Today in History for Aug. 29, 2017

Aug. 29, 1498 – Vasco da Gama decided to depart Calicut and return to Kingdom of Portugal.

Aug. 29, 1533 - Atahualpa, the last Incan King of Peru, was murdered on orders from Spanish conqueror Francisco Pizarro. The Inca Empire died with him.

Aug. 29, 1632 – British philosopher John Locke was born in Wrington, Somerset, England. His ideas were a foundation for much of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution.

Aug. 29, 1758 – The first American Indian reservation was established, at Indian Mills, New Jersey.

Aug. 29, 1773 – French botanist and explorer Aimé Bonpland was born in La Rochelle, France.

Aug. 29, 1776 - General George Washington held a meeting with his generals. The Generals agreed that General Miffin's Pennsylvania Regiments should make up the rear guard as the rest of the army withdrew from Brooklyn.

Aug. 29, 1778 – During the American Revolutionary War, British and American forces battled indecisively at the Battle of Rhode Island.

Aug. 29, 1779 - In modern-day Elmira, New York, near the state’s southwestern border with Pennsylvania, Continental forces led by Major General John Sullivan and Brigadier General James Clinton defeated a force of Loyalists and Indians commanded by Captain Walter Butler and Chief Joseph Brant in what is now known as the Battle of Chemung or Newtown, N.Y.

Aug. 29, 1809 – Poet and physician Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. was born in Cambridge, Mass.

Aug. 29, 1813 – Paddy Welsh and William Weatherford hid their main force in the woods and tall grass about six miles from Fort Mims, where soldiers and settlers were enjoying a supply of whiskey that had arrived that day.

August 29, 1813 - Two black slaves tending cattle outside Fort Mims also reported that "painted warriors" were in the vicinity, but mounted scouts from the fort found no signs of the war party. To the detriment of Fort Mims, Major Daniel Beasley had the second slave flogged for "raising a false alarm."

Aug. 29, 1861 – During the Civil War, in North Carolina, Confederate troops at Fort Hatteras surrendered after a two-day battle.

Aug. 29, 1861 – During the Civil War, a skirmish was fought at Morse's Mill, Mo.

Aug. 29, 1862 - Confederate General Robert E. Lee dealt a stinging defeat to Union General John Pope at the Second Battle of Bull Run, Virginia—a battle that arose out of the failure of Union General George McClellan’s Peninsular campaign earlier in the summer. Pope’s army lost over 16,000 men to the Confederates’ 9,000.

Aug. 29, 1862 – During the Civil War, skirmishes were fought at Bloomfield, California House and Iberia in Missouri; in the vicinity of Port Hudson, La.; near Saint Charles Court House, La.; and between Richmond and Big Hill in Kentucky.

Aug. 29, 1863 – The H.L. Hunley submarine sank during a training exercise, killing five of her crew.

Aug. 29, 1863 – During the Civil War, a skirmish occurred at Carperton's Ferry, Ala.

Aug. 29, 1863 – During the Civil War, a skirmish was fought at Texas Prairie, Mo.

Aug. 29, 1864 - Democrats nominated George B. McClellan for president to run against the Republican incumbent, Abraham Lincoln.

Aug. 29, 1864 – During the Civil War, Price's Raid began and continued until December 2.

Aug. 29, 1864 – During the Civil War, skirmishes were fought near Red Oak, Ga.; near Ghent, Ky.; at Smithfield Crossing, Charlestown, and Martinsburg in West Virginia.

Aug. 29, 1885 - The first prizefight under the Marquis of Queensberry Rules was held in Cincinnati, Ohio. John L. Sullivan defeated Dominick McCaffery in six rounds.

Aug. 29, 1892 – “Pop” Billy Shriver of the Chicago Cubs caught a ball that was dropped from the top of the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C.

Aug. 29, 1895 – The Monroe Journal reported that “work on the Monroeville Academy building goes bravely on. The outside walls have already been put up and the materials for the interior work are on the ground and being put in place as rapidly as possible. The dimensions of the building are 36 x 60 feet, which will afford ample room for present necessities.”

Aug. 29, 1896 – The first issue of The Monroe Democrat newspaper was published by D.M. Gordon and associates. That newspaper moved to Daphne, Ala. about two years later.

Aug. 29, 1896 - Messrs. Louiselle of Manistee were in Monroeville on this Saturday.

Aug. 29, 1896 - Capt. Geo. H. Gray of Perdue Hill, Monroe’s newly elected tax assessor, was in Monroeville on this Saturday. Gray planned to begin his “round of sittings” on the first Monday in October.

