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| Jeremiah Clemens |
Dec. 28, 1065 – London’s Westminster Abbey was consecrated.
Dec. 28, 1732 - "The Pennsylvania Gazette," owned
by Benjamin Franklin, ran an ad for the first issue of "Poor Richard’s
Almanack."
Dec. 28, 1781 - British troops commanded by Major James
Henry Craig were posted at John’s Island, just outside of Charleston, South
Carolina. Craig had evacuated his troops from Wilmington, North Carolina, a
little over a month earlier on November 14. The Patriots planned to remove
Craig and his men from the island with troops led by Lieutenant Colonel Henry
Light Horse Harry Lee and his famed cavalry from Fort Ninety-Six in the South
Carolina backcountry, but Lee aborted the attack when a column led by Major
James Hamilton arrived too late and was unable to cross the Wapoo River, which
was only fordable once or twice a month.
Dec. 28, 1793 - Thomas Paine was arrested in France for treason. Though the
charges against him were never detailed, he had been tried in absentia on
December 26 and convicted. Before moving to France, Paine was an instrumental
figure in the American Revolution as the author of
Common Sense,
writings used by George Washington to inspire the American troops.
Dec. 28, 1814 - Alabama author Jeremiah Clemens was born in
Huntsville, Ala.
Dec. 28, 1817 – Glorvina Johnston Rush was born. In 1860,
she and her husband donated the land where Andrews Chapel was built in
McIntosh, Ala.
Dec. 28, 1822 – In response to a petition submitted to the
Alabama state legislature from the residents of Butler County’s county seat,
Buttsville, the town’s name was officially changed to Greenville.
Dec. 28, 1822 - Confederate General William Booth Taliaferro
was born in Gloucester County, Va. Taliaferro would go on to serve under
General Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson during the first part of the
Civil War, and he spent the second half preparing coastal defenses in the
lower South.
Dec. 28, 1835 – Osceola led his Seminole warriors in Florida
into the Second Seminole War against the United States Army.
Dec. 28, 1843 - Alabama author Prentiss Ingraham was born in
Adams County, Miss.
Dec. 28, 1846 - Iowa became the 29th state to be admitted
into the Union.
Dec. 28, 1856 - Woodrow Wilson, the 28th U.S. President, was
born in Stauton, Va.
Dec. 28, 1861 – During the Civil War, day one of a four-day Federal
operation between Camp Beauregard and Viola, Ky. began.
Dec. 28, 1861 – During the Civil War, a skirmish was fought at Sacramento,
Ky.
Dec. 28, 1861 – During the Civil War, a skirmish was fought at Mount Zion,
Mo.
Dec. 28, 1861 – During the Civil War, Raleigh Courthouse, N.C. was occupied
by Federal forces.
Dec. 28, 1864 – During the Civil War, a skirmish occurred in
the vicinity of Decatur, Ala.
Dec. 28, 1865 – Just a few months after the end of the Civil
War, Confederate veteran Joseph R. Bass left his hometown of Evergreen, Ala.
for Texas and arrived in Jefferson, Texas in January 1866. He lived near there
for about 18 years before moving to Caddo Mills, Texas, where he is buried.
Dec. 28, 1889 - Alabama author Kittrell J. Warren died in
Atlanta, Ga.
Dec. 28, 1893 – Desperadoes John Hipp and Charles Kelley,
murderers of Butler County, Ala. Tax Collector C.J. Armstrong, were taken by a
mob of 100 armed, masked men and lynched on the Butler County Courthouse lawn.
Dec. 28, 1900 – Portuguese soldier and explorer Alexandre de
Serpa Pinto died at the age of 54 in Lisbon. He is best known for exploring
southern Africa and for his services as a colonial administrator.
Dec. 28, 1902 – The Syracuse Athletic Club defeated the New
York Philadelphians, 5–0, in the first indoor professional football game, which
was held at Madison Square Garden.
Dec. 28, 1911 – Humorist Sam
Levenson was born in New York City.
Dec. 28, 1912 – The first
municipally owned streetcars took to the streets in San Francisco.
Dec. 28, 1917 - The New York Evening Mail published a
facetious essay by H.L. Mencken on the history of bathtubs in America.
Dec. 28, 1922 – Marvel Comics legend Stan Lee was born
Stanley Martin Lieber in New York City. He would go on to help create
Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, the Incredible Hulk, Iron Man, Thor, Daredevil,
Dr. Strange and the X-Men.
Dec. 28, 1927 – Novelist Simon Raven was born in London.
Dec. 28, 1928 - Alabama author Jesse Hill Ford was born in
Troy, Ala.
Dec. 28, 1937 - Alabama author Milford W. Howard died in
California.
Dec. 28, 1939 – The Evergreen Courant reported that Naomi
Rabb Winston, a native of Evergreen, Ala. who was at that time living in
Washington, D.C., was “being acclaimed now as one of the leading artists of the
country, according to reports which have recently reached her friends here.”
Winston had recently completed a portrait of Senator Lister Hill, which friends
and admirers of Hill desired to place in the “Hall of Fame” at the State
Capitol in Montgomery. She had also been engaged by the wife Hugo Black to
paint a portrait of Justice Hugo Black in his judicial robes, the work to begin
as soon as she has completed the painting of Mrs. (T.D.) Samford (of Opelika).
