Today in History for Oct. 25, 2015

Albert B. Fall

Oct. 25, 1616 – Dutch sea-captain Dirk Hartog made the second recorded landfall by a European on Australian soil, at the later-named Dirk Hartog Island off the West Australian coast.

Oct. 25, 1774 - The First Continental Congress sent a respectful petition to King George III to inform his majesty that if it had not been for the acts of oppression forced upon the colonies by the British Parliament, the American people would be standing behind British rule. Despite the anger that the American public felt towards the United Kingdom after the British Parliament established the Coercive Acts—called the Intolerable Acts by the colonists—Congress was still willing to assert its loyalty to the king. In return for this loyalty, Congress asked the king to address and resolve the specific grievances of the colonies.

Oct. 25, 1819 - In anticipation of achieving statehood, Alabama's first state legislature assembled at Huntsville, the temporary capital, while the Cahaba capital was being constructed. The General Assembly, as it was called, was composed of 19 senators and 47 representatives from Alabama's 19 counties. Thomas Bibb of Limestone County was elected President of the Senate, while James Dellet of Monroe County was elected Speaker of the House.

Oct. 25, 1844 – British explorer Richard Francis Burton passed the regimental language exam for Maratha.

Oct. 25, 1845 – Daniel McCool was commissioned as Monroe County, Alabama’s Circuit Court Clerk. He would be recommissioned for additional terms on Aug. 13, 1849 and Aug. 17, 1853.

Oct. 25, 1861 – During the Civil War, an action occurred at Springfield, Missouri.

Oct. 25, 1861 - The keel of the Union ironclad “Monitor” was laid at the Continental Iron Works at Greenpoint, Long Island and signaled an important shift in the history of naval warfare. On March 8, 1862, the Monitor engaged in one of the most famous naval duels in history when it clashed with the Confederate ironclad the Virginia (which had been constructed from the captured Union ship Merrimack). A day of heavy pounding produced a draw; each ship was immune from the other's shots.

Oct. 25, 1862 - U.S. President Lincoln wired General George McClellan: "I have just read your dispatch about sore tongued and fatiegued [sic] horses. Will you pardon me for asking what the horses of your army have done since the battle of Antietam that fatigue anything?" Lincoln replaced McClellan with Ambrose Burnside a little over a week later.

Oct. 25, 1863 – During the Civil War, a second day of skirmishing occurred at Tuscumbia, Ala.

Oct. 25, 1864 – During the Civil War, skirmishes occurred on the Gadsden Road at Turkeytown and near Round Mountain, Ala.

Oct. 25, 1881 – Artist Pablo Picasso was born in Malaga, Spain.

Oct. 25, 1886 – The U.S. Army moved 15 Apache prisoners, including Geronimo, to Fort Pickens near Pensacola, Fla. They would remain there until May 12, 1888 when they were moved to Mount Vernon Barracks near Mobile, Ala.

Oct. 25, 1912 – Comedienne Minnie Pearl was born Sarah Ophelia Colley in Centerville, Tenn.

Oct. 25, 1914 – Fire destroyed a house on Bruner Avenue in Evergreen, Ala. that belonged to Dr. H.B. Williamson. The cause of the fire was unknown.

Oct. 25, 1914 - Miss Salina Faulk died near Monroeville, Ala. “after a lingering illness, aged about 65 years.” She was survived by two sisters and numerous other relatives.

Oct. 25, 1915 - Horace Ryland died at the home of his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Ryland, near Monroeville, Ala. after a protracted illness, aged about 30 years. The funeral took place on Oct. 6 at the Baptist cemetery with Masonic honors.

Oct. 25, 1918 – During World War I, Army Pvt. Essie Lewis of Greenville, Ala. “died from disease.”

Oct. 25-26, 1926 – A “return engagement” of “The Birth of a Nation” was scheduled to be shown at the Arcade Theatre in Evergreen, Ala., about one year after it was shown at the theater the first time.

