Today in History for Sept. 25, 2017

Ralph "Shug" Jordan

Sept. 25, 1066 – The Battle of Stamford Bridge marked the end of the Viking invasions of England.

Sept. 25, 1237 – England and Scotland signed the Treaty of York, establishing the location of their common border.

Sept. 25, 1492 - The crew of the Pinta, one of Christopher Columbus' ships, mistakenly thought that they had spotted land.

Sept. 25, 1493 - Christopher Columbus left Spain with 17 ships on his second voyage to the Western Hemisphere.

Sept. 25, 1513 – Spanish explorer Vasco Núñez de Balboa reached what would become known as the Pacific Ocean when he crossed the Isthmus of Panama. He named the body of water the South Sea. He was truly just the first European to see the Pacific Ocean.

Sept. 25, 1525 – English explorer and navigator Steven Borough was born in Northam, Devon.

Sept. 25, 1540 – The chief of the ancient Indian town of Talisi in present-day Dallas County, Ala. gave DeSoto men and women to carry their baggage and in return DeSoto released the chieftain of Coosa.

Sept. 25, 1690 - One of America's earliest newspapers published its first and last edition. The "Publik Occurences Both Foreign and Domestik" was published at the London Coffee House in Boston, Mass. by Benjamin Harris.

Sept. 25, 1775 – During the American Revolutionary War, Continental Army Colonel Ethan Allen surrendered to British forces after attempting to capture Montreal during the Battle of Longue-Pointe. Allen was taken prisoner and sent to England to be executed but was imprisoned and returned to the United States on May 6, 1778 as part of a prisoner exchange. Benedict Arnold and his expeditionary company set off from Fort Western, bound for Quebec City.

Sept. 25, 1789 – The United States Congress passed 12 amendments to the United States Constitution - the Congressional Apportionment Amendment (which was never ratified), the Congressional Compensation Amendment, and the 10 that are known as the Bill of Rights.

Sept. 25, 1804 – The Teton Sioux (a subdivision of the Lakota) demanded one of the boats from the Lewis and Clark Expedition as a toll for allowing the expedition to move further upriver.

Sept. 25, 1861 – During the Civil War, a 10-day Federal expedition from San Bernardino to the Temecula Ranch and Oak Grove, Calif. began.

Sept. 25, 1861 – During the Civil War, a skirmish was fought at Canada Alamosa, New Mexico.

Sept. 25, 1861 – During the Civil War, an engagement was fought at Freestone Point and Lewinsville, Va.

Sept. 25, 1861 – During the Civil War, a skirmish was fought at Kanawha Gap, near Chapmanville, West Va.

Sept. 25, 1862 – During the Civil War, skirmishes were fought at Ashbysburg, Kentucky; near Snow’s Pond, Kentucky; at Davis’ Bridge on the Hatchie River, Tennessee; and at Shepherdstown, West Virginia. An engagement also took place at Sabine Pass, Texas

Sept. 25, 1862 – During the Civil War, Federal forces burned Randolph, Tennessee.

Sept. 25, 1863 – During the Civil War, a Federal operation began in the vicinity of Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Sept. 25, 1863 – During the Civil War, skirmishes were fought at Athens, Calhoun, and Charleston, Tennessee; near Upperville, Virginia; and at Seneca Trace Crossing on the Cheat River in West Virginia.

Sept. 25, 1864 – Confederate Gen. Nathan B. Forrest drove in the Union pickets at the Sulphur Branch Trestle Fort in Limestone County, Ala. and placed his artillery in a position from which he delivered a deadly bombardment into the fort. Union forces surrendered the fort later that day.

Sept. 25, 1864 - Confederate President Jefferson Davis met with General John Bell Hood at Hood's Palmetto, Ga. headquarters to discuss the recent misfortunes of the Army of Tennessee. Since Hood had assumed command of the army in July, he had launched an unsuccessful series of attacks on Union General William T. Sherman’s forces, endured a month-long siege in Atlanta, and was finally forced to abandon the city.

Sept. 25, 1864 – During the Civil War, a 19-day Federal operation from Little Rock to Fort Smith, Arkansas began.

