 |
| The Alabama Masonic Home in Montgomery, Alabama. |
May 28, 585 BC - A solar eclipse in Asia Minor occurred,
leading to a battle truce, and historical astronomy has set May 28th, 585 BC as
the likely day for this event. This became a cardinal point from which other
dates in ancient history have been calculated.
May 28, 1754 – In the first engagement of the French and
Indian War, Virginia militia under 22-year-old Lieutenant colonel George
Washington defeated a French reconnaissance party and Indian scouts in the
Battle of Jumonville Glen in what is now Fayette County in southwestern
Pennsylvania.
May 28, 1828 – A United States arsenal was established at
Mt. Vernon, Ala., near the juncture of the Tombigbee and Alabama Rivers. It had
previously been the headquarters for General Claiborne in the Creek War of
1813-1814. In 1873, the Arsenal was converted into a barracks, which from 1887
to 1894 housed Apache Indian prisoners, including Geronimo. In 1895 the land
was conveyed to the State of Alabama and became the site of the Mt. Vernon
Hospital.
May 28, 1830 – U.S. President Andrew Jackson signed the
Indian Removal Act which relocated Native Americans. The policy primarily
affected five tribes: the Cherokee, Choctaw, Creek, Chickasaw, and Seminole
nations of the southeastern United States.
May 28, 1832 – Confederate officer William Hugh Means King
was born in Madison in Morgan County, Ga. He would go on to serve as captain of
Co. H of the 5th Georgia Regiment and organized a company of infantry called
the Hardee Rifles in Georgia. The unit mustered in at Pensacola, Fla. on May
12, 1861, and King was cited for gallantry at Santa Rosa Island, Fla. He was
promoted to major and served as brigade adjutant for Gen. R.H. Anderson,
Brigadier General Kirby Smith and General Braxton Bragg. He was ordered to
collect scattered cavalry troops and report to Gen. Joseph Wheeler, where he
served until the end of the war. King was a graduate of State University of
Georgia in Athens and was a lawyer, Mayor of Evergreen and served as principal
of the Evergreen Academy. He passed away in Evergreen at the age of 82 on June
3, 1914 (some sources say June 5) and he was buried in the Old Evergreen
Cemetery.
May 28, 1861 – During the Civil
War, Robert Anderson assumed command of the Department of Kentucky. Irvin
McDowell assumed command of the Department of Northeastern Virginia.
Confederates seized the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad from Point of Rocks to
Cumberland Maryland.
May 28, 1862 - Since long before
the Revolutionary War, it had been the tradition in British naval service to
issue sailors a ration of a pint of rum per day at sea. This tradition had
carried over to American sailors. Not willing to leave a good thing alone,
Asst. Navy Sec. Fox wrote on this day to a senator, “I beg you for the enduring
good of the service, to abolish the spirit ration and forbid any distilled
liquors being placed on board any vessel belonging to the United States,
excepting of course the Medical Department. All insubordination, all misery,
every deviltry on board ships can be traced to rum.” The forces of enforced
temperance would eventually prevail.
May 28, 1863 – During the Civil War, a skirmish was fought
at Florence, Ala.
May 28, 1863 - The 54th Massachusetts Infantry, the Army’s
first black regiment, left Boston for combat in the South when they marched
onto a steamer and set sail for Port Royal, South Carolina. The unit saw action
right away, taking part in a raid into Georgia and withstanding a Confederate
attack near Charleston, South Carolina. The story the 54th Massachusetts was
immortalized in the critically acclaimed 1990 movie Glory, starring
Mathew Broderick, Denzell Washington, and Morgan Freeman.
May 28, 1863 – During the Civil
War, a skirmish was fought near Fort Gibson in the Indian Territory.
May 28, 1863 – During the Civil
War, the siege of Vicksburg, Miss. entered its tenth day.
May 28, 1864 – During the Civil
War, skirmishes were fought at Jones's Farm, Totopotomoy River, Crump's Creek
and Haw's Chop in Virginia.
May 28, 1865 – During the Civil
War, a skirmish was fought at Sweetwater Station, Wyoming.
May 28, 1878 – French sinologist and explorer Paul Pelliot
was born in Paris, France. He is best known for his explorations of Central
Asia and his discovery of many important Chinese texts among the Dunhuang
manuscripts.
May 28, 1878 – The Monroe Journal reported, under the
headline “FINAL SETTLEMENT,” that Maj. Joseph F. Boyles, “our old tax collector,
was the first tax collector in the state, again, as usual, to make a final
settlement with the state for the county. Old Monroe stands first on the list
of honest tax-paying counties in the state at Montgomery, and to untiring
energy of our tax collector, is much credit due for this fact.”
