Today in History for Nov. 15, 2015

Alabama Gov. Frank M. Dixon

Nov. 15, 1532 – Commanded by Francisco Pizarro, Spanish conquistadors under Hernando de Soto met Inca Empire leader Atahualpa for the first time outside Cajamarca, arranging a meeting on the city plaza the following day.

Nov. 15, 1533 – Francisco Pizarro arrived in Cuzco, the capital of the Inca Empire.

Nov. 15, 1777 – During the American Revolutionary War, after 16 months of debate the Continental Congress approved the Articles of Confederation, the precursor to the U.S. Constitution.

Nov. 15, 1806 – During the famous “Pike Expedition,” Lieutenant Zebulon Pike spotted a distant mountain peak while near the Colorado foothills of the Rocky Mountains. (It was later named Pikes Peak.)

Nov. 15, 1861 – During the Civil War, a pro-Federal camp near Chattanooga, Tenn. was dispersed by Confederates.

Nov. 15, 1861 – During the Civil War, the USS San Jacinto arrived at Fort Monroe, Va. and transfered Confederate Commissioners Mason and Slidell as prisoners of war, to Fort Warren, Boston Harbor, Mass., arriving on Nov. 24, 1861. This createed an international incident with England, with was undesired by President Lincoln.

Nov. 15, 1861 – During the Civil War, the U.S Christian Commission was organized to help furnish supplies, nurses and friendship to Federal soldiers by the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA.) This YMCA spin off organized shipments of medical supplies for doctors, and Bibles and pamphlets for chaplains. In cooperation with other groups such as the Sanitary Commissions, they were responsible for saving innumerable bodies as well as souls during the war.

Nov. 15, 1863 – William H. Snowden of the Conecuh Guards was wounded in a skirmish at Lenoir Station, Tenn. He would later be honorably discharged, and he returned to live in Conecuh County, Ala.

Nov. 15, 1863 – During the Civil War, Union Major General William T. Sherman arrived with his Federal force at Bridgeport, Ala. enroute to the relief of Chattanooga, Tenn.

Nov. 15, 1864 – William Tecumseh Sherman set off on his famous March to the Sea and ordered that Atlanta's military resources, including munitions factories, clothing mills and railway yards, be burned. The fire got out of control and left Atlanta in ruins. The March to the Sea ended on Dec. 21 when Union troops reached Savannah.

Nov. 15, 1868 – Romanian biologist, zoologist and explorer Emil Racovită was born. He was the first biologist in the world to study Arctic life and was the first Romanian to have gone on a scientific research expedition to the Antarctic.

Nov. 15, 1914 – Harry Turner became the first player to die from game-related injuries in the "Ohio League," the direct predecessor to the National Football League.

Nov. 15, 1915 - The fall term of the Monroe County (Ala.) Circuit Court was scheduled to convene on this Monday.

Nov. 15, 1918 – During World War I, Army Pvt. Zeilin Simpson of Roy (Frisco City, Ala.) died from wounds. He was buried at Mexia.

Nov. 15, 1926 - The National Broadcasting Co. (NBC) debuted with a radio network of 24 stations. The first network radio broadcast was a four-hour "spectacular."

Nov. 15, 1939 – In Washington, D.C., U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt laid the cornerstone of the Jefferson Memorial.

Nov. 15, 1940 - 75,000 men were called to Armed Forces duty under the first peacetime conscription in American history.

Nov. 15, 1940 – Alabama Governor Frank M. Dixon visited Evergreen while on the way to the Alabama Gulf Coast, where he intended to do some hunting and fishing. Dixon arrived around noon and visited offices in the Conecuh County Courthouse. It was believed that this was the first time that a sitting Alabama governor had visited the courthouse after he was elected.

Nov. 15, 1955 – The Evergreen City Council passed a resolution to place a traffic policeman at the intersection of West Front and Rural Streets during “rush hours.” Those hours approved were from 11:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., and 3:45 p.m. to 5:15 p.m.

Nov. 15, 1959 – Richard Hickock and Perry Smith arrived at the Clutter farmhouse in Holcomb, Kansas with the intent to rob successful farmer Herbert Clutter. Instead, they murdered Clutter, his wife and two teenage children, and this crime inspired Truman Capote's non-fiction book “In Cold Blood.”

Nov. 15, 1962 – Ed Smith of Palatka, Fla., the manager of the newly formed Conecuh-Monroe Gas District, spoke to the Evergreen Rotary Club at the Evergreen Methodist Church.

Nov. 15–20, 1963 - In Dallas, Texas, George C. Wallace announced his intention to oppose the 35th U.S. President, John F. Kennedy, for the Democratic nomination for President. Days later in Dallas, Kennedy was dead from an assassin's bullet, and Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson succeeded him as president.

Nov. 15, 1970 – The Evergreen Jaycees held a successful drag race fundraiser at Middleton Field with an estimated crowd of between 2,000 to 5,000 people in attendance. (The Courant estimated that 2,300 people attended the event.) Top drivers from across the Southeast took part in the event, and the Jaycees realized a profit of near $2,000 from the event.

Nov. 15, 1977 – The Evergreen City Council voted unanimously to approve a new zoning ordinance for the city.

Nov. 15, 1979 – A package from Unabomber Ted Kaczynski began smoking in the cargo hold of a flight from Chicago to Washington, D.C., forcing the plane to make an emergency landing.

Nov. 15, 1985 – A research assistant was injured when a package from the Unabomber addressed to a University of Michigan professor exploded.

Nov. 15, 1985 - The City of Evergreen hosted a “Welcome to Evergreen” supper at Giuseppi’s, honoring Chemi Linz Corporation of Austria, which was to begin construction of a $10 million manufacturing facility in Evergreen in early 1986. Chemi Linz officials present were Anthony Baker, project manager, and Dr. Peter Woisetschlager, plant consultant. City officials present included Mayor Pat Poole and Councilmen Aubrey Padgett, Jones Sasser, T.L. Sims and John Claiborne, City Clerk Miller Sellers, City Attorney Tommy Chapman and Chief of Police James Powell.

Nov. 15, 1998 - Charlie “Ches” (Goatman) McCartney passed away at the age of 97 in Macon, Bibb County, Ga. McCartney was a somewhat famous American itinerant wanderer who traveled up and down the eastern United States from 1930 to 1987 in a ramshackle wagon pulled by a team of goats. He claimed to have covered more than 100,000 miles and visited all states except Hawaii. He was buried in the Jeffersonville Cemetery in Jeffersonville, Ga.

Nov. 15, 1998 - Emmitt Smith of the Dallas Cowboys moved into third place on the all-time touchdown list when he got his 127th.

Nov. 15, 1998 - Barry Sanders of the Detroit Lions registered his fifth straight 100-yard running game. It was the 75th of his career.

Nov. 15, 1999 - Mercury transited across the sun. While such crossings happen about 13 times a century, this was a rare "grazing occultation" that won't happen again till 2391.

Nov. 15, 2005 - Major League Baseball players and owners agreed to tougher penalties for steroid use for the next season. The new rules called for a 50-game suspension for a first offense, 100 games for the second, a lifetime ban for a third, plus testing for amphetamines.

Nov. 15, 2006 - Former NFL running back Emmitt Smith was named winner of ABC's "Dancing with the Stars."

Nov. 15, 2012 – The Dr. Pepper Bottling Plant in Georgiana was added to the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage.