Today in History for Nov. 17, 2017

Historical marker at 'Fort Claiborne'

Nov. 17, 1558 – The Elizabethan era began with the ascension of 25-year-old Queen Elizabeth I to the English throne.

Nov. 17, 1603 – English explorer, writer and courtier Sir Walter Raleigh went on trial for treason.

Nov. 17, 1685 – Canadian commander and explorer Pierre Gaultier de Varennes, sieur de La Vérendrye was born in Trois-Rivières, Quebec.

Nov. 17, 1777 - Congress submitted the Articles of Confederation to the states for ratification.

Nov. 17, 1790 - Mathematician and astronomer August Ferdinand Möbius was born in Schulpforta, Electorate of Saxony. He's remembered today for creating the curious topological surface called the Möbius strip.

Nov. 17, 1800 – The United States Congress met in the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. for the first time.

Nov. 17, 1808 – Benjamin Faneuil Porter was born on Sullivan’s Island near Charleston, S.C. to Benjamin Richardson Porter and Eliza Seabrook Fickling Porter. He would go on to become a doctor and lawyer, live in Claiborne, Ala. for about six years, before becoming a state legislator, judge and Mayor of Greenville, Ala.

Nov. 17, 1813 – Arriving at the Alabama River, General Ferdinand Claiborne’s army camped for the night upon the western bank and the following day came across the river on rafts. There, according to Pickett’s History of Alabama, “Claiborne constructed a stockade, 200 square feet, defended by three block houses and half moon battery, which commanded the river.”

Nov. 17, 1820 – Captain Nathaniel Palmer became the first American to see Antarctica. (The Palmer Peninsula was later named after him.)

Nov. 17, 1861 – During the Civil War, a skirmish was fought at Cypress Bridge, near Rumsey, McClean County in Kentucky.

Nov. 17, 1862 - The USS San Jacinto laid in wait off the Caribbean island of Martinique for the Confederate steamer, CSS Alabama, but failed to prevent her from leaving port.

Nov. 17, 1862 – During the Civil War, Federal operations began in the vicinity of Cassville and Keetsville in Missouri; and a 12-day Federal expedition from Sparta, Tenn. into Kentucky began. A skirmish was also fought at Carrsville and Falmouth in Virginia.

Nov. 17, 1862 - At this stage in the Civil War, the Army of the Potomac was not divided up into Corps, but instead had just two parts, the Left and Right Grand Divisions. Gen. Ambrose Burnside, who had been in command of the army for barely a week, was still getting used to the reins of command at this level, but he knew one thing for sure: he had to do some fighting. He had therefore directed the men to head in the general direction of Fredericksburg, Va. The Right Grand Division, under command of General Edwin Vose Sumner, arrived on this day on the heights of Falmouth, across the Rappahannock River from the destination. It did not take very much cavalry scouting to follow a force of this size, and the Confederates were well aware of their movements.

Nov. 17, 1863 – During the Civil War, the Siege of Knoxville began as Confederate General James Longstreet placed the city of Knoxville, Tenn. under siege. After two weeks and one failed attack, he abandoned the siege and rejoined General Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia. Longstreet could not cut off Union supplies, and Confederate reinforcements arrived on Nov. 28.

Nov. 17, 1863 – During the Civil War, skirmishes were fought near Willow Creek on the Trinity River in California with Indians; and at Bay St. Louis, Miss. A nine-day Federal operation also began in the vicinity of Houston, Mo.; and the massive Federal bombardment of Fort Sumter, S.C. continued.

Nov. 17, 1863 - The Confederate battery at Arkansas Pass, Texas was captured by Major General Nathaniel P. Bank’s force. There had been several attempts to tackle the Western jewel of the Confederate States of America, Texas, but none had succeeded very well or lasted very long. Another such strike was made on this day, and this time considerably greater force was being employed. The USS Monongahela was the escort gunboat for a fleet of troop transporters. They, in turn, were carrying more than a thousand soldiers as they traveled toward Arkansas Pass, Texas. The immediate target was the Confederate garrison guarding this pass from Mustang Island. After a preliminary softening-up barrage from the ships’ guns, an amphibious landing was made. The defenders, trapped, had no solution but surrender, and the first day went well for the Union.

Nov. 17, 1864 – During the Civil War, a skirmish occurred near Maysville and New Market in Alabama.

Nov. 17, 1864 – During the Civil War, an expedition from Little Rock to Fagan’s Ford on the Saline River in Arkansas began; and a three-day Federal expedition from Brashear City to Bayou Portage, La., with a skirmish at Lake Fausse Pointe, La., began. Skirmishes were also fought at Towaliga Bridge, Ga. and at Flat Creek, Tenn.