May 28, 1878 – The Monroe Journal reported that the medical
society of Monroe County recently elected the following officers: J.M. Lindsey,
President; S.S. Gaillard, vice president; F.S. Dailey, treasurer; J.T. Packer,
secretary; and J.T. Russell, chairman. W.W. Boroughs and S.S. Gaillard, compose
the board of censors.
May 28, 1878 – The Monroe Journal reported that Dr. J.M.
Wiggins, who lived at Midway, paid Monroeville and his old friends a visit a
few days before.
May 28, 1878 – The Monroe Journal reported, in news from
Perdue Hill, that the “new saloon on the Hill is handsomely fixed up, and looks
neat, cozy and enticing. The liquors and cigars are the best brands, the wines
are the best the market affords, and the best of beer is always kept on tap.”
May 28, 1878 – The Monroe Journal reported that E.H. Bixler
and Walter Forwood “took their fine trotters – Billie and Sidney – to the
Mobile Fair, the latter of which acquitted himself with great credit and did
the prettiest trotting on the track, and but for unfriendly jockeying, would
have been winner of several races. Mr. Bixler’s horse became excited and
unmanageable, though a very fast trotter.”
May 28, 1885 – Major C.L. Scott of Monroeville and his
private secretary, Col. B.L. Hibbard, were to set sail from New York for
Caracas on this day. Earlier in the month, U.S. President Grover Cleveland
appointed Scott to be U.S. Minister to Venezuela.
May 28, 1887 - Olympic athlete, baseball and basketball
player Jim Thorpe was born in Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma.
May 28, 1892 – In San Francisco, John Muir organized the
Sierra Club.
May 28, 1892 – German SS general Sepp Dietrich was born in Hawangen,
Bavaria, German Empire.
May 28, 1896 – The Monroe Journal reported that A.T. Sowell
had accepted a position as salesman for the Bear Creek Mill Co.
May 28, 1896 – The Monroe Journal reported that J.S. Lambert
of Mount Pleasant was in Atlanta, Ga., being treated by the doctors of the
National Surgical Institute.
May 28, 1896 – The Monroe Journal reported, in news from the
Manistee community, that the Bear Creek Mill was running regular after some
repairs.
May 28, 1897 – The Evergreen Courant reported that a few
days before, “one of our local fishermen caught with an ordinary trout hook in
Murder Creek a gar fish 41 inches long.”
May 28, 1902 - Owen Wister’s “The
Virginian” was published by Macmillan Press. It was the first “serious” Western
and one of the most influential in the genre.
May 28, 1907 - Journalist Eddy
Gilmore was born in Selma, Ala.
May 28, 1908 - Author, journalist and “James Bond” creator
Ian Fleming was born in London.
May 28, 1909 – The Conecuh Record reported that 1.5 inches
of rain fell in Evergreen, Ala. and about four inches fell on the following
day.
May 28, 1913 – Poet May Swenson was born in Logan, Utah.
May 28, 1913 - The second annual commencement of the Monroe
County High School concluded on this Wednesday evening with the baccalaureate
address by Hon. John McDuffie and the award of the Coxwell medal in the
oratorical contest. The medal was awarded to Mr. Riffie Simmons. “A pleasant
incident connected with the delivery of a diploma to Miss May Belle Broughton,
the first to complete the high school course, was the presentation of a
beautiful gold watch as a memento from citizens of Monroeville and friends of
the school,” according to The Monroe Journal. The presentation speech was
delivered by Judge W.G. McCorvey. Prof. G.A. Harris was announced as the
principal of the high school for the ensuring year with Miss Mamie Borough and
Miss Adele Kirk as assistants.
May 28, 1916 – Novelist Walker Percy was born in Birmingham,
and he is best known for his 1961 novel, “The Moviegoer.”
May 28, 1916 – As part of the closing exercises of the
Second District Agricultural School in Evergreen, Dr. J.A. Hendrix of Howard
College preached the baccalaureate sermon at the Baptist church on this Sunday
morning to “an appreciative congregation.”
May 28, 1917 - Commencement exercises of the Moore Academy
were held at Pine Apple on this Monday night. The graduating class, consisting
of Misses Lila Davidson, Julietta Norred, Nellie McCrory and Adele Haskew,
rendered their essays in a creditable way, according to The Wilcox Progressive
Era. John H. Wallace Jr. delivered the graduating address and was introduced by
J.R. Melton. The diplomas were delivered to the graduates by J.T. Adams, mayor
of the city. At the conclusion of the exercises, C.H. Newsom, principal of the
school, delivered a prize offered by Miss Julia Barge for punctuality in the
fifth, sixth and seventh grades, which was won by William Stasford Jr.
