Howell Cobb |
Nov. 18, 1307 - Legend has it that on this day, William Tell
shot an apple off his son's head. He'd been ordered to do this as punishment
for disrespecting an authority figure.
Nov. 18, 1493 – Christopher Columbus first sighted the
island now known as Puerto Rico.
Nov. 18, 1727 – French physician and explorer Philibert
Commerson was born in Châtillon les Dombes, France. He is best known for
accompanying Louis Antoine de Bougainville on his voyage of circumnavigation in
1766–1769.
Nov. 18, 1776 - In honor of Lieutenant General Wilhelm von
Knyphausen, who had stormed the post five days earlier, British Commander in
Chief General William Howe renamed Fort Washington “Fort Knyphausen.”
Knyphausen and a force of 3,000 Hessian mercenaries and 5,000 Redcoats had laid
siege to Fort Washington at the northern end and highest point of Manhattan
Island on Nov. 16, 1776. Throughout the morning, Knyphausen met stiff
resistance from the Patriot riflemen inside, but by afternoon, the Patriots
were overwhelmed, and the garrison commander, Colonel Robert Magaw, surrendered
the fort, which stood at the current location of Bennet Park in the Washington
Heights neighborhood of New York City, near the George Washington Bridge, at the
corner of Fort Washington Avenue and 183rd Street.
Nov. 18, 1789 – Louis Daguerre, the man who helped invent
the art of photography, was born just outside of Paris, France.
Nov. 18, 1813 – The “Hillabee Massacre” occurred at
Hillabee, an important Muscogee (Creek) town in east central Alabama. During
the massacre, General James White dispatched a force of allied Cherokee under
Gideon Morgan to surround the main Hillabee town. The Hillabee, believing they
had made peace, were unprepared for an attack, and were unable to resist
Morgan's assault. The town was destroyed, 64 Hillabees were killed, and several
hundred were captured.
Nov. 18, 1832 – Finnish-Swedish geologist and explorer Adolf
Erik Nordenskiöld was born in Helsinki, Finland. He is most remembered for the
Vega expedition along the northern coast of Eurasia, which he led in 1878 and
1879. This was the first complete crossing of the Northeast Passage.
Nov. 18, 1836 – Sir William Schwenk “W.S.” Gilbert, of
Gilbert and Sullivan fame, was born in London.
Nov. 18, 1853 – Iyra H. Malden became postmaster at Burnt
Corn, Ala.
Nov. 18, 1859 – At 1 p.m., brothers Irvin and Stephen Ward
were hung for the murder of Allen Page during a failed cotton wagon robbery
near Brewer Creek in Conecuh County, Ala. A posse caught the brothers, who
confessed. The posse marched on to the place of execution where Patrick Page
and William Wright (sons of Allen Page and John Wright) adjusted the hanging
nooses around the necks of the condemned murderers. The old gallows were not
removed following the execution, and it stood for many decades as a reminder of
the tragic murder at Fork Sepulga. The location of that murder and hanging,
where the old gallows stood, known thereafter as “Gallows Hollow,” was located
on the road that turned south from the Federal road near Cokersville (Activity)
and led past the Sepulga community through Sparta Station.
Nov. 18, 1861 – During the Civil
War, a skirmish was fought at Palmyra, Price‘s Landing and Warrensburg, Mo.
Nov. 18, 1861 – During the Civil
War, a skirmish was fought along Doe River, in east Tenn.
Nov. 18, 1861 – During the Civil
War, a skirmish was fought at Cofer Creek, N.C.
Nov. 18, 1861 – During the Civil
War, a skirmish was fought on the road between Falls Church and Fairfax Court
House, Va.
Nov. 18, 1861 – During the Civil
War, Kentucky, which had had a popular vote rejecting secession but declaring
neutrality in any combat, was the scene of a “convention” in Russellville, Ky.
This meeting, held by Confederate soldiers, issued a declaration of secession
and formation of a Confederate state government. On the other hand, a group of
North Carolinians met in Hatteras on this day for a similar cause, but they
repudiated secession and declared loyalty to the Union.
Nov. 18, 1862 – During the Civil War, skirmishes were fought at Doby River, Ga.; at Core Creek, N.C.; at Double Bridge and Rural Hills, Tenn.; and at Franklin, Va.
Nov. 18, 1863 - President Abraham Lincoln boarded a train
for Gettysburg, Pa. to deliver a short speech at the dedication of a
cemetery for soldiers killed during the battle there on July 1-3, 1863. The
address Lincoln gave in Gettysburg became one of the most famous speeches in
American history.
Nov. 18, 1863 – During the Civil War, skirmishes were fought at Trenton, Ga.; at Carrion Crow Bayou, La.; on Shoal and Turkey Creek, in Jasper County, Mo.; and near Germanna Ford and Vienna, Va. A five-day Federal expedition from Skipwith’s Landing to Roebuck Lake, Miss. also began.
Nov. 18, 1863 - Confederate operations commenced against United States gunboats USS Carondelet, USS Choctaw and USS Franklin and assorted Federal transport vessels near Hog Point, Miss., along the Mississippi River.
