Today in History for July 10, 2017

Jimmy Earl Darby

July 10, 1499 – The Portuguese explorer Nicolau Coelho returned to Lisbon after discovering the sea route to India as a companion of Vasco da Gama.

July 10, 1509 – Religious leader and founder of Calvinism, John Calvin, was born in Noyon, Picardy, France.

July 10, 1625 – French adventurer Jean Herauld Gourville was born in La Rochefoucauld in southwestern France.

July 10, 1679 - The British crown claimed New Hampshire as a royal colony.

July 10, 1776 - The statue of King George III was pulled down in New York City.

July 10, 1777 - Colonel William Barton of the Rhode Island Patriot militia captured British General Richard Prescott, from his bed in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, during the early morning hours.

July 10, 1778 – In support of the American Revolution, Louis XVI of France declared war on England.

July 10, 1789 – Alexander Mackenzie reached the Mackenzie River delta.

July 10, 1813 – Peter McQueen, head of the Tallasee warriors; High-Head Jim, with the Autaugas; and Josiah Francis with the Alabamas, numbering in all 350, went to Pensacola, Fla. for the purpose of war talk.

July 10, 1813 – Alexander Travis was ordained as a minister by the Cambridge Church in South Carolina.

July 10, 1820 - Alabama’s first governor, William Wyatt Bibb, died in Elmore County, Ala. at the age of 38 as a result of injuries received in a riding accident. As specified in the 1819 constitution the president of the state senate automatically became the new governor. The new governor was Bibb’s younger brother, Thomas Bibb, who had represented Limestone County at the Constitutional Convention and in the state senate. Thomas did not stand for re-election, but later served again in the legislature and as director of the Huntsville Branch of the Bank of Alabama.

July 10, 1821 – United States troops took possession of its newly bought territory of Florida from Spain.

July 10, 1823 – William Stevenson was named postmaster at Burnt Corn Spring, Ala.

July 10, 1850 - Vice President Millard Fillmore of New York was sworn in as the 13th President of the United States. President Zachary Taylor had died the day before, five days after falling ill with a severe intestinal ailment on the Fourth of July.

July 10, 1856 - Nikola Tesla - the pioneering inventor, electrical engineer, and scientist – was born in Smiljan, Austrian Empire (modern-day Croatia).

July 10, 1861 - The Confederate States of America and the Creek Indians concluded a treaty.

July 10, 1861 – During the Civil War, Fort Breckinridge, in the New Mexico Territory, was abandoned, and a skirmish was fought at Rich Mountain, West Virginia.

July 10, 1862 - Forty men from the hill country of northwest Alabama snuck into Decatur to join the Union army, prompting General Abel Streight to mount an expedition to the south to recruit more volunteers. With the help of an impassioned speech from fervent Unionist Christopher Sheats of Winston County, a center of anti-secessionist sentiment, Streight added another 150 Alabamians to his force.

July 10, 1862 – During the Civil War, a two-day Federal expedition began to Guntown, Miss., where under a flag of truce the opposing forces exchanged newspapers and discussed topics of the day.

July 10, 1862 – During the Civil War, a skirmish was fought between Gallatin and Hartsville, Tennessee.

July 10, 1862 – During the Civil War, a Federal operation began between Harrison’s Landing and White Oak Swamp, Virginia.

July 10, 1863 – The Siege of Battery Wagner began as Union troops under Quincy Gillmore landed on Morris Island near Charleston, S.C. and prepared for a siege on Battery Wagner, a massive sand fortress on the island. On July 10, Gillmore’s troops quickly secured most of the island, and the only barrier left was Battery Wagner, an imposing fortress that guarded Charleston Harbor’s southern rim. The fort was 30 feet high, nearly 300 feet from north to south, and over 600 feet from east to west. Inside were 1,600 Confederates, 10 heavy cannons, and a mortar for hitting ships off the coast.

July 10, 1863 – During the Civil War, skirmishes were fought at Salem, Indiana with Morgan’s raiders; on Martin Creek, Kentucky; near Clear Springs, Funkstown, Falling Waters, at and near Hagerstown, Jones Crossroads, near and Lietersburg, in Maryland; at Florence, Missouri; with Navaho Indians, at Cook’s Canon, in the New Mexico Territory; and at Bolivar, Martin Creek and Union City, Tennessee.

July 10, 1863 – During the Civil War, the seven-day investment (and subsequent capture) of Jackson, Mississippi began.

July 10, 1864 – Union General Lovell H. Rousseau of the Union army began his 12-day raid through Alabama at Decatur. Under orders from Gen. William T. Sherman, Rousseau's 2,200 cavalrymen raided south more than 300 miles to the West Point & Montgomery Railroad in east Alabama. By July 20 they had destroyed more than 30 miles of track between Chehaw Station and Opelika, thereby aiding Sherman's march on Atlanta by cutting a vital supply line to the city.

