Today in History for Sept. 7, 2016

Sidney Lanier

Sept. 7, 1776 – During the American Revolutionary War, according to American colonial reports, Ezra Lee made the world's first submarine attack in the Turtle, attempting to attach a time bomb to the hull of British Admiral Richard Howe’s flagship, the HMS Eagle, in New York Harbor (no British records of this attack exist). The bomb exploded but did not do damage to either craft. This is considered the first use of a submarine in warfare.

Sept. 7, 1778 – During the American Revolutionary War, France invaded Dominica in the British West Indies, before Britain was even aware of France's involvement in the war.

Sept. 7, 1813 - The nickname "Uncle Sam" was first used as a symbolic reference to the United States when a reference to it appeared in an editorial in the New York's Troy Post. Samuel Wilson, a meat packer in New York, supplied barrels of beef to the US Army during the War of 1812, and marked them with the initials "U.S." for United States. Soldiers began referring to the food as "Uncle Sam's," and a local newspaper picked up the story.

Sept. 7, 1815 – Scottish explorer and surveyor John McDouall Stuart was born in Dysart, Fife, Scotland. He became one of the most accomplished of all Australia's inland explorers and led the first successful expedition to traverse the Australian mainland from south to north and return, through the centre of the continent. The explorations of Stuart eventually resulted in the 1863 annexation of a huge area of country to the Government of South Australia, an area that became known as the Northern Territory.

Sept. 7, 1825 – Benjamin Hunt was commissioned as Monroe County, Alabama’s Sheriff.

Sept. 7, 1825 – During his tour of the United Sates, the Marquis de Lafayette left Washington D.C. and returned to France on the frigate USS Brandywine.

Sept. 7, 1831 – Samuel McColl was commissioned for his second of three terms as Monroe County, Alabama’s Circuit Court Clerk, and George Medlock was commissioned as Monroe County’s Sheriff.

Sept. 7, 1861 – During the Civil War, a skirmish was fought with Indians near the Santa Ana Canyon in California.

Sept. 7, 1861 – During the Civil War, a Federal expedition to Big Springs, Missouri took place.

Sept. 7, 1862 – During the Civil War, Federal forces occuppied Bowling Green, Kentucky; and Federal forces surrendered the outpost of Shepherdsville, Kentucky.

Sept. 7, 1862 – During the Civil War, a two-day Federal operation began between Carrollton and Saint Charles Courthouse, Louisiana.

Sept. 7, 1862 – During the Civil War, skirmishes were fought at Point of Rocks, Maryland; at Lancaster, Missouri; at Riggin’s Hill (near Clarksville,) Murfreesborough, and Pine Mountain, Tennessee; and at Darkesville, West Virginia.

Sept. 7, 1863 – Confederates evacuated Battery Wagner on Morris Island near Charleston, S.C.

Sept. 7, 1863 - Union forces arrived at Sabine Pass, Texas. The next day their attack was thwarted by a small Confederate force.

Sept. 7, 1863 – During the Civil War, a skirmish occurred at Stevenson in Jackson County, Alabama.

Sept. 7, 1863 – During the Civil War, skirmishes were fought at Ashley’s Mills or Ferry Landing, Arkansas; at Bath, West Virginia; at Morgan’s Ferry on the Atchafalaya River in Louisiana; at Holly Springs and another at Jacinto (or Glendale,) Mississippi; and on Battery Island, South Carolina.

Sept. 7, 1863 – During the Civil War, a Federal expedition to Big Lake, in Mississippi County, Arkansas, took place, and a Federal expedition from Springfield, Missouri, into Arkansas and the Indian Territory began.

Sept. 7, 1863 – During the Civil War, an engagement was fought in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina as the USS Ironsides and five monitors attacked the Confederate batteries at Moultie and Sullivan’s Island.

Sept. 7, 1863 – During the Civil War, Federal reconnaissance was conducted toward Chattanooga and a skirmish was fought in Lookout Valley, Tennessee. A three-day Federal operation also began that would result in the capture of Cumberland Gap, Tennessee.

Sept. 7, 1864 – During the Civil War, in preparation for his “March to the Sea,” Union General William T. Sherman ordered the residents of Atlanta, Ga., to evacuate the city. Between September 11 and 16 about 446 families (about 1,600 people) left their homes and possessions. Sherman wrote, "I have deemed it to the interest of the United States that the citizens now residing in Atlanta should remove, those who prefer it to go South, and the rest North."

