brig Waltham to Fort Moultrie in Charleston, S.C. where his regiment had been posted.

Nov. 8, 1847 - Bram Stoker, author of the 1897 horror novel “Dracula,” was born in Clontarf, Dublin, Ireland.

Nov. 8, 1861 – In what is known as the “Trent Affair,” two Confederate officials, diplomatic envoys James Mason and John Slidell, sailing on the British mail ship “Trent” toward England were seized by the U.S. Navy’s USS San Jacinto. England demanded their release and threatened war. U.S. President Abraham Lincoln eventually conceded and ordered the officials released on Dec. 26. Lincoln commented "One war at a time."

  

Nov. 8, 1864 - U.S. President Abraham Lincoln was re-elected president.

Nov. 8, 1864 - Upon hearing of President Abraham Lincoln being re-elected General William T. Sherman ordered 2,500 light wagons to be loaded with supplies in preparation for his March to the Sea.

Nov. 8, 1880 - French actress Sarah Bernhardt made her American stage debut in "Adrienne Lecouvreur" in New York City. She would later perform in Pensacola, Fla.

Nov. 8, 1887 - Doc Holliday died at the age of 35. The gunfighting dentist died from tuberculosis in a sanitarium in Glenwood Springs, Colo.

Nov. 8, 1889 – Willie Stevens, the son of T.J. Stevens, was shot and killed by his uncle, Theo. W. Marshall near Finchburg, Ala. around 8 a.m.

Nov. 8, 1900 - Margaret Mitchell, the author of the 1936 Civil War novel “Gone With the Wind,” was born in Atlanta, Ga.

Nov. 8, 1913 – The Rev. Timothy Horton Ball passed away at the age of 87 and was buried in the Creighton Family Cemetery at Whatley in Clarke County, Ala. A native of Hampden County, Mass, he was a minister, teacher, historian and author and spent most of his life in Clarke County, Ala. In 1882, while living in Grove Hill, he would publish “A Glance into the Great South-east; or, Clarke County, Alabama, and its Surroundings, from 1540 to 1877.”

Nov. 8, 1920 – Mitchell Burford Salter died. Born on May 20, 1839, he enlisted as a private in Co. E, 4th Alabama Infantry, Arm was amputated at Chickamaga, and the bone from his arm is on display in the National Museum of Health and Medicine. He was buried in Old Evergreen Cemetery.

Nov. 8, 1922 – The Montgomery Air Intermediate Depot was renamed Maxwell Field in honor of Lt. William C. Maxwell of Natchez, Ala. who was killed in a plane crash in the Philippines in 1920.

Nov. 8, 1941 – Lt. Laula M. Middleton, son of Mrs. Evelyn Middleton of Fairview, began pilot training at Foster Field, Texas. He received his “war wings” on May 20, 1942 and was transferred to Orlando, Fla. for advanced training. Middleton Field was named in his honor.

Nov. 8, 1942 - Parker Hall of the Cleveland Rams threw seven interceptions against the Green Bay Packers.

Nov. 8, 1944 – Guy Dawson Booker of Conecuh County was killed aboard U.S. Submarine Growler, which was sank by the Japanese and never found.

Nov. 8, 1951 - Yogi Berra of the New York Yankees won his first MVP award. He went on to win two more in his career.

Nov. 8, 1954 - The American League approved the transfer of the Philadelphia Athletics baseball team to Kansas City, Mo.

Nov. 8, 1956 – The Evergreen Courant reported that A. Bufred Johnson, a longtime Evergreen Courant employee, had accepted a position with the Pensacola News-Journal. He’d worked at The Courant since Dec. 1, 1942.

Nov. 8, 1957 – B.L. Hendrix, who served as Monroeville’s mayor between 1936 to 1944, passed away. He also served terms as city clerk and police chief.

Nov. 8, 1966 – Army Spc. James Mathew Kelly of Atmore was killed in action in Vietnam.

Nov. 8, 1966 - U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson signed into law an antitrust exemption allowing the National Football League to merge with the upstart American Football League.

Nov. 8, 1970 - Tom Dempsey of the New Orleans Saints set an NFL record when he kicked a 63-yard field goal against the Detroit Lions. The record stood until Oct. 25, 1998 when Jason Elam of the Denver Broncos tied the record.

Nov. 8, 1981 - Don Shula, coach of the Miami Dolphins, recorded his 200th NFL victory.

Nov. 8, 1990 - Darryl Strawberry signed a five-year contract with the Dodgers. He went to the Mets after eight years and gaining 252 home runs.

Nov. 8, 1997 - Nevada's John Dutton threw for 557 yards and five touchdowns in a victory over Boise State.

Nov. 8, 1998 - Emmitt Smith of the Dallas Cowboys became the all-time rushing leader for the Cowboys. He also passed 12,000 career yards in the NFL.

Nov. 8, 2001 – The Evergreen Courant reported that Freddie Stallworth had officially retired after more than 25 years “on and off” in law enforcement.

Nov. 8, 2005 – In connection with the disappearance of 18-year-old Natalee Holloway of Mountain Brook, Alabama Governor Bob Riley, joined by the Twitty family, urged Alabamians and others to boycott Aruba in a news conference on this day.

Nov. 8, 2011 – The potentially hazardous asteroid 2005 YU55 passed 0.85 lunar distances from Earth (about 201,700 miles), the closest known approach by an asteroid of its brightness since 2010 XC15 in 1976.