Oct. 25, 1929 - Albert B. Fall of U.S. President Warren G. Harding's cabinet, was found guilty of taking a bribe. He was sentenced to a year in prison and fined $100,000. Harding was descended from plantation owners in Conecuh County, Alabama.

Oct. 25, 1930 – A big “Terrapin Race” was held in Evergreen, Ala. at 2:30 p.m. on the Conecuh County Courthouse lawn. The event was sponsored by the Lions Club of Evergreen.

Oct. 25, 1931 – Evergreen’s annual Terrapin Derby was held and more than 50 terrapins were entered in the race, which “was witnessed by one of the largest crowds seen in Evergreen in many a moon.” This unique and unusual event was featured in various newspapers in Alabama and other states.

Oct. 25, 1936 – Foster Brooks, the 26-year-old son of Evergreen (Ala.) Mayor J.R. Brooks, was killed instantly in a car accident around 8:30 p.m. on U.S. Highway 31, about one mile north of Flomaton. Others in the car who were injured included Mack Binion Jr., Stanton Coker, Bob Kendall Jr., Clinton Hyde and William McGehee. Brooks was an assistant superintendent of the city’s light and water department. His death was described as “perhaps one of the worst shocks the citizens of this city have ever experienced.”

Oct. 25, 1941 - Groundbreaking ceremonies were held in Huntsville, Ala. for the U.S. Army's Redstone Ordnance Plant. Renamed Redstone Arsenal in 1943, the installation produced conventional artillery ordnance during World War II, but in 1949 became the Army's missile and rocket development center. Led by German scientist Wernher von Braun, Redstone developed the rocket system that propelled the first U.S. satellite into space.

Oct. 25, 1941 – Novelist Anne Tyler was born in Minneapolis, Minn.

Oct. 25, 1945 – The Evergreen Courant reported that Sgt. Harmon Rabren of Evergreen, Ala. had received a citation for “heroic” actions on April 4, 1945 at Wildergovern, Germany. On that night, a five-man reconnaissance patrol became lost and failed to return. Rabren, a member of Co. B, 309th Infantry Regiment, volunteered to go out alone and locate the lost patrol despite extreme darkness and heavy enemy artillery and mortar fire. He found them after several hours, risking capture by the enemy, and guided them to safety without any losses and with important information about enemy defensive positions and possible crossing sites on the Sieg River.

Oct. 25, 1947 - The Army football team was defeated by Columbia, 21-20. The team had gone unbeaten in 32 games that spanned four seasons. They had earned two national titles in the same time frame.

Oct. 25, 1954 – Criminal Court opened in Conecuh County, Ala. with three murder cases on the docket. Everette Green, a young boy from near Castleberry, was charged with first-degree murder in connection with the killing of his father, Edward Green, in the spring of 1954. Leroy “Goo” Rankin was charged with second-degree murder in connection with the killing of Idell Knight at Burnt Corn. Quincy Tate was charged with second-degree murder in a case continued from Spring Court.

Oct. 25, 1961 - Alabama author Marlin Barton was born in Montgomery, Ala.

Oct. 25, 1962 - American author John Steinbeck was awarded the Nobel Prize in literature.

Oct. 25, 1964 - Cotton Davidson of the Oakland Raiders threw for 427 yards in a 40-7 victory over the Denver Broncos.

Oct. 25, 1964 - Jim Marshall of the Minnesota Vikings picked up a San Francisco fumble and ran the wrong way 66 yards into his own team's end zone for a safety.

Oct. 25, 1965 – Monroeville, Ala. attorney and state legislator Ralph Jones began serving as solicitor of the newly-created 35th Judicial Circuit, which included Monroe and Conecuh counties. Jones, who was appointed to the position, had served three terms as solicitor, 1935-46, in the old circuit before serving a term as state senator. He was in his second term as a state representative for Monroe County when he was appointed 35th Circuit Solicitor. A graduate of the University of Alabama School of Law, he was the brother of Evergreen attorney Berney E. Jones. Ralph Jones was also a former guard on the Alabama football team.