Professor Newsom was re-elected for the term 1917-1918.
May 28, 1918 - In the first
sustained American offensive of World War I, an Allied force including a full
brigade of nearly 4,000 United States soldiers captured the village of
Cantigny, on the Somme River in France, from their German enemy.
May 28, 1922 - Alabama author John Allan Wyeth died in New
York, N.Y.
May 28, 1924 – The Evergreen Courant reported, under the
headline “CELEBRATION OF ST. JOHN’S DAY: Masonic Lodges of Conecuh County to
Come to Evergreen on June 24th in Annual Convocation,” that the
citizens of Evergreen were cooperating in every way with the local Masonic
bodies to make Tues., the 24th day of June, a red-letter day in the
history and life of this section of Alabama. “All differences are obliterated
and our people are of one mind and purpose to make the day the success that the
occasion deserves. As stated in the columns of The Courant heretofore, every
Masonic lodge of Conecuh County has been invited to come to Evergreen on that
day and bring their officers who have been elected for the ensuing year to be
publicly installed and the Masons of the county are to be guests of the
citizens of Evergreen and immediate communities who will serve a basket picnic.
The ladies of Evergreen and communities will prepare and send or bring these
baskets, and it is safe to say that this part of the program will be in full
keeping with the meaning which is that each family contribute liberally to a
common table. The large auditorium of the new city school has been secured in
which to hold the installation services which will be in charge of Lawrence H.
Lee and Gen. H. Thigpen of Montgomery, who will also deliver an address each on
the fundamental principles of this ancient and honorable fraternity. The brass
band composed of the boys from the Alabama Masonic Home have been secured, and
it is planned that all stores and offices of Evergreen be closed and business
generally suspended in order that everybody may join in the celebration.”
May 28, 1929 – Conecuh County High School in Castleberry,
Ala. was scheduled to hold graduation exercises and the commencement address
was to be delivered by Dr. E.C. Moore, president of the Downing-Shofner
Institute of Brewton. Also that night, CCHS principal G.M. Veazey was to
deliver diplomas to 13 seniors. Members of the senior class included Anna Ree
Brandon, Harvey Beard, Jessie Mae Ellis, Emma Lee Holland, Earle Howington,
Ralph Howington, Lottie Lynch, Allene Miniard, Charles Price, Mary Ester
Stapleton, Lillie Belle Stone, Hazel Clair Riley and Ercie Ward.
May 28, 1935 - John Steinbeck’s
first successful novel, “Tortilla Flat,”
was first published.
May 28, 1937 – The Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco,
California, was officially opened by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in
Washington, D.C., who pushed a button to signal the start of vehicle traffic
over the span.
May 28, 1940
– During World War II, Belgium surrendered to Nazi Germany to end the Battle of
Belgium.
May 28, 1941 - The first night baseball game in Washington,
D.C. took place. The Yankees beat the Senators, 6-5, at Griffith Stadium.
May 28, 1942
– During World War II, in retaliation for the assassination attempt on Reinhard
Heydrich, Nazis in Czechoslovakia killed over 1,800 people.
May 28, 1945 – The USS Eldridge departed New York City for
service in the Pacific. En route to Saipan in July, it made contact with an
underwater object and immediately attacked, but no results were observed.
May 28, 1946 - The first night game in the original Yankee
Stadium took place. The Senators beat the Yankees, 2-1.
May 28, 1948 - Graduation exercises at Conecuh County
Training School were scheduled to be held in the school auditorium on this
Friday at 8 p.m. Dr. Robert C. Hatch, Supervisor of Instruction of the Division
of Negro Education, State Department of Education, Montgomery, Ala., was to
deliver the commencement address. Fifty-three students were scheduled to
receive diplomas.
May 28, 1948 – Evergreen High School’s graduation
exercises were scheduled to be held in the high school auditorium on this
Friday night at 8 p.m. Rev. A.A. Staples was to deliver the commencement
address.
May 28, 1950 – On this Sunday afternoon, the Evergreen
Greenies of the Dixie Amateur League were scheduled to play Bay Minette in
Evergreen.
May 28, 1951 - Batting for the New
York Giants against the Boston Braves, Alabama native Willie Mays got his first
hit in the Major Leagues--a home run. Born near Birmingham, the "Say Hey
Kid" went on to be named National League Rookie of the Year and hit 660
homers in a legendary Hall of Fame career.
