Today in History for June 12, 2017

Kathryn Tucker Windham

June 12, 1772 – French explorer Marc-Joseph Marion du Fresne was killed and eaten by the Maori at the age of 48 at Tacoury's Cove, Bay of Islands, New Zealand.

June 12, 1775 – During the American Revolution, British general Thomas Gage declared martial law in Massachusetts. The British offered a pardon to all colonists who laid down their arms. There would be only two exceptions to the amnesty: Samuel Adams and John Hancock, if captured, were to be hanged.

June 12, 1776 - In Williamsburg, the Virginia Convention adopted George Mason's Virginia Declaration of Rights.

June 12, 1791 - U.S. President George Washington concluded his second tour of the United States by visiting Philadelphia, Virginia, the Carolinas and Georgia.

June 12, 1802 – Sociologist and writer Harriet Martineau was born in Norwich, England.

June 12, 1819 – Novelist and priest Charles Kingsley was born in Holne, England.

June 12, 1827 – Johanna Spyri, who wrote “Heidi,” was born in the village of Hirzel, Switzerland.

June 12, 1832 - Alabama's first railroad, the Tuscumbia Railway, opened, running the two miles from Tuscumbia Landing at the Tennessee River to Tuscumbia. The railway was the first phase of a planned railroad to Decatur, 43 miles to the east. That railroad was needed in order for river traffic to avoid the dangerous and often unnavigable Muscle Shoals of the Tennessee River.

June 12, 1838 - The Iowa Territory was organized.

June 12, 1839 - Abner Doubleday created the game of baseball, according to the legend. However, evidence has surfaced that indicates that the game of baseball was played before 1800.

June 12, 1858 – English botanist and explorer Harry Johnston was born at Kennington Park, south London. He was one of the key players in the "Scramble for Africa" that occurred at the end of the 19th century.

June 12, 1862 - Confederate General J.E.B. Stuart began his ride around the Army of the Potomac. Robert E. Lee had sent him on a reconnaissance of Union positions. Stuart circled the entire Union force and arrived back in Richmond on June 15. The information provided to Lee helped the Confederates begin an attack that eventually drove McClellan from Richmond's doorstep.

June 12, 1862 – During the Civil War, skirmishes were fought at Waddell's Farm and Jacksonport, Ark.

June 12, 1863 – During the Civil War, skirmishes were fought at Birdsong Ferry, Mississippi and at Middletown, Cedarville, and Newtown, Virginia.

June 12, 1863 – During the Civil War, the siege of Vicksburg, Miss. entered Day 25.

June 12, 1864 – During the Civil War’s Overland Campaign, at the Battle of Cold Harbor, Ulysses S. Grant gave the Confederate forces under Robert E. Lee a victory when he pulled his Union troops from their positions at Cold Harbor, Va. and moved south toward Petersburg, Va. Lee also dispatched Jubal Early to Lynchburg, Va. to hold off a Union attack.

June 12, 1864 - Near Trevilian Station, General Phillip Sheridan's Union cavalry withdrew while tearing up about five miles of rail line. The previous day Sheridan had come to the rescue of General George Custer. Custer had attacked General Wade Hampton's supply train.

June 12, 1864 – During the Civil War, skirmishes were fought at Kingsville, Mo.; at White House Landing, Cedar Creek, and Piney River, Va.; and at Davis' Mill, Miss. An affair also occurred at Montevello, Missouri; combat took place Newark, Va.; an action occurred at Long Bridge, Va.; and an action occurred at Cynthiana, Ky.

June 12, 1865 – During the Civil War, skirmishes were fought at Plum Butte, Cow Creek, Fort Dodge, and Pawnee Rock, Kansas.

June 12, 1892 - Naturalist and author Blanche Evans Dean was born on a farm near Brownsville, in Tuscaloosa County, Ala.

June 12, 1892 – Djuna Barnes was born near Cornwall-on-Hudson, N.Y.

June 12, 1908 – German SS officer Otto Skorzeny was born in Vienna, Austria-Hungary.

June 12, 1912 – The Evergreen Courant reported that Castleberry, Ala. was “now a full fledged municipality” and that during a recent election E. Downing had been elected mayor. Newly elected members of the town council included R.A. Baird, L.W. Kirkland, J.P. Matthews Jr., Allen Page and P.M. Skinner. The town’s population was 275.

June 12, 1915 – A.K. Williams, an employee of the L.K. King Lumber Co., disappeared “mysteriously” on this Saturday night. He boarded the southbound on this night and where he went was unknown as of the June 16, 1915 edition of The Evergreen Courant.

June 12, 1916 - The handsome dwelling house on Park Street, owned by Hon. E.C. Page, was destroyed by fire on this Monday last, about 12 o’clock. The house was occupied by Mr. J.C. Vann and family. The fire originated from a defective flue. The loss fell heavily on both Page and Vann as the house was completely destroyed and only a portion of the contents saved. The Presbyterian church and the residences of S.P. Dunn and Geo. W. Salter were badly damaged, being saved only by the heroic work of the fire department and citizens.