July 10, 1864 – During the Civil War, skirmishes were fought north of Little Rock and another near Petit Jean, Arkansas; at Alpharetta and Campbellton, Georgia; near Clinton, Kentucky; at Bayou Macon, Louisiana; near Platte City and another at Warder‘s Church, in Western Missouri; at Gunpowder Bridge, near Monocacy and at Rockville, Maryland; at Cherry Creek, Plentytude, and in Issaquena County, Mississippi; at Platte City, Missouri; and at Fort Johnsons and Battery Simkins, Charleston Harbor, South Carolina.

July 10, 1864 – During the Civil War, a seven-day Federal operation began between Vicksburg and Grand Gulf, Mississippi.

July 10, 1865 – During the Civil War, an 11-day Federal operation began against Apache Indians between Fort Bowie to Maricopa Wells, the Arizona Territory.

July 10, 1871 – French novelist Marcel Proust was born in Auteuil.

July 10, 1875 – British writer Edmund Clerihew Bentley was born in London, England.

July 10, 1879 - The Evergreen Star reported that, at the request of a large number of the most prominent citizens of Escambia County, the next issue of The Star was to be headed, THE CONECUH-ESCAMBIA STAR. The name of the paper was changed on May 3, 1877 on account of the establishment of The Standard at Pollard. The move of The Standard to Milton, Fla. sometime before had left Escambia County without a paper, and it was with pride and pleasure that The Star resumed the name: CONECUH-ESCAMBIA STAR.

July 10, 1886 – A picnic was held at Hatter’s Mill on this Saturday and was a “very pleasant affair,” according to The Monroe Journal.

July 10, 1890 – Wyoming was admitted as the 44th U.S. state.

July 10, 1896 - A large and attentive crowd met at the Lodge at Pineville on this Friday night after the convention July 3 to witness a charming entertainment and ice cream supper given for the benefit of the Baptist and Methodist churches.

July 10, 1903 – German SS officer and jurist Werner Best was born in Darmstadt, Hesse.

July 10, 1913 – The highest temperature ever recorded in the United States, a sizzling 134 °F, was recorded in Death Valley, California.

July 10, 1917 - Theobald von Bethmann Hollweg, chancellor of Germany, resigned his position after failing to control the divided German Reichstag (government) as World War I threatened to stretch into its fourth agonizing year.

July 10, 1923 - Alabama author Robert Loveman died in Hot Springs, Ark.

July 10, 1930 – The Evergreen Courant reported that, within the next week or two, an 18-hole miniature golf course, to be known as the “Patsy Putter Course,” was to be installed on the vacant lot just north of the Gulf Ice & Cold Storage Co. plant. The course was to be owned and operated by the Arcade Theatre. Robert D. Conner Jr. of Birmingham had been in Evergreen for several days that week working out the plans for the course. Work was to begin immediately toward installing same. Conner stated that the course would be lighted and would be one of the beauty spots of Evergreen. It was to be open all day and until 11 o’clock at night. Courses similar to the one to be installed in Evergreen were being placed in all leading cities throughout Alabama, Conner said.

July 10, 1930 – The Evergreen Courant reported that a total of 10 candidates had qualified for entrance in the primary election to be held at Castleberry on July 22. Two were for mayor and eight were for council seats. Those who qualified were as follows, for mayor, A.N. Riggs and P.M. Skinner; for councilmen, Allen Page, G.T. Young, A.P. Griffin, J.J. English, J.S. Holland, L.H. Riggs, W.B. Brewton and W.E. Pate.

July 10, 1930 – The Evergreen Courant reported that that week had seen scattered rains over Conecuh County but perhaps the vast majority of the county was still within the throes of an extreme drought. Corn crops were suffering greatly in the dry areas so were most all other crops except cotton.

July 10, 1931 – Short-story writer Alice Munro was born Alice Laidlaw in Wingham, Ontario.

July 10, 1941 – Evergreen UFO witness Swan Turner was born in Butler County, Ala.

July 10, 1947 - On this Thursday, Manager Dick Fore was to “invade” the city of Evergreen with a Flomaton baseball team composed mostly of veteran semi-pro ball players for a twin bill. Evergreen Manager Hart was expected to use Carpenter and Johnson on the hill while Flomaton’s skipper was expected to start Gatlin and Vickery.

July 10, 1947 - Edsel Johnson improved his pitching record to 3-0 on the season on this Thursday as the Evergreen Greenies slammed out an 18-hit, 12-4, win over McCullough. Johnson gave up 11 hits. Ottis Johnson grabbed a screaming line drive with his bare hand and threw to third to complete a double play for the fielding gem of the day. Warren Bolton broke a season long hitting slump to lead the locals with four bingles.

July 10, 1949 - Four members of a family from Alabama competed in the second "Strictly Stock" race at the Daytona Beach and Road Course. It was the only time four members of one family took part in a race in NASCAR's top division. Brothers Bob, Tim and Fonty Flock were joined on the track by their sister, Ethel Flock Mobley. In her husband's 1948 Cadillac, Ethel not only finished ahead of the other women--in 11th place--but to her eternal delight defeated both Bob and Fonty.