Nov. 18, 1864 – During the Civil War, skirmishes were fought at Lake Fause Point, La.; at Fayette, Mo.; and at Kabletown, West Virginia.
Nov. 18, 1864 – Normally, armies in the Civil War period marched in columns, usually four men wide. The army would be strung out for miles. Include what today we would call supply wagons and the army occupied even more space. The army William T. Sherman led out of Atlanta reversed this procedure. The two wings were stretched out at times to a distance of 60 miles from the far left of the Left Wing to the far right of the Right Wing. Initially, the only Confederate opponent available was Gen. Howell Cobb in Macon, Ga. He received a telegram from Jefferson Davis on this day imploring him to use any means necessary to resist Sherman, including employing slaves to build roadblocks.
Nov. 18, 1865 – Mark Twain's short story "The
Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County" was published in the New York
Saturday Press.
Nov. 18, 1871 – W.B. Kemp was commissioned as Monroe County,
Alabama’s Sheriff.
Nov. 18, 1883 – American and Canadian railroads instituted
five standard continental time zones, ending the confusion of thousands of
local times.
Nov. 18, 1886 - The twenty-first president of the United
States, Chester Alan Arthur, died at the age of 57 in New York City.
Nov. 18, 1889 – The trial of State of Alabama vs. I.S.
Lambert was held in Monroe County, Ala. Circuit Court. Lambert was charged with
assault with the intent to murder T.D. Hestle. Lambert was represented by
attorneys D.L. Neville of Monroeville and G.L. Smith of Mobile and he pleaded
insanity. The case “attracted wide interest and a large audience of
spectators,” and the entire day was “consumed in the examination of the
witnesses, of whom there were about 40, after which the court adjourned until
the following morning, when the case was argued with much ability on both
sides. The plea of the defense was insanity and was most ably and eloquently
argued by Col. D.L. Neville of our local bar and G.L. Smith, esq., of Mobile.
The jury sustained the plea and the defendant was sent to the insane asylum in
compliance with the provisions of an act passed by the last legislature,
bearing on cases of that character.”
Nov. 18, 1901 - American statistician George Ballup was born in Jefferson, Iowa. He was a pioneer in scientific polling techniques, and his name became a household word synonymous with the opinion poll.
Nov. 18, 1903 - The Hay–Bunau-Varilla Treaty was signed by
the United States and Panama, giving the United States exclusive rights over
the Panama Canal Zone and allowing them to build the Panama Canal.
Nov. 18, 1915 – On this Thursday night, the large, two-story
home of Byron Dean, one of the “largest and commodious homes in Evergreen,”
Ala., was completely destroyed by fire. The house was located too far from a
water plug for the fire department to put out the fire. It was believed that a
spark from waste paper burned earlier in the night started the fire.
Nov. 18, 1927 – Italian race car driver, explorer and
politician Scipione Borghese, 10th Prince of Sulmona was born in Migliarino, Italy.
Nov. 18, 1928 – The animated short “Steamboat Willie,” the
first fully synchronized sound cartoon, was first released and was shown as New
York’s Colony Theatre. Directed by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks, this cartoon
featured the third appearances of cartoon characters Mickey Mouse and Minnie
Mouse. This is considered by the Disney corporation to be Mickey's birthday,
and in 1998, "Steamboat Willie" was one of 25 films added by the
Library of Congress’ National Film Preservation Board to the National Film Registry.
Nov. 18, 1939 - Alabama author Nancy Van Laan was born in
Baton Rouge, La.
Nov. 18, 1939 – Novelist Margaret Atwood was bon in Ottawa,
Ontario.
Nov. 18, 1940
– During World War II, German leader Adolf Hitler and Italian Foreign Minister Galeazzo
Ciano met to discuss Benito Mussolini's disastrous Italian invasion of Greece.
Nov. 18, 1940 – A crew of about 40 WPA workers began work on
Evergreen, Alabama’s new municipal golf course, four miles north of town on
Highway 31, on about 80 acres of land in front of Lemley’s Station.
Nov. 18, 1941 – In Conecuh County (Ala.) Circuit Court,
Alvin Wilkinson faced charges of first-degree murder in connection with the
killing of his mother-in-law, Josephine Zellers, in July 1939.
Nov. 18, 1943 - Philadelphia Phillies President William Cox
was banned from baseball for betting on his team.
Nov. 18, 1949 - Jackie Robinson of the Brooklyn Dodgers was
named the National League’s Most Valuable Player.
Nov. 18, 1951 - Chuck Connors of the Los Angeles Angels
became the first player to oppose the Major League draft. Connors later became
the star of the television show "The Rifleman."
Nov. 18, 1953 – Varnie Neal Peavy, 53, of Belleville, Ala.
was killed in a one-vehicle accident around 7 p.m. a short distance from
Belleville.
Nov. 18, 1955 - Dr. W.W. Eddins, prominent Monroeville
physician and Monroe County Health Officer, announced that he had leased the
Monroeville Hospital from Mrs. T.E. Nettles, widow of the late Dr. T.E.
Nettles. Mrs. Nettles had been operating the hospital on a temporary basis
since the death of Dr. Nettles in an automobile accident in September. Dr.
