Today in History for Dec. 4, 2014

Excel Masonic Lodge No. 655 in Excel, Ala.

Dec. 4, 1791 – The first edition of The Observer in Britain, the world's first Sunday newspaper, was published.

Dec. 4, 1802 – The Supreme Council issued its “Manifesto” to the Masonic World.

Dec. 4, 1820 – The City of Selma, Ala. was incorporated.

Dec. 4, 1846 – The organizational charter was issued to Eureka Lodge No. 64 in Greenville, Ala.

Dec. 4, 1855 – The organizational charter was issued to Santa Fe Lodge No. 226 in Jackson, Ala.

Dec. 4, 1864 – At Waynesboro, Ga., forces under Union General Judson Kilpatrick prevented troops led by Confederate General Joseph Wheeler from interfering with Union General William T. Sherman's campaign destroying a wide swath of the South on his famous “March to the Sea” from Atlanta to the Atlantic Ocean.

Dec. 4, 1872 – The crewless American ship  Mary Celeste was found in the Atlantic Ocean by the British brig Dei Gratia. The ship had been abandoned for nine days but was only slightly damaged. The cause of the ship's desertion and the fate of its 10 passengers remains a mystery. Theories on what happened include a pirate attack, an encounter with a waterspout, a mutiny by the crew, and an accident involving the ship's cargo: barrels of alcohol.

Dec. 4, 1881 – The first edition of the Los Angeles Times was published.

Dec. 4, 1895 – The organizational charter was issued to the H. Clay Armstrong Lodge No. 544 in Salitpa in Clarke County, Ala.

Dec. 4, 1901 – The organizational charter was issued to Downing Lodge No. 580 in Castleberry, Ala.

Dec. 4, 1907 – The organizational charter was issued to Excel Lodge No. 655 in Excel, Ala.

Dec. 4, 1909 – In Canadian football, the First Grey Cup game was played. The University of Toronto Varsity Blues defeated the Toronto Parkdale Canoe Club, 26–6.

Dec. 4, 1943 - Baseball Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis announced that any club was free to employ black players.

Dec. 4, 1962 – Excel, Ala. native Lee Roy Jordan was drafted in the first round by the Dallas Cowboys. He would go on to play his entire career for the Cowboys from 1963 through 1976. In all, he played in 186 NFL games and recorded 1,236 total tackles (including 743 solos), 36 interceptions and three touchdowns. He was selected for the Pro Bowl five times and played on the team that won Super Bowl VI in 1972.

Dec. 4, 1964 - Major League Baseball established a free-agent draft that would take effect in 1965.

Dec. 4, 1970 – Monroe Academy won its first state football title by beating Lowndes Academy, 6-0, in Monroeville, Ala.

Dec. 4, 1970 – In an incident attributed to the Bermuda Triangle, Bruce Gernon Jr. and his father were flying in Gernon’s private Beechcraft plane from Andros Island in the Bahamas to Palm Beach, Fla. The plane flew into a strange, cigar-shaped cloud and flew out of the cloud a short time later to find themselves over Miami Beach. The 200-mile flight normally took 75 minutes, but Gernon claimed that it took them only 45 minutes to cover 250 miles.

Dec. 4, 1977 - The NFL's 5,000th game was played.

Dec. 4, 1977 - Tony Dorsett of the Dallas Cowboys rushed for 206 yards against the Philadelphia Eagles. He became only the third rookie to rush for more than 200 yards in a game.

Dec. 4, 1997 - John Elway of the Denver Broncos surpassed 3,000 yards for the season. It was his 12th consecutive season to pass for more than 3,000 yards.

Dec. 4, 1997 - Barry Sanders of the Detroit Lions set an NFL record when he rushed for over 100 yards in 12 consecutive games.