June 12, 1917 – Dr. Henry B. Williamson died around 9 a.m. on this Tuesday morning of Bright’s Disease. He was a long time dentist in and around Conecuh County, Ala. Born in 1857, he was around 59 or 60 years old at the time of his death. He was buried in the Evergreen Cemetery.

June 12, 1917 - King Constantine I of Greece, the foremost champion of Greek neutrality during World War I, abdicated his throne in the face of pressure from Britain and France and internal opponents - most notably Prime Minister Eleutherios Venizelos — who favored Greece’s entrance into the war on the side of the Allies.

June 12, 1919 – The Monroe Journal reported that Miss Callie Faulk accompanied Miss Lillie Mae Faulk to Brewton the first of that week, where she was to enter school at the Downing Industrial school.

June 12, 1919 – The Monroe Journal reported that E.P. Yeldell of Brewton had spent a few days with Monroeville, Ala. friends during the previous week. Yeldell had many friends in Monroeville because he had been head of the grammar school there for two terms about three years before.

June 12, 1919 – The Monroe Journal reported, in news from the Weatherford Springs community, that Henry Godwin was rebuilding Mr. McCauly’s house that burned a few weeks before at Uriah.

June 12, 1919 – The Monroe Journal reported that W.D. Tervin of Nadawah spent a few days with relatives in Monroeville, Ala. during the previous week.

June 12, 1919 – The Monroe Journal reported that Anna Scott of Mobile, Ala. was visiting the family of her brother, Judge I.B. Slaughter.

June 12, 1921 - U.S. President Warren Harding urged every young man to attend military training camp.

June 12, 1923 - Harry Houdini, while suspended upside down 40 feet above a crowd in New York City, escaped from a strait jacket.

June 12, 1924 - George H.W. Bush, the 41st President of the United States, was born in Milton, Mass.

June 12, 1929 - Anne Frank (Annelies Marie "Anne" Frank), who is best known for her diary which documented her experiences during World War II, was born in Frankfurt, Germany.

June 12, 1932 – Leonard Stanton Biggs, the solicitor for the 21st Judicial Circuit (Baldwin, Conecuh, Escambia and Monroe counties) passed away at the age of 44 on this Sunday at 2:30 p.m. at the home of his sister-in-law, Mrs. Julia D. Ivey, in Evergreen. Biggs was a native of the Peterman area, was a member of the Monroeville Methodist Church, a Freemason and a World War I veteran. Born in 1888, he was buried in the Old Methodist Cemetery in Monroeville. (Some sources indicated that he passed away on June 10.)

June 12, 1933 - Actor and singer Jim Nabors was born in Sylacauga, Ala. Nabors began acting while a student at the University of Alabama, and is best known for his Gomer Pyle character, who appeared on "The Andy Griffith Show" from 1960 to 1964, and later on his own series, "Gomer Pyle, USMC." Nabors has also appeared in several feature films, but concentrated his later career in music.

June 12, 1934 - Voters of Conecuh County were standing ready to go to the polls on this Tuesday to cast their ballots in the several runoff races for state and county offices. While it was hardly probable that the vote in this election would be as heavy as was cast on May 1, prospects were that there would only be a slightly fewer votes. There were only three local contests to be decided in this runoff. For tax collector, J.R. Kelley, incumbent and John H. Tranum were pitted against each other. This race had been hard fought and the interest in it was high. For member of the Board of Revenue District One, A.O. Brantley, incumbent, A.E. Johnson, former member, were up for the final decision of the voters in that district. In District Two, E.B. Gafford, incumbent, and H.L. Kindig were fighting it out for member of the board.

June 12, 1936 – The Douglas DST airliner, registered NC16002, was originally built. It would disappear over the Bermuda Triangle on Dec. 28, 1948 during a flight from San Juan to Miami.

June 12, 1939 - The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum was dedicated in Cooperstown, New York.

June 12, 1942 – Anne Frank received a diary for her 13th birthday.

June 12, 1944 – Lt. Col. Kenneth D. McMillan, brother of Prof. W.P. McMillan and Lizabeth McMillan of Evergreen, Ala., was killed in an accident in England while serving with the Dept. of Aerial Photography. He was buried in the Cambridge American Cemetery and Memorial, Coton, South Cambridgeshire District in Cambridgeshire, England. (Some sources indicated that he died on June 20.)

June 12, 1947 – The Evergreen Greenies were scheduled to travel to Frisco City, Ala. for a game on this Thursday. James Carpenter was slated to pitch for the Greenies.

June 12, 1947 – The Evergreen Courant reported that the first remains of World War II dead to be returned to the U.S. were scheduled to arrive in October. They were originally scheduled to arrive in August, but were delayed due to “industrial difficulties in the production of caskets.”

June 12, 1957 - Monsanto opened its House of the Future at Disneyland. The striking structure had four wings elevated on a central pedestal, and a giant (non-working) wall mounted TV set.

June 12, 1961 – In American League youth baseball action in Evergreen, Ala., the Pelicans beat the Chicks, 8-7. Later that night, the Dodgers beat the Giants, 5-3. Jimmy Hart pitched for the Dodgers, and Jimmy Brown pitched for the Giants.