Eddins planned to assume operation of the hospital sometime around Dec. 1, 1955.
Nov. 18, 1955 – In the final game of the season, Monroe
County High School beat in-county rival Frisco City High School, 19-12, in
Frisco City. Seniors on MCHS’s team that year included Co-Capt. Grayson
Simmons, Co-Capt. William Nettles, Danny Morgan, Hank Williams, Ray Sirmon,
Boone McNorton, John Fowler, Aubrey Tatum and Gilbert Jernigan. LeVaughn Hanks
was MCHS’s head coach.
Nov. 18, 1956 – Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Warren
Moon was born in Los Angeles, Calif. He would go on to play for the Houston
Oilers, the Minnesota Vikings, the Seattle Seahawks and the Kansas City Chiefs.
He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2006.
Nov. 18, 1961
– United States President John F. Kennedy sent 18,000 military advisors to South
Vietnam.
Nov. 18, 1964 - In the largest air assault of the war thus far, 116 U.S. and South Vietnamese aircraft flew 1,100 South Vietnamese troops into Binh Duong and Tay Ninh Provinces to attack what was believed to be a major communist stronghold. General Nguyen Khanh personally directed the operation, but the troops made only light contact with the Viet Cong.
Nov. 18, 1965 – The Monroe Journal reported that the first
three buildings of the Patrick Henry Junior College in Monroeville, Ala. were
under construction and were expected to be completed next spring. The buildings
included the administration, the library and the science buildings. Classes
were to be held in the First Baptist Church and the Methodist Church until the
new buildings are ready for occupancy.
Nov. 18, 1966 - Sandy Koufax, the ace pitcher for the Los
Angeles Dodgers, retired from baseball. He was just 30 years old, and he was
retiring after a great season - he’d led the Dodgers to a National League
pennant and won his third Cy Young Award. But he had chronic arthritis in his
pitching arm, and he was afraid that if he kept playing baseball, eventually he
wouldn’t be able to use his left hand at all.
Nov. 18, 1967
– English footballer and sportscaster Gavin Peacock was born in Eltham,
England.
Nov. 18, 1969 - Sixty South Vietnamese men were killed or wounded when their troops clashed with communist forces in the Mekong Delta. The North Vietnamese lost only 14 men. A South Vietnamese spokesman said that the high South Vietnamese casualties were “due to bad fighting on our part.” The battle was the first major action in the northern delta since the U.S. 9th Division was withdrawn and the South Vietnamese assumed responsibility for the area.
Nov. 18, 1970 - President Nixon asked Congress for supplemental appropriations for the Cambodian government of Premier Lon Nol. Nixon requested $155 million in new funds for Cambodia—$85 million of which would be for military assistance, mainly in the form of ammunition. He also asked for an additional $100 million to restore funds taken from other foreign appropriations during the year by “presidential determination” and given to Cambodia.
Nov. 18, 1977 – In the second round of the Class 1A state
playoffs, Repton High School saw its season come to an end with a 27-13 loss to
Brantley in Brantley, Ala. Repton finished the season 10-1-1.
Nov. 18, 1978 – Millie Steans Cunningham, a native of
Evergreen, Ala., died in the infamous massacre and mass suicide in Jonestown,
Guyana, South America. She was buried at First Zion Church Cemetery in Conecuh
County on April 20, 1979. Cunningham was among the more than 900 people who died
at Jonestown after Jim Jones led his Peoples Temple to a mass murder-suicide
that claimed 918 lives in all, including 270 children. Congressman Leo Ryan was
murdered by members of the Peoples Temple hours earlier.
Nov. 18, 1984 - The television program “Inside the Closet,” teleplay by Alabama
author Robert McDowell, was broadcast as part of the “Tales from the Darkside” series.
Nov. 18, 1985 - Joe Theismann of the Washington Redskins
broke his leg after being hit by Lawrence Taylor of the New York Giants. The
injury ended Theismann's 12 year NFL career.
Nov. 18, 1996 - Chris Boniol of the Dallas Cowboys tied an
NFL record when he kicked seven field goals against the Green Bay Packers.
Nov. 18, 1997 - The Arizona Diamondbacks and the Tampa Bay
Devil Rays participated in their initial expansion draft.
Nov. 18, 1998 – Alice McDermott won the National Book Award
for her novel, “Charming Billy.”
Nov. 18, 2002 – During the Iraq disarmament crisis, United
Nations weapons inspectors led by Hans Blix arrived in Iraq.
Nov. 18, 2005 – Marlon Anderson of Montgomery, Ala. signed a
two-year contract with the Washington Nationals.
Nov. 18, 2005 – Former Sparta Academy coach and headmaster
Richard Brown was to be inducted into the Florida Community College Athletics
Association Hall of Fame. Brown’s 1972 men’s team at North Florida Community
College set a national all-time scoring record, averaging 115.3 points per
game. During his 38 years in the Florida coaching ranks, he had 35 winning
seasons and his players had a 96 percent graduation rate.
Nov. 18, 2011 – The “Mystery Booms” first widely reported in
Monroe and Conecuh counties in Southwest Alabama.
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