Sept. 25, 1864 – During the Civil War, skirmishes were fought at Henderson, Kentucky; with Indians at Walnut Creek, Kansas; at Huntsville and Farmington, Missouri; and near Johnsonville, Tennessee.

Sept. 25, 1867 - The oldest newspaper in Alabama owned by a single family, The Southern Star, was first published in Dale County. Except for a few issues, the editor has always been a family member. The current editor, Joseph H. Adams, is the fourth generation family editor.

Sept. 25, 1882 - The first Major League Baseball double header was played between the Worcester and Providence baseball teams.

Sept. 25, 1883 – Legislator and judge John McDuffie was born at River Ridge in Monroe County, Ala.

Sept. 25, 1889 – Shortly after 3 a.m., Rube Burrow and Rube Smith robbed the southbound Mobile & Ohio passenger and mail train near Buckatunna, Miss. This was Burrow’s seventh train robbery.

Sept. 25, 1890 – The United States Congress established Sequoia National Park in Central California.

Sept. 25, 1897 – Noble Prize-winning author William Faulkner was born in New Albany, Miss.

Sept. 25, 1905 – Sportswriter Walter Wellesley “Red” Smith was born in Green Bay, Wisc.

Sept. 25, 1905 – The Monroeville, Ala. school opened on this Monday with “a fair enrollment of pupils.” Prof. Weaver was the principal and Gertrude Deer was his assistant. Mary Stallworth was in charge of the music department.

Sept. 25, 1906 – In the presence of the king and before a great crowd, Leonardo Torres y Quevedo successfully demonstrated the invention of the Telekino in the port of Bilbao, guiding a boat from the shore, in what is considered the birth of the remote control.

Sept. 25, 1910 – Former Auburn University football and basketball coach Ralph “Shug” Jordan was born in Selma, Ala.

Sept. 25, 1911 – Ground was broken for Fenway Park in Boston, Mass.

Sept. 25, 1912 – Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism was founded in New York City.

Sept. 25, 1914 - Richard H. Parks, “a prominent lawyer and former solicitor,” committed suicide in Dothan, Ala. by shooting himself.

Sept. 25, 1914 – Up to this date, 5,691 bales of cotton had been baled in Conecuh County, Ala., compared with 4,924 as of Sept. 25, 1913.

Sept. 25, 1915 – Up to this date, 4,102 bales of cotton had been baled in Monroe County, Ala., compared to 8,063 as of Sept. 25, 1914.

Sept. 25, 1915 – During World War I, the Second Battle of Champagne began.

Sept. 25, 1915 - Following a four-day artillery bombardment along a six-and-a-half-mile front, British forces launched an attack on German positions at Loos, Belgium, beginning the Battle of Loos.

Sept. 25, 1916 - Ground was broken on this Monday on the “new” Methodist church on the southeast corner of courthouse square in Monroeville, and the work of putting the concrete foundation for the building was well under way. “The event, though momentous in local annals, was unaccompanied by flare of trumpets or ceremonious observance,” according to the Sept. 28 edition of The Monroe Journal. “It is the purpose of the building committee authorized by the congregation to see that there be no unnecessary interruption or delay in the erection of the superstructure, and if present plans carry, the probability is that the building will be ready for occupancy early in the new year.”

Sept. 25, 1917 – National Baseball Hall of Fame shortstop Phil Rizzuto was born in Brooklyn, N.Y. He went on to play his entire career for the New York Yankees. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1994.

Sept. 25, 1917 – Major League Baseball pitcher John Franklin “Johnny” Sain was born in Havana, Ark.

Sept. 25, 1918 – The Bank of Monroeville (Ala.) opened on the lower floor of the old 1852 Courthouse with a capital of $25,000. It would later merge with the Monroe County Bank in 1922.

Sept. 25, 1920 – American Legion Post No. 61 in Monroeville, Ala. was organized.

Sept. 25, 1925 – Camden native Tom “Sut” Jenkins, who batted left but threw right, made his Major League debut with the Boston Red Sox in a game against the St. Louis Browns at Fenway Park. Jenkins played left field in that game in front of Fenway’s famous “Green Monster” and reached base on a walk, but the Red Sox came up short, 2-1. Jenkins remained with the Red Sox through 1925 and part of the 1926 season before being sent back down to the minors.