Nov. 17, 1864 - When William Tecumseh Sherman was settling the structure of his army, he had divided it into left and right wings. Each wing was made up of two corps each, under commanders Sherman considered solid and capable of maneuvering units of that size. They were all pulling away from the ruins of Atlanta on this day, but they were going by four different roads. The intent was to confuse any Southern spies as to their true intention and destination. As a deception, it worked perfectly; observers, each seeing only one corps on the move, reported that Sherman was just doing some local maneuvering. Even if the reports had been correlated at a higher level, there was not much the Confederacy could have done about the March to the Sea, as they had no substantial forces close enough to act.

Nov. 17, 1864 – Confederate President Jefferson Davis strongly objected to any notion of several Georgia State Senators wishing to discuss a separate peace treaty with the Federal Government.

Nov. 17, 1871 – The National Rifle Association was granted a charter by the state of New York.

Nov. 17, 1875 - The American Theosophical Society was formed.

Nov. 17, 1895 – On this Sunday, traveling shoe salesman J.H. Douglas of Nashville hired a team and driver from a Mr. Irwin in order to travel to Repton, Ala. Night overtook them about a mile from Repton and in a dark place in the road, two men appeared, stepped “up deliberately to the buggy, thrust a pistol in” Douglas’ face and commanded him to halt. Instead, Douglas “put whip to the horses and left the would-be robbers standing in the road.”

Nov. 17, 1913 - The steamship Louise became the first ship to travel through the Panama Canal.

Nov. 17, 1914 - The German 15th Corps made a final, desperate attempt to advance against Allied positions in the Ypres Salient, the much-contested region in Flanders, Belgium.

Nov. 17, 1915 – The Evergreen Courant reported that L.D. King, the “lumber King,” had set a “remarkable record” when he hauled 91 bushels of corn all in one wagon while harvesting his corn crop a few days before. Several yokes of steers were required to move the “immense load.”

Nov. 17, 1915 – The Evergreen Courant reported that W.M. Newton, J.D. Deming, Eugene Salter, C.P. Deming Jr. and A. Cunningham, all of Evergreen, Ala., attended the Shrine “ceremonial” in Montgomery the week before.

Nov. 17, 1916 – Historian and novelist Shelby Foote was born in Greenville, Miss.

Nov. 17, 1918 – During World War I, Army Pvt. Frank Hill, 22, of Roy, Ala. (present-day Frisco City) “died from disease.” Born on April 17, 1896, he was buried in the Pine Flat Cemetery at Saucer in Butler County, Ala.

Nov. 17, 1918 – During World War I, Army Pvt. Charles “Charlie” Burner Covin, 22, of Georgiana, Ala. “died from disease.” Born on Dec. 3, 1895 in Monroe County, he was buried in the Bethlehem Cemetery in Monroe County, Ala.

Nov. 17, 1929 – Major League Baseball first baseman Norbert “Norm” Henry Zauchin was born in Royal Oak, Michigan. He started his professional career in 1950 with the Double-A Birmingham Barons, where he set a Rickwood Field field record with 35 home runs. He would go on to play for the Boston Red Sox and Washington Senators. He passed away in Birmingham, Ala. at the age of 69 on Jan. 31, 1999.

Nov. 17, 1935 - The Ralph Kennedy residence in Monroeville, Ala. was badly damaged by fire on this Sunday morning. The alarm, sounded about 10 a.m., brought the volunteer fire department and others to assist fighting the blaze, and eventually the flames were put under control, but not until serious damage had been done, including the destruction of the roof and the second story of the house. The fire was thought to have caught from a defective chimney in the main part of the house.

Nov. 17, 1939 – Nine Czech students were executed as a response to anti-Nazi demonstrations prompted by the death of Jan Opletal.

Nov. 17, 1940 - The Green Bay Packers became the first NFL team to travel by plane.

Nov. 17, 1944 – National Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Tom Seaver was born in Fresno, Calif. He would go on to play for the New York Mets, the Cincinnati Reds, the Chicago White Sox and the Boston Red Sox. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1992.

Nov. 17, 1955 – The Evergreen Courant reported that the pump on one of the City of Evergreen, Alabama’s two water wells was out of order, and all of the city’s water customers were urged to conserve water while repairs were being made. G.L. Wilkinson was Evergreen’s City Clerk.

Nov. 17, 1961 – The Lyeffion Quarterback Club held what was believed to have been the first ever Lyeffion High School football banquet, held on this Friday night at The Grill. QB Club President Frank Chavers was the banquet’s MC, and guest speakers included Guy S. Kelly, county superintendent of education and former Lyeffion principal; Bob Bozeman, editor of The Courant; and Lyeffion football coach Shirley Frazier. Frazier present all lettermen and cheerleaders with a certificate during the banquet.

Nov. 17, 1965 - During part of what would become known as the Battle of the Ia Drang Valley, a battalion from the 1st Cavalry Division is ambushed by the 8th Battalion of the North Vietnamese 66th Regiment.

