Today in History for Oct. 22, 2015

Baseball Hall of Famer Jimmie Foxx

Oct. 22, 1775 - After years of poor health, Peyton Randolph, former president of the Continental Congress, died at the age of 54 in Philadelphia, Pa. He resigned as president of the Continental Congress in October 1774 to attend a meeting of the Virginia House of Burgesses but remained a powerful and influential figure within Congress. He did not live to see America achieve independence, a goal toward which he had worked for most of his adult life.

Oct. 22, 1777 – During the American Revolutionary War, the American defenders of Fort Mercer on the Delaware River repulsed repeated Hessian attacks in the Battle of Red Bank.

Oct. 22, 1821 - The steamboat “Harriet” reached Montgomery, Ala. after 10 days of travel from Mobile, Ala. This was the first successful attempt to navigate so far north on the Alabama River, and it opened river trade between Montgomery and Mobile.

Oct. 22, 1824 – During his tour of the United States, the Marquis de Lafayette arrived in Norfolk, Va. via steamer from Petersburg, and he spent four days there and in Portsmouth.

Oct. 22, 1836 - Sam Houston was inaugurated as the first President of the Republic of Texas, an independent state that existed between 1836 and 1845 between Mexico and America.

Oct. 22, 1844 - The world was supposed to come to an end in conjunction with the return of Christ, according to the American preacher William Miller, leader of the 'Millerism' movement. 'Millerites' referred to the following day as the Great Disappointment.

Oct. 22, 1864 - Confederate General John Bell Hood marched from Gadsen to Guntersville, Ala. in order to cross the Tennessee River. However, Hood had forgotten to retrieve his army's pontoon bridge from the Coosa River in eastern Alabama. He took the troops 50 miles out of their way and made a surprise attack on Tennessee unlikely. When Hood did move into Tennessee Union General William T. Sherman's force was ready and waiting.

Oct. 22, 1864 - At the Battle of Byram's Ford in Kansas City, Mo., Confederate General Sterling Price pushed by a small Union force under Union General Samuel Curtis' army.

Oct. 22, 1878 – West Point graduate, lawyer and state senator Edmund W. Martin died in Evergreen, Ala. He served as an officer in Mexican-American War and Civil War and was wounded at the Battle of Dalton, Ga. on Feb. 25, 1864.

Oct. 22, 1883 – Major General Charles Lewis Scott, who became chief of American armored forces in 1943, was born in Mount Pleasant in Monroe County, Ala. He graduated from West Point in 1905 and became a pioneer in the mechanized cavalry. He commanded the 13th Mechanized Cavalry at Fort Knox, Ky. and in 1940 became the first commanding general of the Second Armored Division at Fort Benning, Ga. and later first commander of the First Armored Corps. He passed away at the age of 71 at Walter Reed Hospital.

Oct. 22, 1883 – The Metropolitan Opera House in New York City opened with a performance of Gounod's “Faust.”

Oct. 22, 1884 – Greenwich, in London, England, was adopted as Universal Time meridian of longitude by the International Meridian Conference.

Oct. 22, 1907 – National Baseball Hall of Fame first baseman Jimmie Foxx was born in Sudlersville, Md. During his career, he played for the Philadelphia Athletics, the Boston Red Sox, the Chicago Cubs and the Philadelphia Phillies. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1951.

Oct. 22, 1908 – Novelist and columnist John Gould was born in Brighton, Mass.

Oct. 22-24, 1914 - The annual reunion of Alabama Division United Confederate Veterans was held in Mobile, Ala.

Oct. 22, 1914 – A devastating fire on this night destroyed a residence at Knoxville, on the outskirts of Evergreen, Ala., known as the “Rountree Place,” which was occupied by John Smith and his family. The house was owned by Mrs. T.H. Miller and most of the household effects were saved.

Oct. 22, 1914 – Former Monroe County (Ala.) Sheriff John I. Watson, who was about 80 years old, passed away at Canoe and was brought to Monroeville for burial. He lived in Monroeville for about 30 years and ran a hotel for much of that time. He was elected Monroe County Sheriff twice.

Oct. 22, 1915 – The Mitchell Council of Kadosh in Montgomery, Ala. was officially chartered. It was renamed the Montgomery Council of Kadosh on Oct. 20, 1955.

Oct. 22, 1918 – During World War I, Army Pvt. Willie Snell of McWilliams in Wilcox County, Ala. “died from disease.”

Oct. 22, 1918 – Major League Baseball infielder Lou Klein was born in New Orleans.