Winston and her family had been living in Washington for the previous eight
years where she had studied constantly at the Corcoran Art Gallery, giving
special attention to portrait work. It is said that Winston designed the Great
Seal of Alabama. Winston was, before her marriage, Naomi Rabb, daughter of Mr.
and Mrs. C.S. Rabb of Evergreen.
Dec. 28, 1939 – The Evergreen Courant reported that “about
250 Christmas boxes containing fruit, candy, toys, clothing and food items were
distributed last week to needy families in this county, according to a report
made this week by Mrs. J.C. Hamilton, general chairman in charge of the work.”
Dec. 28, 1941 – During World War II’s Operation Anthropoid,
the plot to assassinate high-ranking Nazi officer Reinhard Heydrich, commenced.
Dec. 28, 1947 – Major League Baseball third baseman Aurelio
Rodriguez was born in Cananea, Sonora, Mexico. He would go on to play for the
California Angels, the Washington Senators, the Detroit Tigers, the San Diego
Padres, the New York Yankees, the Chicago White Sox and the Baltimore Orioles.
Dec. 28, 1948 – In an incident attributed to the Bermuda
Triangle, a chartered DC-3 airliner NC16002, en route from San Juan to Miami,
disappeared 50 miles south of Miami with 36 passengers and crew. No probable
cause for the loss was determined by the official investigation and it remains
unsolved.
Dec. 28, 1949 - Alabama author Harry Middleton was born in
Frankfort, Germany.
Dec. 28, 1958 – In what’s known as the "Greatest Game
Ever Played,” the Baltimore Colts in the NFL Champiosnhip Game defeated the New
York Giants, 23-17, in the first ever National Football League sudden death
overtime game at New York's Yankee Stadium.
Dec. 28, 1961 – Evergreen High School and Auburn University
football star Wayne Frazier was drafted in the 16th round (216th overall) in
the NFL draft by the Chicago Bears.
Dec. 28, 1973 – In Lovecraftian fiction, Dr. Ambrose Dexter,
a renowned physician of Providence, R.I. who maintained an interest in the
occult, was killed by British Intelligence agents somewhere in the South
Pacific. He first appeared in “The Haunter of the Dark” by H.P. Lovecraft.
Dec. 28, 1975 - The Dallas Cowboys won the NFC divisional
playoff game against the Minnesota Vikings with a Hail Mary pass with only 24
seconds left.
Dec. 28, 1976 – American actor, stuntman, and producer Joe
Manganiello was born in Pittsburgh, Pa.
Dec. 28, 1978 – The Evergreen Courant reported that a new
Crispy Chick restaurant was under construction in Evergreen. Based in Mobile,
Crispy Chick had 22 restaurants open at that time in Alabama, Mississippi and
Florida, including in Mobile, Fairhope, Grand Bay, Monroeville, Butler,
Livingston, Linden and Stevenson; Gulfport, Miss.; and Cantonment and Pensacola
in Florida.
Dec. 28, 1978 – The Evergreen Courant reported that Ronald
Fantroy, former Evergreen High School and Alabama Christian College basketball
star, was more than “carrying his weight” in his first year with the University
of Montevallo Falcons, according to Coach Bill Elder. Fantroy, a six-foot-five
forward, had 14 rebounds in a recent game against Talladega College and was
averaging 3.1 rebounds per game, fifth best for the team although he was only
playing about 10 minutes of the Falcons’ 40-minute games.
Dec. 28, 1978 – The Evergreen Courant reported that Sparta
Academy’s girls basketball team improved to 3-3 on the season by splitting a
pair of games in the Greenville Academy Christmas Tournament. In the opening
round of the tourney, Sparta beat Escambia Academy, 31-25, but in the second
round, Sparta lost to Wilcox Academy, 32-15. Sparta’s Cathy Cope was named to
the all-tournament team, and other players on Sparta’s team included Angie
Driver, Mary Claire Robinson, Missy Thacker and Cathy Johnson
Dec. 28, 1991 – Alabama (10-1) beat Colorado (8-2-1), 30-25,
in the 1991 Blockbuster Bowl at Joe Robbie Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla.
Alabama wide receiver David Palmer was named the game’s MVP.
Dec. 28, 2000 – The Evergreen Courant reported that Conecuh
County school board member Willene Whatley had been appointed to the Board of
Trustees of Alabama Risk Management for Schools.
Dec. 28, 2000 - U.S. District Court Judge Matsch held a
hearing to ensure that confessed Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh understood
that he was dropping his appeals. McVeigh said that he wanted an execution
date, set but wanted to reserve the right to seek presidential clemency.
Dec. 28, 2002 - Alabama author Hilary H. Milton died in
Birmingham, Ala.
Dec. 28, 2003 - New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner
was released from the hospital. The previous day he had fainted at a memorial
service.
Dec. 28, 2003 - Jamal Lewis of the Baltimore Ravens became
the fifth NFL player to run for 2,000 yards in a season. He ended the season
with 2,029 yards.
Dec. 28, 2003 - Mike Vanderjagt of the Indianapolis Colts
set a new NFL record when he kicked his 41st consecutive field goal.
Dec. 28, 2003 - James Holmes of the Kansas City Chiefs set
an NFL record with his 27th touchdown of the season.
Dec. 28, 2004 – Vredenburgh native Mike Stewart’s fourth
novel, “A Perfect Life,” was released.
Dec. 28, 2007 - The movie “Honeydripper,” which starred
Danny Glover, was released in the United States. Significant portions of this
film were shot in Greenville, Georgiana and Forest Home in Butler County.