Sept. 7, 1864 – During the Civil War, Federal expeditions were conducted to Grand Lake, Grand River, Lake Fausse Pointe, Bayou Pigeon and Lake Natchez, Louisiana.

Sept. 7, 1864 – During the Civil War, skirmishes were fought at Centralia, Missouri; near Winchester and Brucetown, Virginia; and near Homersville and Gayoso, Missouri.

Sept. 7, 1865 – During the Civil War, a skirmish was fought with Indians at Powder River in the Montana Territory.

Sept. 7, 1870 – Russian pilot, explorer, and author Aleksandr Kuprin was born in Narovchat, Penza, Governorate, Russian Empire. In addition to being an explorer, he was also a writer, pilot and adventurer, who is perhaps best known for his 1905 story, “The Duel.”

Sept. 7, 1876 – In Huntsville, Ala., legend says that Jesse James robbed the First National Bank of $10,000 at two o’clock in the afternoon. This robbery was never committed or even attempted, but the legend persists.

Sept. 7, 1876 – In Northfield, Minnesota, Jesse James and the James–Younger Gang attempted to rob the town's bank but are driven off by armed citizens.

Sept. 7, 1881 - Alabama author Sidney Lanier passed away from complications from tuberculosis at the age of 39 in Lynn, N.C.

Sept. 7, 1887 – Modernist poet Edith Sitwell was born in Scarborough, England.

Sept. 7, 1895 - A “negro employee on Mr. Geo. Watson’s place” near Burnt Corn, Ala. on this Saturday night was shot and killed by unknown parties “while dressing in his house.”

Sept. 7, 1903 – Writer Margaret Landon was born in Somers, Wisc.

Sept. 7, 1905 – The Monroe Journal reported that W.L. Durden of Franklin, Ala. had recently obtained a patent on an improved nut lock for railroad rails and was negotiating for the sale of his invention.

Sept. 7, 1905 – The Monroe Journal reported that Drs. McMillan and Smith had moved their offices into the old courthouse in the suite of rooms formerly occupied by the late H.W. Jones. The Journal also reported that McCreary Brothers had moved its store into the Russell building.

Sept. 7, 1908 – Pro Football Hall of Fame head coach Paul Brown was born in Norwalk, Ohio. During his career, he served as the head coach for Ohio State University, the Cleveland Browns and the Cincinnati Bengals. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1967.

Sept. 7, 1909 – Evergreen, Alabama’s Second District Agricultural School and City School opened with a “fairly good enrollment of pupils.” Henry T. Lile was the president of the Agricultural School.

Sept. 7, 1914 - The Monroe County Teachers Institute convened in the Monroe County High School auditorium with 73 teachers enrolled.

Sept. 7, 1914 – Charlie Howard shot L&N Railroad bridgeman J.L. Andress four times, and Andress was rushed to Century, Fla. for surgery. Andress, 23, passed away two days later around 9 a.m.

Sept. 7, 1915 – Former Monroe County, Ala. resident Abram Shiff passed away at the age of 82 in Cincinnati, Ohio. For many years, Shiff had been a “valued citizen of Monroe, being engaged in the mercantile business at Claiborne.”

Sept. 7, 1925 – The 1925-26 school year opened at the Conecuh County High School in Castleberry, Ala. with J.B. Murphy as principal.

Sept. 7, 1927 - Inventor Philo T. Farnsworth and assistants successfully transmitted the first all-electronic television image.

Sept. 7, 1931 – Both of Evergreen, Alabama’s schools – the Agricultural School and City School -  opened the 1931-32 school year with a joint program held in the City School auditorium at 9 a.m.

Sept. 7, 1931 – Conecuh County High School at Castleberry, Ala. opened for the 1931-32 school year, the school’s 18th session, with a new principal, William English of Elba. English was the school’s seventh principal since its establishment in 1914. The principals, and years served, up to that point, were as follows: 1914-18, Sarah E. Luther; 1918-19, Lewey Dorman; 1919-22, Sellers Stough; 1922-26, J.B. Murphy; 1926-28, L.C. Kersh; 1928-31, Geo. M. Veazey; 1931- William English.