Oct. 22, 1919 – Noble Prize-winning novelist Doris Lessing was born in Kermanshah in present-day Iran.

Oct. 22-23, 1924 – The State Reunion of the United Confederate Veterans was held in Mobile, Ala.

Oct. 22, 1926 – J. Gordon Whitehead sucker punched magician Harry Houdini in the stomach in Montreal, precipitating his death.

Oct. 22, 1927 – Nikola Tesla introduced six new inventions including a motor with one-phase electricity

Oct. 22, 1928 - The play “The Grey Fox” opened on Broadway, with Alabama author Andrew Lytle performing the role of Biagio.

Oct. 22, 1936 – English soldier, author, and explorer John Blashford-Snell was born.

Oct. 22-23, 1939 – “The Wizard of Oz,” starring Judy Garland, showed at the Pix Theatre in downtown Evergreen, Ala.

Oct. 22, 1939 – J.B. Henderson, 65, of Fountain, Ala. died around noon at the hospital in Repton, Ala. as a result of a fractured skull said to have been inflicted by J.G. Noble on Oct. 20. Noble allegedly struck Henderson in the head with an automobile clutch hub during an argument over money supposedly owed Henderson’s son by Noble, who operated a sawmill at Fountain. Noble, who had moved to Fountain from Evergreen, was arrested and put in the Monroe County Jail.

Oct. 22, 1939 - The first televised pro football game was telecast from New York. Brooklyn defeated Philadelphia, 23-14.

Oct. 22, 1944 – In an incident attributed to the Bermuda Triangle, the Cuban freighter Rubicon was found by the Coast Guard in the Gulf Stream off Key Largo, Florida. The ship was deserted except for a hungry dog.

Oct. 22, 1950 - The Los Angeles Rams set an NFL record by defeating the Baltimore Colts, 70-27. It was a record score for a regular season game.

Oct. 2, 1952 - Alabama author Vicki Covington was born in Birmingham, Ala.

Oct. 22, 1954 – Major League Baseball catcher Jamie Quirk was born in Whittier, Calif.

Oct. 22, 1960 - John Updike memorialized Ted Williams’ baseball career by telling the story of his last at-bat in the short story "Hub Fans Bid Kid Adieu," which was published in the Oct. 22, 1960 issue of The New Yorker.

Oct. 22, 1956 – Major League Baseball pitcher Frank DiPino was born in Syracuse, N.Y.

Oct. 22, 1966 – Union High School (in Monroeville, Ala.) defensive tackle John Dean intercepted a tipped pass and returned it 65 yards for a touchdown in a 29-0 win over Camden Academy.

Oct. 22, 1971 – Excel High School began an amazing streak of 43 straight regular season football wins that didn’t end until Aug. 27, 1976 when they lost to Southern Normal, 20-8.

Oct. 22, 1973 – Major League Baseball outfielder Ichiro Suzuki was born in Kasugai, Aichi, Japan.

Oct. 22, 1977 – Excel High School’s “Roy Stacey 100-Percenter Award” was established by the Stacey family during a half-time ceremony in Excel’s homecoming game against Castleberry. Stacey, who died in 1976, was a long-time booster at the school.

Oct. 22, 1982 – Major League Baseball second baseman Robinson Canó was born in San Pedro de Macorís, Dominican Republic.

Oct. 22, 1983 - New York's Metropolitan Opera celebrated its 100th anniversary.

  

Oct. 22, 1992 - Red Barber, the legendary announcer for the Brooklyn Dodgers, passed away in Tallahassee, Fla. at the age of 84.

Oct. 22, 1993 – Episode No. 6 of “The X-Files” – entitled “Shadows” – aired for the first time.

Oct. 2, 1997 - Alabama author and Poet Laureate William Young Elliott died in Huntsville, Ala.

Oct. 22, 1999 – The motion picture adaptation of “Crazy in Alabama” by Mark Childress was released in theaters.

Oct. 22, 1999 – Frisco City High School’s Carlos Salinas made a record-setting 29 tackles in a 20-19 loss to A.L. Johnson in Frisco City, Ala.

Oct. 22, 2000 - Corey Dillon of the Cincinnati Bengals ran for 278 yards against the Denver Broncos.

Oct. 22, 2006 – A Panama Canal expansion proposal was approved by 77.8 percent of voters in a National referendum held in Panama.

Oct. 22, 2011 - Albert Pujols of the St. Louis Cardinals became the third player to hit three home runs in a World Series game.