Aug. 29, 1896 - The Mexia and Natchez baseball teams crossed bats in Monroeville on this Saturday. When the game was called, the score stood Natchez 39, Mexia 9.

Aug. 29, 1896 - A mad dog passed through Pineville on this Saturday “causing great excitement,” according to The Monroe Journal.

Aug. 29-30, 1896 – The Rev. Mr. Heath of Brewton preached three sermons on this Saturday night, Sunday and Sunday night at Canoe Station, according to The Monroe Journal.

Aug. 29, 1900 - William Carver, Kid Curry, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid robbed a Union Pacific train of more than $30,000 near Tipton, Wyoming.

Aug. 29, 1906 - John McDuffie of River Ridge visited Monroeville on this Wednesday, “circulating among his many friends,” according to The Monroe Journal.

Aug. 29, 1911 – State Superintendent of Education Henry J. Willingham and State Auditor C. Brooks Smith visited Monroeville and Jones Mill (now Frisco City) to announce that the state high school commission had awarded Monroeville the County High School by a unanimous vote on Aug. 24.

Aug. 29, 1911 – The 19th Annual Session of the Second District Agricultural School opened in Evergreen, Ala. with Henry T. Lile as President.

Aug. 29, 1911 – The Evergreen Motor Car Co., which “featured entirely and completely Ford automobiles and Ford products,” was established by C.P. Deming Sr., H.W. Dunn, W.B. Ivey and R.B. Lee. It operated under that name in the same block on Rural Street until Sept. 1, 1955 when it sold out to Bryon Warren, who changed the name to Warren Ford Co.

Aug. 29, 1911 – Ishi, considered the last Native American to make contact with European Americans, emerged from the wilderness of northeastern California.

Aug. 29, 1914 – During World War I, the Battle of St. Quentin started and the French Fifth Army counter-attacked the invading Germans at Saint-Quentin, Aisne.

Aug. 29, 1914 - With World War I approaching the end of its first month, the Women’s Defense Relief Corps was formed in Britain.

Aug. 29, 1918 – Laula M. Middleton was born near Evergreen, Ala. He would later become a military pilot and would be killed in World War II. Evergreen’s airport was later named in his honor. A memorial marker for Middleton can be found in Belleville United Methodist Church Cemetery.

Aug. 29, 1918 – During World War I, Bapaume was taken by the New Zealand Division in the Hundred Days Offensive.

Aug., 29, 1920 – Jazz saxophonist Charlie Parker was born in Kansas City, Kansas.

Aug. 29, 1922 – The first radio advertisement was broadcast on WEAF-AM in New York City. The Queensboro Realty Company bought 10 minutes of time for $100.

Aug. 29, 1931 - “Crooked Flea,” owned by “Crook” Haygood and “Flea” McRee of Greenville was victorious in a turtle race staged in Greenville on this Saturday by the Lions Club to determine the official entrant for Greenville in the International Turtle Derby at Evergreen on Sept. 5. A large crowd gathered at the City Park to witness the races. Prizes were awarded for the largest and fastest turtles taking part in the races and “Crooked Flea” won both titles.

Aug. 29, 1940 – Evergreen’s Rotary Club defeated Brewton’s Rotary Club, 19-9, in a softball game in Brewton, Ala.

Aug. 29, 1941 - “The Pittsburgh Kid,” a movie version of Alabama author Octavus Roy Cohen's book “Kid Tinsel,” was released.

Aug. 29, 1941 – Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, was occupied by Nazi Germany following an occupation by the Soviet Union.

Aug. 29, 1944 – The Slovak National Uprising took place as 60,000 Slovak troops turned against the Nazis.

Aug. 29, 1948 – Walter W. Dent, 42, died from an accidental .22 rifle wound to his right side around 1 p.m. at his home in the Melrose community. Conecuh County Sheriff W.D. Lewis investigated and learned that Dent and his 15-year-old son, Weldon, were “engaged in a struggle over the rifle when the fatal shot was fired.” Dr. U.L. Jones of Brooklyn treated Dent, but Dent lived only a short time after Jones arrived.

Aug. 29, 1951 – The final issue of “The Frisco City Sun” was published. The first issue was published on June 6, 1950.

Aug. 29, 1952 – Young adult writer Karen Hesse was born in Baltimore, Md.

Aug. 29, 1957 – NFL defensive tackle and defensive end Benjamin Rudolph was born in Evergreen, Ala. He went on to play for Long Beach State and the New York Jets.