Sept. 7-9, 1933 – “Under Cover Man,” starring Nancy Carroll and Geo. Raft, and “Blue of the Night,” starring Bing Crosby, were scheduled to be shown at the Evergreen Theatre in Evergreen, Ala.

Sept. 7, 1936 – Musician Buddy Holly was born Charles Hardin Holley in Lubbock, Texas.

Sept. 7, 1939 – The Monroe Journal newspaper in Monroeville, Ala. reported that Mr. and Mrs. Joe Capote and Seaborn Faulk had returned to New York, after spending a week with Misses Nannie and Jennie Faulk. They were accompanied home by Truman Capote, who had spent the summer in Monroeville.

Sept. 7, 1939 – In the first game of the Interstate Baseball League championship series, Flomaton beat Evergreen, 10-5.

Sept. 7, 1945 – NFL and Auburn University offensive lineman Forrest Blue was born in Marfa, Texas. After college, he played for the San Francisco 49ers and the Baltimore Colts.

Sept. 7, 1946 – Political columnist and novelist Joe Klein was born in Queens, N.Y.

Sept. 7, 1962 - Author Elizabeth Dewberry was born in Birmingham, Ala.

Sept. 7, 1962 – Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Jennifer Egan was born in Chicago.

Sept. 7, 1963 – The Pro Football Hall of Fame opened in Canton, Ohio with 17 charter members.

Sept. 7, 1965 – The first full day of classes in Monroe County schools for the 1965-66 school year took place, following registration for students at all schools on Sept. 3. R.H. Vickery was county superintendent of education.

Sept. 7, 1965 – In a run-off election in Mobile, Uriah native Lambert Mims was named to the Mobile City Commission. Mims, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Jeff C. Mims of Uriah, beat Henry Luscher by 1,172 votes.

Sept. 7, 1965 – During the Vietnam War, in a follow-up to August's Operation Starlight, United States Marines and South Vietnamese forces initiated Operation Piranha on the Batangan Peninsula, 23 miles south of the Marine base at Chu Lai.

Sept. 7, 1967 - U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara announced plans to build an electronic anti-infiltration barrier to block communist flow of arms and troops into South Vietnam from the north at the eastern end of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). The “McNamra Line,” as it became known, would employ state-of-the-art, high-tech listening devices to alert U.S. forces when North Vietnamese troops and supplies were moving south so that air and artillery strikes could be brought to bear on them.

Sept. 7, 1977 - The Panama Canal treaties were signed by U.S. President Carter and General Omar Torrijos Herrera. The treaties called for the U.S. to turn over control of the canal's waterway to Panama in the year 2000.

Sept. 7, 1978 – The Evergreen Courant reported that the finishing touches were being made to complete the improvements of the ‘home side’ bleachers at Sparta Academy’s Stuart-McGehee Field in Evergreen, Ala. The splintered, wooden seats were being covered with concrete.

  

Sept. 7, 1979 - ESPN, the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, made its debut on cable TV.

Sept. 7, 1984 – National Baseball Hall of Fame short stop and manager Joe Cronin passed away at the age of 77 in Osterville, Mass. During his career, he played for the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Washington Senators and the Boston Red Sox and he went on to manage the Senators and Red Sox. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1956.

Sept. 7, 1986 - Dan Marino of the Miami Dolphins threw his 100th career touchdown pass, in only his 44th NFL game, which set a NFL record.

Sept. 7, 1990 – J.U. Blacksher High School beat Fruitdale High School, 12-0, in Fruitdale. Senior tailback Doug Brown scored on a 56-yard run in the second quarter, and Willie Jackson scored on a two-yard run in the third quarter.

Sept. 7, 1990 – Monroe Academy opened the 1990 season with a 14-3 win over Wilcox Academy in Camden. K.J. Lazenby was Monroe’s head coach. Standout Monroe players in that game included John Abernathy, Chris Hare and Tommy Weatherford.

Sept. 7, 1998 - Mark McGwire set a new Major League Baseball record for most home runs hit in a single season. The previous record was 61 set in 1961.

Sept. 7, 2001 - Barry Bonds of the San Francisco Giants became the only the fifth player in Major League Baseball history to hit 60 home runs in a season.

Sept. 7, 2004 – Hurricane Ivan, a Category 5 hurricane hit Grenada, killing 39 and damaging 90 percent of its buildings.