Today in History for Dec. 22, 2014

Connie Mack.

Dec. 22, 1814 – Monroe and Conecuh County, Ala. teacher and physician Dr. John L. Shaw was born in Robinson Co., N.C.

Dec. 22, 1818 – The merchants of Blakeley in Baldwin County, Ala. petitioned the U.S. Congress for the privilege of becoming a “Port of Entry and Delivery.”

Dec. 22, 1862 – Baseball Hall of Famer Connie Mack was born Cornelius Alexander McGillicuddy in East Brookfield, Massachusetts. He would go on to play for the Washington Nationals, the Buffalo Bisons and the Pittsburgh Pirates. He also managed the Pirates and the Philadelphia Athletics.

Dec. 22, 1864 – Savannah, Georgia fell to General William Tecumseh Sherman, concluding his "March to the Sea.”

Dec. 22, 1864 - During the American Civil War, Union Gen. William T. Sherman sent a message to U.S. President Lincoln from Georgia. The message read, "I beg to present you as a Christmas gift the city of Savannah."

Dec. 22, 1864 – During the Civil War, a second day of skirmishing continued in the Franklin Creek area of Jackson County, Miss. between Pascagoula and the Alabama state line.

Dec. 22, 1882 - An Edison employee, Edward Johnson, first used electric bulbs to decorate a Christmas tree.

Dec. 22, 1895 - William Rontgen, a German professor of physics, took the first X-ray image. It was of his wife's left hand and showed the ring she was wearing.

Dec. 22, 1910 – The Conecuh Record in Evergreen, Ala. reported that Lum Dean found a boll weevil on his farm and experts in Montgomery verified that it was in fact a genuine boll weevil.

Dec. 22, 1916 - Charles Boswell, professional blind golfer, was born in Birmingham. After losing his vision fighting during World War II, Boswell learned to play golf, going on to win 17 national and 11 international blind golf tournaments. He received numerous honors along the way, including the Philadelphia Sports Writers Association award in 1957 and election to the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 1972.

Dec. 22, 1943 - Sporting goods manufacturers received permission to use synthetic rubber for the core of baseballs.

Dec. 22, 1944 – Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Steve Carlton was born in Miami, Fla. He would go on to play for the St. Louis Cardinals, the Philadelphia Phillies, the San Francisco Giants, the Chicago White Sox, the Cleveland Indians and the Minnesota Twins.

Dec. 22, 1948 – Major League Baseball first baseman Steve Garvey was born in Tampa, Fla. He would go on to play for the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres.

Dec. 22, 1962 - Vince Lombardi, coach of the Green Bay Packers, was on the cover of TIME magazine.

Dec. 22, 1966 – The Monroe Journal newspaper in Monroeville, Ala. published its Centennial Edition.

Dec. 22, 1986 - Joe Paterno was named Sportsman of the Year by "Sports Illustrated" magazine. It was only the second time a coach had won the award.

Dec. 22, 1996 - Kordell Stewart of the Pittsburgh Steelers ran 80 yards for a touchdown against Carolina. It was the longest scoring run by a quarterback in NFL history.

Dec. 22, 1996 - Vinny Testaverde of the Baltimore Ravens became the eighth quarterback in NFL history to pass for 4,000 yards and throw at least 30 touchdown passes in a single season.