July 10, 1951 – The opening of the new Clubview Apartments on Bigger Street was scheduled to take place on this date and was expected to alleviate the tight housing situation in Monroeville, Ala. Construction of the 20-unit project began in June 1950 and was completed several months before July 10. Occupancy of the apartments was delayed by the lack of sewage lines which according to local realty agents were to be finished within a few days of July 10.

July 10, 1952 - O.B. Tuggle, Southern Coach executive, was to take office on this day as President of the Evergreen Rotary Club. He succeeded Malcom Croft who was to turn the gavel over to him at the noon meeting of the Rotarians at The Grill.

July 10, 1954 – National Baseball Hall of Fame right fielder and center fielder Andre Dawson was born in Miami, Fla. During his career, he played for the Montreal Expos, the Chicago Cubs, the Boston Red Sox and the Florida Marlins. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2010.

July 10, 1954 – College football coach Tommy Bowden was born in Birmingham, Ala., the son of famous college coach, Bobby Bowden.

July 10, 1965 - U.S. planes continued heavy raids in South Vietnam and claimed to have killed 580 guerrillas. U.S. Phantom jets, escorting fighter-bombers in a raid on the Yen Sen ammunition depot northwest of Hanoi, engaged North Vietnamese MiG-17s. The action marked the first U.S. Air Force air-to-air victories of the Vietnam War.

July 10, 1967 – Army PFC Jimmy Earl Darby, 17, of Opp, Ala. was killed in action in Vietnam. Born on Aug. 21, 1949, he was buried in the Peaceful Acres Memorial Gardens in Opp.

July 10, 1967 - Bobbie Gentry recorded “Ode to Billie Joe.”

July 10, 1967 - Outnumbered South Vietnamese troops repelled an attack by two battalions of the 141st North Vietnamese Regiment on a military camp five miles east of An Loc, 60 miles north of Saigon. Communist forces captured a third of the base camp before they were thrown back with the assistance of U.S. and South Vietnamese air and artillery strikes. Farther to the north, U.S. forces suffered heavy casualties in two separate battles in the Central Highlands. In the first action, about 400 men of the 173rd Airborne Brigade came under heavy fire from North Vietnamese machine guns and mortars during a sweep of the Dak To area near Kontum. Twenty-six Americans were killed and 49 were wounded. In the second area clash, 35 soldiers of the U.S. 4th Infantry Division were killed and 31 were wounded in fighting.

July 10, 1969 - The National League was divided up into two baseball divisions.

July 10, 1974 – The officers of Greening Masonic Lodge No. 53 were to be installed by District Lecturer Jesse Byrd at 7:30 a.m.

July 10, 1975 – The Evergreen Courant published a photo that showed University of Alabama trainer Jim Goostree demonstrating protective padding for helmets to persons attending a recent training clinic at the University. Looking on were Sparta Academy of Evergreen Coach Bob Owens and Albertville’s Mike Bynum.

July 10, 1975 – The Sparta Quarterback Club was scheduled to meet on this night at 7:30 at the school in Evergreen, Ala. Films of the spring practice game between Sparta Academy and Monroe Academy were to be shown.

July 10, 1976 – Actor, producer and screenwriter Adrian Grenier was born in Santa Fe, New Mexico. He is best known for playing Vincent Chase on the HBO series “Entourage.”

July 10, 1984 - Pat Poole romped to an easy victory in voting for mayor in Evergreen, Ala. Poole had wide margins in all five council districts as he piled up 945 votes to easily defeat incumbent Mayor Lee Smith and W.B. Epperson.

July 10, 1984 - Dwight ‘Doc’ Gooden of the New York Mets became the youngest player to appear in an All-Star Game as a pitcher. He was 19 years, 7 months and 24 days old.

July 10, 1985 - Coca-Cola resumed selling the old formula of Coke, it was renamed "Coca-Cola Classic." It was also announced that they would continue to sell "New" Coke.

July 10, 1992 - One man was dead and another was charged with murder following an incident near Belleville on this Friday night. According to Deputy Dudley Godwin of the Conecuh County Sheriff’s Department, Ray McAfee, a resident of Chicago, Ill., was pronounced dead at the Monroe County Hospital. He apparently died from stab wounds. Law enforcement officers and a crew from Smith’s Ambulance Service had been dispatched to the home of W.C. Wallace in Belleville. The ambulance crew arrived first, reporting quickly the seriousness of the situation and that the victim was dead. Officers placed John Robert Nelson in the Conecuh County Jail and charged him with murder. Judge Sue Bell Cobb set a $10,000 bond on Nelson the following Monday.

July 10, 1997 – In London, scientists reported the findings of the DNA analysis of a Neanderthal skeleton which supported the "out of Africa theory" of human evolution placing an "African Eve" at 100,000 to 200,000 years ago.

July 10, 2005 – Hurricane Dennis slammed into the Florida Panhandle, causing billions of dollars in damage.

July 10, 2007 – Erden Eruç began the first solo human-powered circumnavigation of the world.