June 12, 1961 – The Braves opened the 1961 Senior League baseball season in Evergreen, Ala. on this Monday night with a 6-3 win over the Indians. Braves pitcher Ronnie Jackson struck out seven and got the pitching win while Ernest Sheffield hit a three-run homer for the Braves. Also that night, the defending champion Tigers beat the Pirates, 3-2.

June 12, 1961 - The first cotton bloom of the 1961 season was brought in to The Courant office on this Monday morning by Leslie Crosby, a farmer who lived on Rt. E, Evergreen, Ala.

June 12, 1963 - The "Letter from Birmingham Jail" by Alabama author Martin Luther King Jr. was published in The Christian Century.

June 12, 1963 – Civil rights leader Medgar Evers was murdered in front of his home in Jackson, Miss. by Ku Klux Klan member Byron De La Beckwith.

June 12, 1967 - The Senators beat Chicago, 6-5, in 22 innings. The game lasted six hours, 38 minutes and ended at 2:43 a.m. and caused the league to adopt a curfew stating that no inning may start after 1:00 a.m.

June 12, 1967 – In the case of Loving v. Virginia, the United States Supreme Court declared all state laws prohibiting interracial marriage to be unconstitutional.

June 12, 1969 – The Evergreen Courant reported that several items of historical significance were on display at the Evergreen-Conecuh County Public Library. Newspapers dating back to 1802, numerous Civil War papers, two editions of Harper’s Weekly depicting uniforms of the Confederate forces and an article on the Rebels’ infernal machine, the submarine, were of special interest. The display was courtesy of C.L. Rogers and also contained a ladies’ book from 1864 with stories and latest fashions, a youth’s history of the Civil War from the Rebel viewpoint and a map of the southern states showing Sparta as Conecuh’s county seat.

June 12, 1969 – The Evergreen Courant reported that John Coburn caught an eight-pound bass in a local pond on a number six bream hook with a cricket.

June 12, 1969 – The Evergreen Courant reported that Coach Wayne Pope, who was attending summer school at the University of South Alabama in Mobile, spent the weekend in Evergreen, Ala. with his family.

June 12, 1976 – Horace Alto Deer, a 77-year-old native of the Old Town community, died suddenly in the Conecuh County Hospital in Evergreen, Ala. He was a charter member of the Evergreen Kiwanis Club and serve as secretary of Greening Lodge No. 53 for 19 years. He owned a local grocery store for many years but worked as a letter carrier from 1942 to 1976. Born on Jan. 21, 1899 in Old Town, he was buried in Magnolia Cemetery in Evergreen.

June 12, 1976 – NBA power forward and small forward Antwan Jamison was born in Shreveport, La. He went on to play at North Carolina and for the Golden State Warriors, the Dallas Mavericks, the Washington Wizards, the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Clippers.

June 12, 1978 – David Berkowitz, the "Son of Sam" killer in New York City, was sentenced to 365 years in prison for six killings.

June 12, 1978 – The Orioles shut out the Astros, 6-0, in probably the most important game of the season on this Monday night to break a tie for first place in the Monroeville Little League. The Orioles at that point lead the league with an 11-2 record, and the Astros had a firm hold on second place with a 10-3 record. Top players for the Orioles included Cliff McPherson and Anthony Morrissette. Top players for the Astros included Berry Andrews, Eugene Biggs, Calvin Tucker, Greg Ward and Curtis Richardson. Other Monroeville Little League players that season on other teams included Anthony Broughton, Willie Carmichael, Brit Hamilton, Jerome Ikner, Bill Lazenby, Lloyd Patrick, William Patrick, Kenny Richardson, Thomas Richardson, Wilber Richardson, Tyrone Salter, Tim Tucker, Walter Tucker, Jeff Turberville and Troy Wearren.

June 12, 1981 – “Raiders of the Lost Ark” was first released in theaters.

June 12, 1981 - Major League Baseball players began a 49-day strike. The issue was free-agent compensation.

June 12, 1995 – Two years after being drafted first overall and more than a month shy of his 20th birthday, Seattle Mariner Alex Rodriguez hit his first Major League home run. Rodriguez, batting ninth in the order, belted a 3-2, two-out curveball from Kansas City pitcher Tom Gordon deep into the left-center field seats at the Kingdome in Seattle.

June 12, 1997 - Interleague play began in baseball, ending a 126-year tradition of separating the major leagues until the World Series.

June 12, 1997 – Queen Elizabeth II reopened the Globe Theatre in London.

June 12, 2000 - Steve Young of the San Francisco 49ers retired from the NFL.

June 12, 2003 – Gregory Peck, who portrayed Atticus Finch in 1962’s “To Kill a Mockingbird,” died at his home in Los Angeles, Calif. at the age of 87.

June 12, 2011 – Kathryn Tucker Windham, who became famous for her book “13 Alabama Ghosts and Jeffrey,” died in Selma, Ala. at the age of 93. Born on June 2, 1918 in Selma, she was buried in the New Live Oak Cemetery in Selma.

June 12, 2014 – The Rawls Warehouse and Cotton Gill in Enterprise, Ala. was added to the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage.