Today in History for Oct. 18, 2017

Grave of Evan Austill at Gainestown.

Oct. 18, 1009 – The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, a Christian church in Jerusalem, was completely destroyed by the Fatimid caliph Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah, who hacked the Church's foundations down to bedrock.

Oct. 18, 1540 - The largest Indian battle in North America occurred at the village of Mabila (or Mauvila) between Hernando de Soto’s Spaniards and Chief Tuscaloosa’s warriors. Accounts vary, but most agree that the Indian village and most of its more than 2,000 inhabitants were destroyed, including Chief Tuscaloosa. The exact location of this battle has eluded researchers for centuries.

Oct. 18, 1767 - The Mason-Dixon line was agreed upon when Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon completed their survey of the boundary between the colonies of Pennsylvania and Maryland as well as areas that would eventually become the states of Delaware and West Virginia. The Penn and Calvert families had hired Mason and Dixon, English surveyors, to settle their dispute over the boundary between their two proprietary colonies, Pennsylvania and Maryland.

Oct. 18, 1775 – During the American Revolutionary War, the Burning of Falmouth (now Portland, Maine) took place.

Oct. 18, 1775 – African-American poet Phillis Wheatley was freed from slavery.

Oct. 18, 1779 – During the American Revolutionary War, the Franco-American Siege of Savannah was lifted.

Oct. 18, 1785 – English author and poet Thomas Love Peacock was born in Weymouth, Dorset, England. He was a close friend of Percy Bysshe Shelley and they influenced each other's work. Peacock wrote satirical novels, each with the same basic setting — characters at a table discussing and criticizing the philosophical opinions of the day.

Oct. 18, 1814 – Andrew Jackson Hall Sr. was born in Oak Grove in Escambia County, Fla. He founded Canoe in 1852 when he and his family moved from Florida across the state line and bought land to settle there. First called Canoe Station after Canoe Creek, which is situated five miles north of Atmore. Name refers to the long narrow boat used by Indians and later by many of the early settlers. Post office was established in 1915. Louisville and Nashville Railroad also passes through the town. Hall died on Nov. 25, 1890 and is buried in the Hall Family Cemetery in Atmore.

Oct. 18, 1818 – Capt. Evan Austill, who settled in the vicinity of Fort Madison (in present day Clarke County, Ala.) in 1812, passed away at the age of 49 “from exposure in Florida in the Indian strife.” Born in 1769 in Pendleton, Anderson County, S.C., he was buried in the Evan Austill Burial Ground at Gainestown in Clarke County.

Oct. 18–19, 1824 – During his tour of the United States, the Marquis de Lafayette arrived by steamer in Petersburg, Va. for a visit to Yorktown for festivities marking the 43rd anniversary of the battle.

Oct. 18, 1839 - Cyrus Reed Teed, an eclectic physician and alchemist turned religious leader, was born in Delaware County, N.Y. In 1869, after an "illumination," he took on the name Koresh, and proposed a new set of scientific principles including a Hollow Earth theory.

Oct. 18, 1842 - Samuel Finley Breese Morse laid his first telegraph cable.

Oct. 18, 1851 – Herman Melville's “Moby-Dick” was first published as “The Whale” by Richard Bentley of London.

Oct. 18, 1854 – Explorer Salomon Andree was born in Gränna, Småland.

Oct. 18, 1861 – During the Civil War, skirmishes were fought near Rockcastle Hills, Ky.; and at Warrensburg and Fredericktown in Missouri.

Oct. 18, 1862 – During the Civil War, skirmishes were fought at Cross Hollow and near Helena in Arkansas; at Bloomtown, Nelson Crossroads, Big Hill, Little Rockcastle River, Lexington and Mountainside in Kentucky; at California House and near Uniontown in Missouri; at Kirk's Bluff, S.C.; and at Thoroughfare Gap, Va.

Oct. 18, 1863 - Union General Daniel Sickles returned to visit his old command, the Third Corps of the Army of the Potomac. He was recovering from the loss of his leg at the Battle of Gettysburg, Pa. in July 1863, and the visit turned sour when the army's commander, General George Meade, informed Sickles that he would not be allowed to resume command until he completely recovered from his injury.

Oct. 18, 1863 – During the Civil War, skirmishes were fought at Carrion Crow Bayou, La.; in the Livingston Road, near Clinton, Miss.; at Carthage, Mo.; near Annandale, Berryville and at Bristoe Station in Virginia; and at Charlestown, W.Va.

Oct. 18, 1864 – During the Civil War, a skirmish occurred near Huntsville, Ala.

Oct. 18, 1864 – During the Civil War, skirmishes were fought near Milton, Fla.; at Summerville, Ga.; in Berry County, Mo.; and at Clinch Mountain, Tenn.