Sept. 25, 1926 – The international Convention to Suppress the Slave Trade and Slavery was first signed.

  

Sept. 25, 1929 – National Baseball Hall of Fame second baseman and manager Miller Huggins passed away at the age of 51 in New York City. During his career, he played for the Cincinnati Reds and the St. Louis Cardinals, and he managed the Cardinals and New York Yankees. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1964.

Sept. 25, 1930 – Poet, cartoonist, playwright and songwriter Shel Silverstein was born Sheldon Allan Silverstein in Chicago.

Sept. 25-27, 1939 – Heavy rains fell in Alabama during this three-day period and did considerable damage to crops, highways and bridges. Many streams flooded, including Burnt Corn and Murder Creeks, which rose at a rate of about 18 inches per hour on Sept. 26. On Sept. 26, the Conecuh River rose 11-1/2 feet and traffic between Monroeville and Atmore was interrupted due to damage to the concrete bridge south of the state prison.

Sept. 25, 1940 – Indian-English explorer, historian, and author Tim Severin was born in Assam, British India. Severin is noted for his work in retracing the legendary journeys of historical figures. Severin was awarded both the Gold Medal of the Royal Geographical Society and the Livingstone Medal of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society.

Sept. 25, 1942 – Lt. Laula Middleton sent a cablegram to his family in Conecuh County, Ala. to let them know he had safely arrived overseas. The family received the message on Sept. 26 and believed he was in either England or Ireland.

Sept. 25, 1944 - Alabama author Johnniece Wilson was born.

Sept. 25, 1953 - "TV Guide" released its cover with Superman leaping over the head of Clark Kent.

Sept. 25, 1954 – Sylvester Croom was born in Tuscaloosa, Ala. He went on to play center for the University of Alabama and the New Orleans Saints. He later served as head coach at Mississippi State.

Sept. 25, 1955 – Brazilian sailor and explorer Amry Klink was born in São Paulo, Brazil. One of his projects, "Antarctica 360," was circumnavigating the Antarctic continent on his own, in 79 days in 1998.

Sept. 25, 1957 – One thousand federal troops secured Little Rock Central High School, allowing nine black students to enter and attend school.

Sept. 25, 1959 – Evergreen High School, under head coach Wendell Hart, beat Monroe County High School, 19-14, in Evergreen, Ala.

Sept. 25, 1964 – Jackson High School beat Frisco City High School, 26-14, in Frisco City, Ala. Pat Boothe scored FC’s first touchdown, and Mike Johns kicked the PAT. Larry Jones scored FC’s second TD.

Sept. 25, 1964 – Repton High School beat Excel High School, 14-6, in Repton, Ala. Robert Lowery and Nickey Thompson scored Repton’s touchdowns, and Wayne Wright scored Excel’s only TD.

Sept. 25, 1964 – During a family argument, Evelyn M. Booker allegedly shot her husband, Monroeville native J.D. Booker, age 48, in the stomach with a .38-caliber pistol at their home in Causeyville, about nine miles from Meridian, Miss. J.D. Booker died on the morning of Sept. 27, and his wife was charged with murder. J.D. Booker was buried at Pleasant Hill Cemetery in Monroe County, Ala.

Sept. 25, 1965 – The first installment of what would become Truman Capote’s “In Cold Blood” was published in The New Yorker.

Sept. 25, 1965 - Willie Mays, at the age of 34, became the oldest man to hit 50 home runs in a single season. He had also set the record for the youngest to hit 50 ten years earlier.

Sept. 25, 1965 - Satchel Paige of the Kansas City Athletics, at the age of 59, pitched three shutout innings against the Boston Red Sox. Paige’s three innings for the Kansas City Athletics made him, at 59 years, 2 months and 18 days, the oldest pitcher ever to play a game in the major leagues.

Sept. 25, 1967 – The Conecuh County (Ala.) Circuit Court’s Fall Term began with Judge Robert E.L. Key presiding. Two murder cases were on the docket. Joe Green faced charges of second-degree murder in connection with the pistol shooting death of Jack Manual on March 3 near Castleberry. Miller Baldwin faced charges of first-degree murder and assault to murder in connection with the shooting death of Ruth Boykin and the shooting of John H. Stallworth on April 16 at Boykin’s home.