Aug. 29, 1958 – The United States Air Force Academy opened in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Aug. 29, 1958 - The W.E. Broughton cotton gin, which burned at Perdue Hill early on this Friday, was declared by owners to be a total loss. Ed Broughton, son of Dr. W.E. Broughton, owner, said the blaze, which destroyed all of the main part of the gin, a nearby seed house and 27 bales of cotton, was first discovered around 3:30 a.m. He said the cause of the fire was undetermined.

Aug. 29, 1964 - Nguyen Khanh stepped down as president of South Vietnam and Xuan Oanh, former professor at Trinity College in Connecticut, was named prime minister.

Aug. 29, 1965 – A moonshine still, said to be “one of the largest ever raided” in Monroe County, Ala., was destroyed along with 280 gallons of moonshine by the Monroe County Sheriff’s Department on this Sunday night eight or nine miles east of Monroeville near Drewry. Taking part in the raid was Monroe County Sheriff Charlie Sizemore, deputies Floyd Till and John Byron Carter and Constable Aubrey Helton.

Aug. 29, 1966 – The Beatles performed their last concert before paying fans at Candlestick Park in San Francisco.

Aug. 29, 1970 – During the Chicano Moratorium against the Vietnam War in East Los Angeles, California, a police riot killed three people, including journalist Rubén Salazar.

Aug. 29, 1971 – Wilcox County native Hank Aaron became the first baseball player in the National League to hit 100 or more runs in each of 11 seasons.

Aug. 29, 1971 - Alabama author Emma Gelders Sterne died in San Jose, Calif.

Aug. 29, 1971 - President Nguyen Van Thieu retained control of the South Vietnamese National Assembly as candidates backing him swept the opposition in the Mekong Delta, with a solid majority in the 159-member lower house.

Aug. 29, 1972 - President Nixon set December 1 as the target date for reducing U.S. troops strength in Vietnam by 12,000, to 27,000, an all-time low since the American troop buildup began in 1965.

Aug. 29, 1973 - U.S. President Richard Nixon was ordered by Judge John Sirica to turn over the Watergate tapes. Nixon refused and appealed the order.

Aug. 29, 1976 – NFL safety Kevin Kaesviharn was born in Paramount, Calif. He went on to play for Augustana College, the Cincinnati Bengals, the New Orleans Saints and the Tennessee Titans.

Aug. 29, 1977 - Lou Brock brought his total of stolen bases to 893. The record he beat had been held by Ty Cobb for 49 years.

Aug. 29, 1983 - The anchor of the USS Monitor from the U.S. Civil War was retrieved by divers.

Aug. 29, 1985 – Sparta Academy opened the 1985 football season with a 34-12 win over Greenville Academy at Stuart-McGehee Field in Evergreen, Ala. Chad Grace and Danny Reed led Sparta’s offense with two touchdowns each, and Mark Rigsby, who also scored a touchdown, led the defense with eight solos, six assists, an interception and two caused fumbles.

Aug. 29, 1987 – Evergreen Mayor Pat Poole and Anthony Baker, the president of Polyfelt, were scheduled to appear on television on Evelyn Babcock’s weekend show, “Update,” on WAKA-TV in Selma, Ala. at 6:30 a.m. Babcock invited Poole and Baker to be on the show to discuss how Polyfelt selected Evergreen as the city to build its manufacturing plant.

Aug. 29, 1988 – Public schools in Conecuh County, Ala. opened on this day to start the 1988-89 school year.

Aug. 29, 1989 – English explorer and painter Peter Scott passed away at the age of 79 in Bristol, England.

Aug. 29, 1990 - Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, in a television interview, declared that America could not defeat Iraq.

  

Aug. 29, 2003 – Ayatollah Sayed Mohammed Baqir al-Hakim, the Shia Muslim leader in Iraq, was assassinated in a terrorist bombing, along with nearly 100 worshippers as they left a mosque in Najaf.

Aug. 29, 2005 - Hurricane Katrina, a category 5 hurricane, made landfall on the Louisiana coast, and became one of the greatest natural disasters in U.S. history. Katrina left a wake of destruction stretching across the northern Gulf coast from Louisiana to Florida, killing an estimated 1,836 people and causing over $108 billion in damage. Before it reached land, it was the strongest hurricane ever measured in the Gulf of Mexico, with winds of up to 175 miles per hour.

Aug. 29, 2008 – Hillcrest upset Class 6A Theodore, 21-20, at Brooks Memorial Stadium in Evergreen. The game included Theodore junior linebacker C.J. Mosley, who would go on to star at Alabama and to be selected in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft by the Baltimore Ravens.