Oct. 18, 1867 - The United States took formal possession of Alaska from Russia. The land was purchased of a total of $7.2 million dollars, that is two cents per acre.

Oct. 18, 1873 - The first rules for intercollegiate football were drawn up by representatives from Rutgers, Yale, Columbia and Princeton Universities.

Oct. 18, 1889 – The Monroe Journal reported that there were four steam, one water and six horse and mule ginneries within a five-mile radius of Monroeville, Ala.

Oct. 18, 1898 – The United States took possession of Puerto Rico from Spain.

Oct. 18, 1904 – Journalist Abbott Joseph “A.J.” Liebling was born in New York City. His 1956 boxing book, “The Sweet Science,” is generally considered to be one of the finest sports books ever written.

Oct. 18, 1906 – The Monroe Journal reported, in news from the Manistee community, that the “town is quiet since the storm. There was no great loss sustained through this section, except cotton, there was quite a lot of cotton in the fields which was somewhat damaged. Some of our farmers are about through picking while others are in a rush.”

Oct. 18, 1906 – The Monroe Journal reported that Braxton Hobdy was the new postmaster at Manistee. Hobdy had been assistant for Dr. Harper, the former postmaster, for quite a while.

Oct. 18, 1906 – The Monroe Journal reported, in news from the Manistee community, that “our town is still on the boom, new houses continue to go up. The new Methodist church is near completion, and we are looking forward to the building of a new Masonic Hall on north highway which we hope to see erected in the near future.”

Oct. 18, 1906 – The Monroe Journal reported, in news from the McWilliams community, that Dave Maxwell brought his new wife home on Oct. 11, and that they would occupy the hotel.

Oct. 18, 1906 – The Monroe Journal reported, in news from the Pineville community, that there had been “considerable sickness caused by dampness, cold and malaria.” Also, Dr. W.C. Farrish of Camden had been in the neighborhood the week before, engaged in the practice of his profession.

Oct. 18, 1912 - The Mt. Zion School Improvement Association was scheduled to have an ice cream supper on this Friday night at the school house.

Oct. 18, 1915 – Reports showed that 2,972 bales of cotton had been ginned in Conecuh County up to this date from the 1915 crop as compared with 10,447 bales up to that same date in 1914. Statewide, the 1915 crop was 252,267 bales short of the 1914 crop.

Oct. 18, 1915 - In the eastern sector of the Italian front in World War I, the Italians launched their third offensive of the year, known as the Third Battle of the Isonzo.

Oct. 18, 1916 - A strong earthquake occurred around 4 p.m. in an unnamed fault east of Birmingham, Ala., with the epicenter near Easonville in St. Clair County. The earthquake caused buildings to sway in downtown Birmingham and tied up all phone lines in the city with 25,000 calls recorded at the main exchange in the hour following the quake. Two additional weaker tremors were reported that evening.

Oct. 18, 1918 – During World War I, Army PFC Joseph Mason Wright, 15, of Georgiana, Ala. “died from disease” in France. Born on Jan. 21, 1903 in Conecuh County, he was buried in the Bethel West Cemetery in Conecuh County, Ala.

Oct. 18, 1918 – During World War I, Army Pvt. Milton McLeod of Grove Hill, Ala. “died from disease.”

Oct. 18, 1922 – The British Broadcasting Company (later Corporation) was founded by a consortium, to establish a nationwide network of radio transmitters to provide a national broadcasting service.

Oct. 18, 1923 – The Conecuh County Game and Fish Protective Association was formed during an “enthusiastic meeting of sportsmen” at the Conecuh County Courthouse on this Friday afternoon in Evergreen, Ala. and originally consisted of 45 members. The following officers were elected during the meeting: R.F. Croom, President; A. Cunningham, J.R. Brooks, Ebin Hines, vice presidents; H.C. Fountain, secretary and treasurer; Board of Directors: R.F. Croom, A. Cunningham, J.R. Brooks, Ebin Hines, F.F. Feagin, R.G. Kendall, C.R. Taliaferro. The Hon. I.T. Quinn, state commissioner of conservation, was “present by invitation and made an excellent talk on the subject of protection and conservation of game and fish.”

Oct. 18, 1923 – Hunter McDuffie of River Ridge reportedly lost 150 bales of cotton and his entire ginning equipment in a fire on this Thursday.

Oct. 18, 1924 – At 10 a.m., a general meeting of all strawberry growers in the Castleberry area was held in Castleberry, Ala.

Oct. 18, 1924 - Red Grange of Illinois scored four touchdowns in the first 12 minutes of a game against Michigan. He scored a fifth touchdown, intercepted a pass and threw a touchdown-pass in the second half.