Sept. 25, 1969 - Senator Charles Goodell (a maverick Republican from New York) proposed legislation that would require the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Vietnam by the end of 1970, and bar the use of congressionally appropriated funds after Dec. 1, 1970, for maintaining U.S. military personnel in Vietnam. The legislation failed to pass, but it was followed by 10 similar proposals over the next three weeks by legislators including Senators Jacob Javits, Frank Church, and Mark Hatfield.

Sept. 25, 1969 - Two terrorist attacks occurred near Da Nang in which 19 South Vietnamese died. Viet Cong commandos threw a grenade into a meeting place, killing four civilians and one policeman and wounding 26 others. At nearly the same time, a bus struck a mine 95 miles southeast of Da Nang killing 14 civilians.

Sept. 25, 1974 – The first ulnar collateral ligament replacement surgery (Tommy John surgery) was performed, on baseball player Tommy John.

Sept. 25, 1976 – NBA point guard/shooting guard Chauncey Billups was born in Denver, Colo. He went on to play for the University of Colorado, the Boston Celtics, the Toronto Raptors, the Denver Nuggets, the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Detroit Pistons, the New York Knicks and the Los Angeles Clippers.

Sept. 25, 1977 – About 4,200 people took part in the first running of the Chicago Marathon.

Sept. 25, 1978 - Melissa Ludtke, a writer for "Sports Illustrated," filed a suit in U.S. District Court. The result was that Major League Baseball could not bar female writers from the locker room after the game.

Sept. 25, 1980 – Conecuh County Sheriff Edwin Booker, his deputies and Alabama Beverage Control agents uprooted 700 marijuana plants that ranged in height from four to 12 feet. Officers staked out the marijuana patch for over two weeks, but no one ever showed up. Deputies involved in the operation included West Booker, Jerome Boykin, Mack Goneke and Leroy Ferrell.

Sept. 25, 1981 – Sandra Day O’Connor was sworn in as a justice in the Supreme Court of the United States, becoming the first woman to hold that office.

Sept. 25, 1985 – A cropduster owned by J.G. Booker of Booker Flying Service of Goodway, Ala. crashlanded in a field at Uriah, Ala. owned by W.E. Garrett of Uriah. The plane, which was flown by Duke Farrar, suffered from apparent engine failure. No one was injured in the incident.

Sept. 25, 1987 – Alba High School handed Evergreen High School its third straight loss by beating them 21-3 in Bayou LaBatre, Ala. Russell Meeks kicked a 21-yard field goal with 2:47 left in the fourth quarter to give Evergreen their only points.

Sept. 25, 1987 – Sparta Academy beat South Montgomery Academy, 14-7, at Stuart-McGehee Field in Evergreen, Ala. Robbie Bolton scored on a five-yard run, and Jeff Carrier scored on a four-yard run. Jamie Deason kicked both extra points.

Sept. 25, 1987 – Carolyn Pate Castleberry took the oath of office Conecuh County, Alabama’s Tax Collector. She was appointed to the office by Alabama Gov. Guy Hunt to fill the unexpired term of Marvin Johnston, who had retired.

Sept. 25, 1987 - The booty collected from the Wydah, which sunk off Cape Cod in 1717, was auctioned off for around $400 million.

Sept. 25, 1990 - The U.N. Security Council voted to impose an air embargo against Iraq. Cuba was the only dissenting vote.

Sept. 25, 1991 – German SS captain Klaus Barbie, known as the "Butcher of Lyon,” died at the age of 77 in Lyon, France.

Sept. 25, 1993 - Charles Barkley and Nirvana were guests on "Saturday Night Live."

Sept. 25, 2002 – Weather reporter Harry Ellis reported 3.10 inches of rain in Evergreen, Ala.

Sept. 25, 2002 – The Vitim event, a possible bolide impact, occurred in Siberia, Russia.

Sept. 25, 2002 – Horton Insurance Co. moved into a new location on Rural Street in Evergreen, Ala. The company was owned by Earl Horton, and Jim Ryan was the Evergreen office’s manager.