Oct. 25, 1968 - Evergreen High School was scheduled to observe homecoming with a parade at 12:30 p.m. Leading the parade was to be Miss Homecoming, Joy Bowers, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W.C. Bowers, and Miss Football, Cindy Majors, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. E.R. Majors. Later that night, Evergreen beat Red Level, 45-0, at Brooks Stadium in Evergreen, Ala.

Oct. 25, 1968 - Congressman Bill Dickinson, who was serving his second term in Congress, was scheduled to visit Evergreen, Ala. and spend the entire day in Conecuh County as part of his re-election campaign. John Nielsen was the Conecuh County GOP Chairman.

Oct. 25, 1971 – National Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Pedro Martinez was born in Manoguayabo, Dominican Republic. During his career, he played for the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Montreal Expos, the Boston Red Sox, the New York Mets and the Philadelphia Phillies. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2015.

Oct. 25, 1978 - Gaylord Perry became the first pitcher to win the Cy Young Award in both leagues when he won the award in the National League.

Oct. 25, 1981 - David Woodley of the Miami Dolphins passed for 408 yards in a 28-27 victory over the Dallas Cowboys.

Oct. 25, 1981 - Brian Sipe of the Cleveland Browns threw for 444 yards in a 42-28 victory over Baltimore.

Oct. 25, 1982 – The Rural Street-West Front Street intersection in downtown Evergreen, Ala. was blocked for several hours on this Monday afternoon after a “freak accident” involving a North American Van tractor-trailer rig. A sliding tandem axle on the rear of the trailer broke loose, dumping the back end of the trailer on the street as the rig traveled south on West Front Street. Evergreen police directed traffic around the scene while employees from Knud Nielsen Co. unloaded the 30,000-pound cargo onto a flatbed trailer from Poole Truck Line, and Conway Diesel Co. eventually repaired the axles, so the truck could move out of the intersection.

Oct. 25, 1985 – Capt. John F. Bartsch, 4450th Tractical Group HQ Squadron Commander, presented Sgt. Randy R. Hildreth of Evergreen, Ala. with the Air Force Commendation Medal. Hildreth, a 1979 graduate of Evergreen High School, was assigned to the 4450th Tactical Group, Base Operations Branch at Nellis Air Force Base, Las Vegas, Nevada.

Oct. 25, 1986 - The Boston Red Sox lost Game 6 of the World Series to the New York Mets. The winning run was scored in the tenth inning when a ground ball went through Boston first baseman Bill Buckner's legs.

Oct. 25, 1987 - The Minnesota Twins defeated St. Louis in the first World Series to include indoor games. It was the first championship for the Twins.

Oct. 25, 1990 - It was announced by U.S. Defense Secretary Dick Cheney that the Pentagon was planning to send 100,000 more troops to Saudi Arabia.

Oct. 25, 1996 - The movie “Thinner,” screenplay written by Alabama author Robert McDowell, was released.

Oct. 25, 1998 - Jason Elam of the Denver Broncos kicked a 63-yard field goal. The kick tied Tom Dempsey's 28-year-old NFL record.

Oct. 25, 1998 - Jerry Rice of the San Francisco 49ers set an NFL record when he caught a pass in his 184th consecutive game. Also during the game, Rice became the first player to surpass 17,000 career receiving yards.

Oct. 25, 1998 - Cris Carter of the Minnesota Vikings broke the team record when he caught a pass in his 106th straight game. He also tied Bill Brown's Minnesota record of 76 career touchdowns in the 34-13 victory over the Detroit Lions.

Oct. 25, 2003 - Bobby Bowden of Florida State became the winningest coach in major college football history with his 339th victory.

Oct. 25, 2005 - The Chicago White Sox defeated the Houston Astros, 7-5, in the first World Series game to be held in Texas. The game also was the longest in World Series history at five hours and 41 minutes. The game actually ended on Oct. 26.

Oct. 25, 2009 - The New York Yankees won their 40th American League pennant.

Oct. 25, 2009 – The October 2009 Baghdad bombings killed 155 and wounded at least 721.

Oct. 25, 2013 – Members of the Singleton Society spent the night in the Old Dr. John Watkins House at Burnt Corn.