Oct. 18, 1926 – Singer-songwriter Chuck Berry was born Charles Edward Anderson in St. Louis, Mo.

Oct. 18, 1928 – Sportscaster Keith Jackson was born in Roopville, Ga.

Oct. 18, 1929 – Excel and Monroe County High School played in Monroeville, Ala., but the result of that game is unknown.

Oct. 18, 1933 – Pro Football Hall of Fame player and coach Forrest Gregg was born in Birthright, Texas. He would go on to play for the Green Bay Packers and the Dallas Cowboys before serving as the head coach of the Cleveland Browns, Toronto Argonauts, Cinncinnati Bengals, Packers, SMU Mustangs and Shreveport Pirates.

Oct. 18, 1933 - Cecil Watkins killed his wife on this Wednesday night near Burnt Corn, following a family dispute. Monroe County Sheriff Sawyer and his deputies caught Watkins the following morning and brought him to the Monroe County Jail to await the action of the grand jury.

Oct. 18, 1935 - Peter Boyle, who won an Emmy Award in 1996 for a guest-starring role on the science-fiction drama “The X-Files,” was born in Norristown, Pa.

Oct. 18, 1935 – Excel defeated Monroe County, 14-7, in Monroeville, Ala.

Oct. 18, 1938 – The census bureau reported that 18,404 bales of cotton had been ginned in Monroe County from the 1938 crop prior to this date, compared with 25,336 bales up to that same date in 1937.

Oct. 18, 1939 – Pro Football Hall of Fame tight end and coach Mike Ditka was born in Carnegie, Pa. He would go on to play for the Chicago Bears, the Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys. He would later serve as the head coach of the Bears and New Orleans Saints. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1988.

Oct. 18, 1939 – Lee Harvey Oswald, who allegedly assassinated John F. Kennedy in 1963, was born in New Orleans, La.

Oct. 18, 1942 – Major League Baseball left fielder and designated hitter Willie Horton was born in Arno, Va. He would go on to play for the Detroit Tigers, Texas Rangers, Cleveland Indians, Oakland Athletics, Toronto Blue Jays and Seattle Mariners.

Oct. 18, 1942 – Judge John McDuffie of Mobile was scheduled to speak at the Monroe County Courthouse at 2 p.m. “in the interest of the War Chest Drive,” when was to begin in Monroe County, Ala. on Oct. 20.

Oct. 18, 1943 - There had been 5,749 bales of cotton ginned in Conecuh County, Ala. prior to this date from the 1943 crop as compared to 5,763 bales ginned to the same date, Oct. 18, in 1942.

Oct. 18, 1944 – During World War II, the Soviet Union began the liberation of Czechoslovakia from Nazi Germany.

Oct. 18, 1948 – Playwright Ntozake Shange was born Paulette Williams in Trenton, N.J.

Oct. 18, 1950 – Dorothy Forstein mysteriously disappeared from her Philadelphia home, and her disappearance remains one of the most unusual, unexplained crimes in American history.

Oct. 18, 1950 - Connie Mack announced that he was going to retire after 50 seasons as the manager of the Philadelphia Athletics.

Oct. 18, 1952 – Major League Baseball third baseman and manager Jerry Royster was born in Sacramento, Calif. He would go on to play for the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Atlanta Braves, the San Diego Padres, the Chicago White Sox and the New York Yankees.

Oct. 18, 1953 – Well known and highly respected farmer and farm leader Arthur Freeman Bell passed away at the age of 71 at his home at Lenox around 6:45 p.m. on this Sunday. He was considered one of the best farmers in Conecuh County and was a past president of the Conecuh County Farm Bureau. He was also a member of the Conecuh County Exchange’s Board of Directors and had been since its original organization. Born on Oct. 18, 1882, he was buried in the Springhill Methodist Church Cemetery in Conecuh County, Ala.

Oct. 18, 1954 – Texas Instruments announced the first transistor radio to be put on the market. Texas Instruments produced the transistors, and they partnered with the Regency Division of Industrial Development Engineering Associates, who manufactured the actual radios. Their new radio, the Regency TR-1, turned on immediately, weighed half a pound, could fit in your pocket and cost $49.95.

Oct. 18, 1955 – A communique from Emperor Bao Dai’s office in Paris announced that he had dismissed Ngo Dinh Diem from the premiership and annulled his powers.

Oct. 18, 1956 – National Football League commissioner Bert Bell disallowed the use of radio-equipped helmets by NFL quarterbacks.

Oct. 18, 1957 – Under head coach W.C. Majors, Excel improved to 1-2-2 on the season by beating Beatrice, 35-0, in Excel, Ala.