May 28, 1956 - Dale Long became the
first player to hit home runs in eight consecutive games.
May 28, 1957 - National League club
owners voted to allow the Brooklyn Dodgers to move to Los Angeles and that the
New York Giants could move to San Francisco.
May 28, 1959 – Lyeffion High
School’s graduation ceremony was scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. in Lyeffion, Ala.
Dr. L.Y. Trapp of Troy State Teachers College was to deliver the graduation
address, and Principal J.O. Yawn was to pass out diplomas to 28 graduates.
Carolyn Brown was the valedictorian, and Betty Jane Riley was the salutatorian.
May 28, 1959 - Two monkeys, Able
and Baker, became the first living creatures to survive a space flight. Their
voyage reached speeds of 10,000 mph and lasted 15 minutes. Miss Baker, a
squirrel monkey, and Miss Able, a rhesus monkey, took a historic flight into
space aboard a Jupiter rocket. It was the first NASA mission in which living
mammals returned alive following a flight in space. Following her trip to
space, Miss Baker became an attraction at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in
Huntsville, where she lived for 25 years. She died in 1984 of kidney failure.
(Miss Able died a few days after the flight, during a medical procedure to
remove an electrode.) Miss Baker was inducted into the Alabama Animal Hall of
Fame in 2005.
May 28, 1965 – Evergreen High
School was scheduled to hold graduation exercises on this Friday night in
Memorial Gymnasium at 8 p.m. Kay Holman was the valedictorian, and Nancy Nix
was the salutatorian. Sixty-five students were expected to receive diplomas.
May 28, 1965 – Conecuh County High
School in Castleberry, Ala. was scheduled to hold graduation exercises on this
Friday night at 8 p.m. Donald Sawyer was the valedictorian, and Jimmy Oliver
was the salutatorian. Twenty-nine seniors were expected to receive diplomas.
May 28, 1968 – Atomic submarine USS
Scorpion, with a crew of 99, failed to return to its homeport in Norfolk, Va.,
seven days after sending its last routine message 250 miles west of the Azores.
Presumed lost on June 5, a naval oceanographic research ship several months
later would find its wreckage at more than 10,000 feet on the edge of the
Sargasso Sea. The reason for its sinking remains undetermined.
May 28, 1969 – Army Cpl. Clarence Taylor, 25, of Greenville,
Ala. was killed in action in Vietnam while serving in the 173rd
Airborne Brigade. Taylor was featured in the June 27, 1969 edition of LIFE
magazine in a cover story titled “The Faces of the American Dead in Vietnam:
One Week’s Toll.” Born on Feb. 6, 1944 in Greenville, he is buried in the Sweet
Home AME Zion Church Cemetery in Butler County. (Some sources give his rank as
Private First Class.)
May 28, 1969 – During the Vietnam
War, U.S. troops abandoned Ap Bia Mountain.
May 28, 1974 – John Drew of Beatrice, Ala. was drafted in
the second round of the NBA draft by the Atlanta Hawks.
May 28, 1988 – Major League Baseball relief pitcher Craig
Kimbrel was born in Huntsville, Ala. During his career, he has played for the
Atlanta Braves, the San Diego Padres and the Boston Red Sox.
May 28, 1993 – English amputee and sprint runner Jonathan
“Jonnie” Peacock was born in Cambridge, England. An amputee and sprint runner,
he won gold at the 2012 Summer Paralympics, representing Great Britain in the
T44 men's 100 metres event.
May 28, 1995 - The White Sox and the Tigers combined for 12
home runs at Tiger Stadium.
May 28, 1998 - The Monroe County Health Department was
scheduled to hold a ribbon cutting ceremony at its new offices on Agricultural
Drive in Monroeville at 2 p.m. on this Thursday. After the ribbon cutting, the
Health Department planned to hold an open house. The public was invited to tour
the department’s new offices between 3 and 4 p.m. that day.
May 28, 2002 – The last steel girder was removed from the
original World Trade Center site. Cleanup duties officially end with closing
ceremonies at Ground Zero in Manhattan, New York City.
May 28, 2004 – The Iraqi Governing Council chose Ayad
Allawi, a longtime anti-Saddam Hussein exile, as prime minister of Iraq's
interim government.
May 28, 2006 - Barry Bonds of the San Francisco Giants hit
his 715th career home run, allowing Bonds to pass Babe Ruth on the all time
list into second place.
May 28, 2012 – The Conecuh County Veterans Monument was
officially dedicated during special ceremony attended by over 100 people.
No comments:
Post a Comment