Today in History for Oct. 4, 2014

Col. Ephraim Kirby Memorial at Mt. Vernon.

Oct. 4, 1804 – Ephraim Kirby, the first Judge of the Superior Court of the Mississippi Territory, died from a fever at the age of 47 and was buried at Fort Stoddert near Mount Vernon, Ala. A Revolutionary War soldier and the first General High Priest of the Royal Arch Masons of the United States, he was born in Woodbury, Conn. on Feb. 23, 1757. A marker in his memory can be seen today at the intersection of Old US Highway 43 and Military Road in Mount Vernon.

Oct. 4, 1813 – The “Bashi Skirmish” occurred at Failetown, between Campbell and Woods Bluff in Clarke County, Ala.

Oct. 4, 1850 – Jacob F. Betts became postmaster at Burnt Corn.

Oct. 4, 1858 - Dr. Joseph Henry Johnson founded the Alabama School for the Deaf in Talladega, enrolling his younger brother as the first student. The school evolved into the state-supported Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind, which annually serves thousands with a variety of programs.

Oct. 4, 1861 – During the Civil War, U.S. President Abraham Lincoln observed a balloon demonstration near Washington, DC.

Oct. 4, 1893 - The first professional football contract was signed by Grant Dibert for the Pittsburgh Athletic Club.

Oct. 4, 1897 – Dr. J.W. Shomo of Mt. Pleasant passed away.

Oct. 4, 1918 – During World War I, Army Pvt. William H. Stinson of Georgiana, Army Pvt. Albert E. Stanton of Canoe and Army Pvt. Arthur L. Perrett of Andalusia “died from disease.”

Oct. 4, 1937 - Hugo Black, a native of Clay County, Ala., takes his seat as an Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. Black studied law at the University of Alabama, served in World War I, and represented Alabama in the U.S. Senate from 1927 until 1937, when he was appointed to the Supreme Court by President Franklin Roosevelt. Black served on the court until his death in1971.

Oct. 4, 1941 – Horror writer Anne Rice was born in New Orleans.

Oct. 4, 1955 - The Brooklyn Dodgers won the World Series at last, beating the New York Yankees, 2-0. They’d lost the championship seven times already, and they’d lost five times just to the Yanks--in 1941, 1947, 1949, 1952 and 1953. But in 1955, thanks to nine brilliant innings in the seventh game from 23-year-old lefty pitcher Johnny Podres, they finally managed to beat the Bombers for the first (and last) time.

Oct. 4, 1959 - The first World Series to be played west of St. Louis began in Los Angeles, Calif.

Oct. 4, 1963 – In a game in which players from both teams were sideline by a virus, W.S. Neal beat Evergreen, 13-6, at Brooks Memorial Stadium in Evergreen. Allen Goolsby scored Neal’s first touchdown, and Wayne Baldwin scored the PAT. Larry Ellis scored Evergreen’s only touchdown.

Oct. 4, 1978 – Estelle Johnson, “one of Conecuh County’s more senior citizens,” passed away at the age of 100 at her residence in Burnt Corn.

Oct. 4, 1986 - Two men mugged Dan Rather as he was walking along Park Avenue in Manhattan to his New York City apartment. He was attacked and punched from behind by a man who demanded to know, "Kenneth, what is the frequency?" while a second assailant also chased and beat him. As the assailant pummeled and kicked Rather, he kept repeating the question over and over again. The incident inspired the 1994 R.E.M. song, “What’s the Frequency, Kenneth?”

Oct. 4, 1987 - NFL owners used replacement personnel to play games despite the player's strike.

Oct. 4, 1993 – The Evergreen Baptist Church, Old Beulah Cemetery, Dr. Watkins House at Burnt Corn and Asa Johnston Farmhouse at Johnsonville were added to Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage.

Oct. 4, 1997 – Former NASA astronaut Edgar Mitchell, who is known for his controversial views on UFOs, was inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame.

Oct. 4, 1999 – Vredenburgh native Mike Stewart’s first novel, “Sins of the Brother,” was first released.

Oct. 4, 2001 - Barry Bonds of the San Francisco Giants hit his 70th home run of the season to tie Mark McGwire's major league record. Bonds also moved past Reggie Jackson on the all-time list with his 564th career home run.

Oct. 4, 2001 - Rickey Henderson of the San Diego Padres scored his 2,246th career run to break Ty Cobb's major league record.