Oct. 18, 1957 - The Evergreen Aggies were scheduled to return to the football wars on this Friday night, taking to the road for their first game away from home that season. Evergreen had been out of action for two weeks as the game the week before with Greenville was postponed because of flu. McKenzie’s Tigers had nominated the Aggies to be the victim of their annual homecoming celebration. Players on Evergreen’s team that year included George Bolton, Robbie Boykin, Howard Claybrook, Robert Daniels, Robert Ellington, Billy Grace, Jerry Mitchell, Jimmy Moorer, James Nelson, Paul Pace, Byron Warren and Buddy Zukowski. Wendell Hart was Evergreen’s head coach.

Oct. 18, 1962 – Under head coach Gerald R. Irby, Excel High School picked up its first win of the season by beating Beatrice High School, 25-2, in Beatrice, Ala.

Oct. 18, 1967 - The American League granted permission for the A's to move to Oakland. Also, new franchises were awarded to Kansas City and Seattle.

Oct. 18, 1968 – Luverne High School beat Evergreen High School, 7-0, on homecoming night in Luverne, Ala. Buck Quarles led Evergreen with 50 yards rushing on nine carries, and Jimmy Bell followed with 13 yards on nine carries. Other outstanding Evergreen players in that game included Jimmy Hart, Hollis Tranum and Charlie Wild. Wendell Hart was Evergreen’s head coach.

Oct. 18, 1968 - Army Capt. Edward R. Tauscher, 25, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth E. Tauscher of Monroeville, was assigned to the 4th Infantry Division near Pleiku, Vietnam as an air operations officer. Capt. Tauscher had visited his parents earlier that year after returning home from a tour of duty in Vietnam.

Oct. 18, 1968 - Rumors that the Johnson administration would soon announce a bombing halt sent sales volume on the New York Stock Exchange soaring; U.S. bond prices also climbed.

Oct. 18, 1969 – Under head coach Carvel Rowell, Excel High School improved to 7-0 on the season with a 40-0 win over J.U. Blacksher High School at Uriah, Ala.

Oct. 18, 1975 – Under head coach Lee Holladay, Excel High School improved to 8-0 on the season with a 16-8 win over J.U. Blacksher High School at Uriah.

Oct. 18, 1977 - In the sixth game of the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees outfielder Reggie Jackson hit three home runs in a row off of three consecutive pitches from three different pitchers. Only the great Babe Ruth had ever hit three homers in a single World Series game (and he did it twice, once in 1926 and once in 1928) —but he didn’t do it on consecutive pitches or even consecutive at-bats. Jackson’s amazing home-run streak helped the Yankees win the game and the series, the team’s first since 1962.

Oct. 18, 1977 - Bill McKenzie, president of Evergreen Hospital, Inc., completed the purchase of the Conecuh County Hospital from the Conecuh County Hospital Association and hoped to have the hospital open by Oct. 20. “Facing seemingly insurmountable financial problems,” the Conecuh County Hospital Association voted to close the hospital in May 1977. Shortly after that, the association began negotiations with McKenzie for the sale of the hospital.

Oct. 18, 1980 – Under head coach Lee Holladay, Excel High School improved to 5-3 on the season with a 21-20 win over J.U. Blacksher High School in Excel, Ala.

Oct. 18, 1980 – Robert Gaston Bozeman Sr., who passed away in October 1974, was inducted into Alabama Newspaper Hall of Honor.

Oct. 18, 1984 – The Evergreen Courant reported that William S. Stallworth of Evergreen, Ala. had been officially accepted into West Point Military Academy.

  

Oct. 18, 1985 - A television version of Alabama author Robert R. McCammon's book “Nightcrawlers” was broadcast as part of the “Twilight Zone” series.

Oct. 18, 1985 – Under head coach Roland Pettie, Georgiana High School improved to 4-3 on the season with a 35-0 win over Excel High School in Georgiana, Ala. Excel dropped to 1-7.

  

Oct. 18, 1990 - Iraq made an offer to the world that it would sell oil for $21 a barrel. The price level was the same as it had been before the invasion of Kuwait.

Oct. 18-20, 1991 – The first South East Regional Fly-In (SERFI) was held at Middleton Field in Evergreen, Ala.

Oct. 18, 1996 – Under head coach Al Bowen, Excel High School improved to 6-1 on the season with a 41-14 win at McIntosh High School.

Oct. 18, 1997 - Hanson sang the national anthem at the opening game of the World Series.

Oct. 18, 1997 – Under head coach Al Bowel, Excel High School improved to 7-0 on the season with a 34-6 win over McIntosh High School in Excel, Ala.

Oct. 18, 2013 – Under head coach Richard Anderson, Excel High School improved to 3-5 on the season with a 33-16 win over Southside-Selma High School in Selma, Ala.