Today in History for June 26, 2015

Abner Doubleday

June 26, 1284 - It was said that the Pied Piper of Hamelin, Germany lured 130 children out of town, and they were never seen again.

June 26, 1541 - Spanish explorer and politician Francisco Pizarro, who was between 65 and 70 years old, was assassinated while eating dinner at his palace in Lima by the son of his former companion and later antagonist, Diego Almagro the younger. Almagro is later caught and executed. Pizarro was the governor of Peru and conqueror of the Inca civilization.

June 26, 1776 - John Adams, who would go on to become the second President of the United States of America, wrote a letter to his wife Abigail in which he complained that the Congress was giving him "more business than I am qualified for, and more than, I fear, that I can go through, with safety to my health."

June 26, 1784 - Delaware Patriot Caesar Rodney passed away at the age of 55 in Kent County, Delaware. Rodney is best remembered for his overnight ride from Dover, Delaware to Philadelphia, Pa. to cast the deciding vote for the Declaration of Independence in the Continental Congress on July 2, 1776. The image of Rodney on horseback riding for Philadelphia appears on the Delaware quarter, issued in 1999.

June 26, 1804 - The Lewis and Clark Expedition reached the mouth of the Kansas River after completing a westward trek of nearly 400 river miles.

June 26, 1819 – Union General Abner Doubleday was born in Ballston Spa, N.Y. He fired the first shot in defense of Fort Sumter, the opening battle of the war, and had a pivotal role in the early fighting at the Battle of Gettysburg. Doubleday has been historically credited with inventing baseball, although this appears to be untrue.

June 26, 1862 - At the Battle of Mechanicsville, Va., Confederate General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia struck Union General George B. McClellan's Army of the Potomac, beginning the Seven Days' Battles. This was Lee’s first battle as commander of the army. McClellan eventually withdrew back toward Washington after both sides suffered heavy losses.

June 26, 1891 - Alabama author Octavus Roy Cohen was born in Charleston, S.C.

June 26, 1892 – Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Pearl Buck was born in Hillsboro, W.V. Her most famous novel, “The Good Earth,” was published in 1931.

June 26, 1898 – Blues musician Big Bill Broonzy was born in Scott, Miss. (Some sources say he was born in Lake Dick, Ark. and in 1893.)

June 26, 1900 - A commission that included Dr. Walter Reed began the fight against the deadly disease yellow fever.

June 26, 1912 – Confederate soldier Capt. Jas. W. Darby of Garland, Ala. passed away. He was about 73 years old.

June 26, 1914 – The Evergreen Courant reported that the thermometer topped 106 degrees in Evergreen, Ala., making it “the hottest day known in Evergreen for many years. The temperature for four days previous ranged from 102 to 105. The weather bureau states it a fact that this has been the hottest June since 1881.”

June 26, 1915 – On this Saturday afternoon John Salter and Robert Watkins made a full confession to the brutal murder of Martha Lassiter, the attempted murder of Wiley House and the robbery and burning of House’s residence on June 23, 2015. Also on this afternoon, Sheriff Williams and several deputies, as a precaution, transferred Salter and Watkins to the Montgomery County, Ala. Jail by automobile.

June 26, 1916 - The Chicago White Sox and the Cleveland Indians appeared in a game with numbers on their sleeves. The event marked the first time that players were identified by numbers that corresponded to the scoreboard.

June 26, 1917 – The first 14,000 U.S. infantry troops begin arriving in France at the port of Saint Nazaire during World War I.

June 26, 1923 - Alabama author Alfred Maund was born in Jennings, La.

June 26, 1928 - Alabama author Amelie Rives's play “Say When” opened on Broadway.

June 26, 1934 - Alabama author Carl Carmer's book “Stars Fell on Alabama” was published.

June 26, 1938 - Lonney Frey of the Cincinnati Reds had eight hits in a doubleheader split with the Philadelphia Phillies.

June 26, 1944 - The New York Giants, Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Yankees played against each other in a six-inning contest in a war bonds fund-raiser. Over 50,000 people watched the game. The final score was Dodgers 5, Yankees 1 and the Giants 0.

June 26, 1946 - A movie version of Alabama author Lillian Hellman's play “The Searching Wind” was released.

June 26, 1948 – Shirley Jackson's short story “The Lottery” was published in The New Yorker magazine.