Nov. 17, 1967 – During the Vietnam War, acting on optimistic reports that he had been given on Nov. 13, U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson told the nation that, while much remained to be done, "We are inflicting greater losses than we're taking...We are making progress."

Nov. 17, 1968 - NBC cut away from the final minutes of a New York Jets-Oakland Raiders game to begin a TV special, "Heidi," on schedule. The Raiders came from behind to beat the Jets, 43-32, and viewers in the eastern U.S. were denied the opportunity to watch its exciting finish, prompting changes to sports broadcasting in the U.S.

Nov. 17, 1970 – The Evergreen (Ala.) City Council approved a budget of $597,954.45, which was the largest budget up to that point in the city’s history, according to City Clerk Miller Sellers.

Nov. 17, 1970 – Douglas Engelbart received a patent for the first computer mouse.

Nov. 17, 1970 – During the Vietnam War, Lieutenant William Calley went on trial for the My Lai Massacre.

Nov. 17, 1973 – During the Watergate scandal, in Orlando, Florida, U.S. President Richard Nixon told 400 Associated Press managing editors "I am not a crook."

Nov. 17, 1976 – Actress Diane Neal was born in Alexandria, Va.

Nov. 17, 1977 – The Evergreen Courant reported that the bypass (now called Wild Avenue) from State Highway 83 to U.S. Highway 31 in Evergreen, Ala. was nearing completion.

Nov. 17, 1977 – The Evergreen Courant reported that Evergreen Mayor O.B. “Bert” Tuggle had signed a proclamation making Sat., Nov. 19, “Clint Jackson Day” in the City of Evergreen, Ala. Attending the signing ceremony were NAACP members Mr. and Mrs. James A. Powell, Mr. and Mrs. O.F. Frazier, Richard Rabb, Edith Gray, Larry Fluker and Jerome Gray.

Nov. 17, 1978 – The Liddell Archeological Site in Wilcox County, Ala. was added to the National Register of Historic Places. The site covers 50 acres and shows evidence of human occupation from 9000 BC to 1800 AD.

Nov. 17, 1979 - Maverick catastrophist Immanuel Velikovsky passed away at the age of 84 in Princeton, New Jersey.

Nov. 17, 1982 - The National Football League reduced its 16-game season to nine as a result of a 57-day players' strike.

Nov. 17, 1982 - The Empire State Building was added to the National Register of Historical Places.

Nov. 17, 1983 – Sparta Academy’s varsity girls basketball team beat Jackson Academy, 33-28, in Jackson, Ala. Jan Coker led Sparta with 12 points. Sparta’s varsity boys lost, 75-66. Al Etheridge led Sparta with 22 points.

Nov. 17, 1983 – Evergreen, Ala. weather reporter Earl Windham reported a low temperature of 29 degrees.

Nov. 17, 1989 - Hillcrest High School’s girls basketball team was scheduled to open its season at 6:30 p.m. on this Friday night against Clarke County High School in Grove Hill. The members of Hillcrest’s team included Laura Delaney, Tracey Dailey, LaRhonda Booker, Tracey Elliott, Nikki Likely, Katrina Bradley, Tammy Taylor, Sabrina Johnson, Kim January, Beronica Toliver, Rena White, Katina Cunningham, Shirley Bryant and Sandra Rogers. Ronnie Williams was head coach.

Nov. 17, 1991 - Mike Utley of the Detroit Lions suffered a spinal injury in a game against Los Angeles that left him paralyzed from the chest down.

Nov. 17, 1993 - Alabama author Sara W. Glendinning died in Marietta, Ga.

Nov. 17, 1993 - Annie Proulx won the National Book Award for her novel “The Shipping News,” which also won the Pulitzer Prize.

Nov. 17, 1995 – Hillcrest-Evergreen, the 5A Area 4 champions, suffered a 13-6 loss to Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa in the second round of the state playoffs at Brooks Memorial Stadium in Evergreen. Dennis Anderson was Hillcrest-Evergreen’s head coach and the Jags finished the season with a 6-6 record.

Nov. 17, 2003 - Barry Bonds of the San Francisco Giants became the first Major League Baseball player to receive six National League MVP awards.

Nov. 17, 2003 - Actor and former bodybuilder Arnold Schwarzenegger was sworn in as the 38th governor of California at the State Capitol in Sacramento. Schwarzenegger, who became a major Hollywood star in the 1980s with such action movies as “Conan the Barbarian” and “The Terminator,” defeated Governor Gray Davis in a special recall election on Oct. 7, 2003. English, and went on to win a dozen more world bodybuilding titles. In 1977, he gained After winning the election and serving out the remainder of former governor Gray Davis’s term, “The Governator,” as he was dubbed, was re-elected in November 2006 to serve a full term in office.

Nov. 17, 2010 – Birmingham, Alabama’s Sloss Furnaces were featured on an episode of “Ghost Hunters.”