Wednesday, June 17, 2015

Today in History for June 17, 2015

Evergreen, Ala. native Ken Clark
June 17, 1579 – Sir Francis Drake claimed a land he called Nova Albion (modern California) for England.

June 17, 1596 – The Dutch explorer Willem Barentsz discovered the Arctic archipelago of Spitsbergen.

June 17, 1631 – Mumtaz Mahal died during childbirth. Her husband, Mughal emperor Shah Jahan I, spent the next 17 years building her mausoleum, the Taj Mahal in Agra.

June 17, 1673 – French explorers Jacques Marquette and Louis Jolliet reached the Mississippi River and became the first Europeans to make a detailed account of its course.

June 17, 1692 – In connection with the Salem witchcraft trials, Chris Anzivino landed in Massachusetts, bringing with him Italian ideas on witchcraft.

June 17, 1775 – During the American Revolutionary War, the Battle of Bunker Hill began outside of Boston, and the colonists inflicted heavy casualties on British forces. The British suffered nearly 1,000 casualties and the Patriots suffered 370. Dr. Joseph Warren, an early American Revolution leader was killed in the battle.


June 17, 1825 – During his tour of the United States, the Marquis de Lafayette laid the cornerstone of the Bunker Hill Monument during the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Battle of Bunker Hill at Charlestown near Boston, Mass. He was accompanied by Daniel Webster, who gave a rousing speech.

June 17, 1837 - Union Colonel Strong Vincent was born in Waterford, Pa. He was mortally wounded at Little Round Top on July 2, 1863. He died from his wounds on July 7.

June 17, 1856 - The Republican Party opened its first national convention in Philadelphia, Pa.

June 17, 1861 - U.S. President Abraham Lincoln witnessed Dr. Thaddeus Lowe demonstrate the use of a hydrogen balloon.

June 17, 1861 – During the Civil War, the Battle of Vienna occurred in Fairfax County, Va.

June 17, 1863 – During the Civil War, the Battle of Aldie, part of the Gettysburg Campaign, was fought in Loudon County, Va.

June 17, 1885 - The Statue of Liberty, a gift from France to the people of the United States, arrived in New York City's harbor on this day in 1885. The dismantled 151-foot-tall statue was enclosed in more than 200 packing cases.

June 17, 1897 – George Bradley assaulted Richard Rumbley in his store near Pleasant Ridge in Monroe County on this night, and Rumbley died from his injuries a few hours later. Bradley was tried on Aug. 9 and sentenced to death. He was executed on Sept. 17, and this was the second hanging in Monroe County, Ala. since the Civil War.

June 17, 1901 – The College Board introduced its first standardized test, the forerunner to the SAT.

June 17, 1912 – Greening Masonic Lodge in Evergreen, Ala. elected officers for the ensuing year and selected Dr. W.F. Betts as Worshipful Master. Other elected officers included H.L. Tucker, Senior Warden; Dr. J.W. Hagood, Junior Warden; H.H. Floyd, Treasurer; F.J. Dean, Secretary; W.B. James, Senior Deacon; Dr. T.B. McDonald, Junior Deacon; J.H. Stamps, Tiler; W.S. Oliver and A.A. Williams, Stewards; and Rev. D.J. Wrights, Chaplain.

June 17, 1914 - LaSalle "Sallie" Corbell Pickett, the widow of Confederate Gen. George Edward Pickett, who led Pickett’s Charge at Gettysburg, delivered a lecture on the “Battle of Gettysburg” in Greenville, Ala. The lecture was sponsored by the Father Ryan Chapter of the U.D.C. in Greenville, and all Confederate veterans received complimentary tickets.

June 17, 1915 – Baseball teams from Evergreen and Andalusia played a doubleheader in Evergreen, Ala. Evergreen won the first game, 3-1, but Andalusia won the second, 5-4.

June 17, 1928 - Amelia Earhart began the flight that made her the first woman to successfully fly across the Atlantic Ocean.

June 17, 1936 – Stage and film actor Henry Brazeale Walthall, a native of Shelby County, Ala., passed away at the age of 55 in Monrovia, Calif. He is best known for his role of the “Little Colonel” in D.W. Griffith’s 1915 film, “The Birth of a Nation.”

June 17, 1943 - Joe Cronin of the Boston Red Sox pinch hit a home run in both games of a doubleheader against the Philadelphia A's.

June 17, 1946 – The USS Eldridge was placed out of commission in reserve.

June 17, 1960 - Ted Williams hit his 500th career home run.

June 17, 1961 – John O. Leu, 22, of Nashville, Tenn. and Gene McGill, 18, of Mobile, Ala. died in a Cessna 182 crash at Uriah, Ala. The wreckage was not discovered until Dec. 30, 1964.

June 17, 1964 - A floating trade fair from Japan docked in London, featuring such futuristic products as a telephone booth that transmitted pictures.

June 17, 1966 – NFL running back Kenneth R. “Ken” Clark was born in Evergreen, Ala. He went on to play for the University of Nebraska and then played three seasons for the Indianapolis Colts. The son of Carolyn Clark, he was an all-state player at Omaha Bryan High School. Clark passed away at the age of 46 on Feb. 16, 2013 in Minneapolis, following a massive heart attack.

June 17, 1971 - Don Kessinger of the Chicago Cubs went 6-for-6 against St. Louis.

June 17, 1972 – In connection with the Watergate scandal, five White House operatives were arrested for burgling the offices of the Democratic National Committee in an attempt by some members of the Republican party to illegally wiretap the opposition.

June 17, 1976 – The 17th Annual Evergreen Rotary Club Wildlife Camp was scheduled to end on this day at Tal Stuart’s Pond near Belleville, Ala. Over 40 Conecuh County boys participated in the camp, and James Ansley was the camp director.

June 17, 1976 – The Evergreen Courant reported that Conecuh County Deputy Leroy Ferrell destroyed approximately 30 marijuana plants found growing off the Brooklyn Road in Conecuh County, Ala.

June 17, 1983 – Evergreen, Ala. received 1.33 inches of rain and 1.11 inches of rain the next day.

June 17, 2005 – Police arrested a fourth person, later identified as disc jockey Steve Gregory Croes, in connection with the disappearance of Natalee Holloway, 18, of Mountain Brook, Ala. He was later released on June 26, 2005.

June 17, 2006 – Evergreen’s professional Minor League football team, the Jaguars, was scheduled to start preseason play against the Port City Monarchs at 7:30 p.m. at Archbishop Oscar H. Lipscomb Complex in Mobile, Ala. The Jaguars, under head coach Victor Calhoun, was part of the North American Football League.

June 17, 2008 – The Shiloh Primitive Baptist Church Cemetery in Monroe County, the Mancill Cemetery in Covington County, the Kettler Plantation Cemetery in Butler County and the Camden Cemetery in Wilcox County were added to the Alabama Historic Cemetery Register.
  
June 17, 2013 – Evergreen, Ala. received 2.18 inches of rain.

No comments:

Post a Comment