June 26, 1952 – Evergreen’s Junior American Legion baseball team was scheduled to play a rematch against Andalusia at Brooks Stadium in Evergreen, Ala. on this Thursday afternoon. Two days before, Andalusia beat Evergreen, 8-7, in Andalusia.

June 26, 1952 – The Evergreen Courant reported that the “sweltering weather” that had gripped Conecuh County, Ala. for the previous two weeks looked to continue with little relief in sight. Conecuh County had received scattered showers during this time, but there had been no “general rains” thus far in June. Virtually every day during this time, the temperature had “soared into the upper nineties” with the high reaching 100 degrees on June 15.

June 26-27, 1952 – “A Streetcar Named Desire,” starring Marlon Brando and Vivien Lee, was scheduled to be shown at The Pix Theater in Evergreen, Ala.

June 26, 1959 – Swedish boxer Ingemar Johansson became world champion of heavy weight boxing, by defeating american Floyd Patterson on technical knockout after two minutes and three seconds in the third round at Yankee Stadium.

June 26, 1961 - A Kuwaiti vote opposed Iraq's annexation plans.

June 26, 1962 - Earl Wilson of the Boston Red Sox pitched a 2-0 no-hitter against the Los Angeles Angels. Wilson also hit a home run.

June 26, 1970 - Frank Robinson of the Baltimore Orioles hit two grand slams against the Washington Senators in a 12-2 win.

June 26, 1971 - The U.S. Justice Department issued a warrant for Daniel Ellsberg, accusing him of giving away the “Pentagon Papers.”

June 26, 1974 - Supermarket scanning of UPC codes began with a pack of chewing gum in Troy, Ohio. The first scan was made at a Marsh’s Supermarket in Troy, Ohio, which had agreed to serve as a test facility for the new technology, and the first item scanned was a pack of Wrigley’s Juicy Fruit Gum. That pack of gum is on display at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C.

June 26, 1976 - Shortstop Toby Harrah of the Texas Rangers played an entire doubleheader without handling a batted ball from the Chicago White Sox.

June 26, 1982 – The Lyeffion Saddle Club was scheduled to hold a horseshow on this Saturday starting at 5 p.m.

June 26, 1982 – A ladies slow pitch softball tournament, sponsored by the China Ladies Softball Club, was scheduled to be held on this Saturday at Evergreen Municipal Park in Evergreen, Ala.

June 26, 1985 - Wilbur Snapp was ejected after playing "Three Blind Mice" during a baseball game. The incident followed a call made by umpire Keith O'Connor.

June 26, 1987 – “Full Metal Jacket,” a movie version of Alabama author Gustav Hasford's book “The Short-Timers,” was released.

June 26, 1993 – National Baseball Hall of Fame catcher Roy Campanella passed away at the age of 71 in Woodland Hills, Calif. He played his entire career (1948-1957) for the Brooklyn Dodgers. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1969.

June 26, 1993 – In retaliation for an Iraqi plot to assassinate former U.S. President George Bush during his April visit to Kuwait, President Bill Clinton ordered U.S. warships to fire Tomahawk cruise missiles at Iraqi intelligence headquarters in downtown Baghdad.

June 26, 1997 – Hillcrest High School’s band boosters were scheduled to hold a reception in the school cafetorium in Evergreen, Ala. on this Thursday at 6 p.m. to introduce and welcome the school’s new band director, Christal Carter.

June 26, 1997 – The first book in the Harry Potter series, “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone,” was published in Britain.

June 26, 1998 – The Oak Hill Historic District in Oak Hill in Wilcox County, Ala. was added to the National Register of Historic Places. The district is roughly centered on the intersection of State Highway 10 and State Highway 21. It contains 6,750 acres, 56 buildings and seven structures.

June 26, 1998 – The classic Civil War-era blockbuster “Gone with the Wind,” originally released in 1939, is re-released in U.S. theaters by New Line Pictures.

June 26, 1999 - Sammy Sosa of the Chicago White Sox hit his 300th career home run.

June 26, 1999 - Cal Ripken of the Baltimore Orioles got his 995th extra base hit.

June 26, 2000 - Alex Cabrera of the Arizona Diamondbacks hit a two-run home run in his first major league at-bat.

June 26, 2003 – Indian Springs Baptist Church in Monroe County, Ala. was listed on Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage.

June 26, 2005 - Paulus van der Sloot and Steve Gregory Croes were ordered to be released from jail after their arrests in connection with the disappearance of Natalee Holloway, 18, of Mountain Brook, Ala.