Today in History for Dec. 10, 2017

Dec. 10, 1778 - John Jay, the former chief justice of the New York Supreme Court, was elected president of the Continental Congress.

Dec. 10, 1810 – English mathematician and inventor Ada Augusta Byron, Countess of Lovelace, was born in London, England, the only legitimate child of the tempestuous poet George Gordon, Lord Byron, from his brief marriage to Annabella Milbanke.

Dec. 10, 1812 – Clarke County was created by the Mississippi Territorial legislature from lands taken from Washington County. Bordered on the north by Marengo County, on the east by Wilcox County and Monroe County, on the south by Baldwin County and on the west by Washington County and Choctaw County. The county was named for Revolutionary War soldier and Georgia Governor John Clarke, a Georgian who served as a general in the Creek Indian War of 1813-14. After Alabama became a state, Clarkesville was the county seat until 1831 when the present one, Grove Hill, was chosen.

Dec. 10, 1817 - Mississippi was admitted to the Union as the 20th American state.

Dec. 10, 1817 - The Territory of Mississippi was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from April 7, 1798 until this day. The western half of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Mississippi and the eastern half became the Alabama Territory until its admittance to the Union as the State of Alabama on Dec. 14, 1819.

Dec. 10, 1830 – Poet Emily Dickinson was born in Amherst, Mass.

Dec. 10, 1836 - Approximately 1,600 “friendly” Creek, the second part of the fifth group, arrived on this day at Fort Gibson. The total of both groups would be 2,237.

Dec. 10, 1839 – Dr. James Thomas Searcy was born in Tuscaloosa, Ala. He would serve as the first superintendent of the Mount Vernon Hospital, which was renamed Searcy Hospital in his honor in 1919.

Dec. 10, 1851 – Melvil Dewey, the librarian who developed the Dewey Decimal System in 1876, was born in Adams Centre, New York.

Dec. 10, 1856 - The town of Cherokee, Alabama came into existence when the Memphis & Charleston Railroad laid tracks through Colbert County in 1856. Since the mail came by rail rather than steamboat, the post office of Newport in the Old Chickasaw Indian Agency on the banks of Agency Creek (present-day Malone Creek) was transferred on this day to a site beside the railroad tracks. The post office was renamed Cherokee with David C. Oats, former postmaster at Newport, remaining as the postmaster in the new post office.

Dec. 10, 1861 – The Confederate States of America accepted a rival state government's pronouncement that declared Kentucky to be the 13th state of the Confederacy.

Dec. 10, 1861 – Forces led by Nguyễn Trung Trực, an anti-colonial guerrilla leader in southern Vietnam, sank the French lorcha L'Esperance.

Dec. 10, 1862 – During the Civil War, skirmishes were fought at Desert Station, La.; at Plymouth, N.C.; and at Port Royal, Va.

Dec. 10, 1863 – During the Civil War, a nine-day Federal operation began, resulting in the destruction of the Confederate salt works in and about Choctawhatchie Bay, Fla.

Dec. 10, 1863 – During the Civil War, skirmishes were fought at Hertford, N.C.; and at Gatlinburg, Long Ford, Morristown and Russellville in Tennessee. Affairs also took place at Mount Sterling and Jackson in Kentucky

Dec. 10, 1864 - Union Major General William Tecumseh Sherman completed his "March to the Sea" as his Union Army troops reached the outer Confederate defenses of Savannah, Georgia. Since mid-November of that year, Sherman’s army had been sweeping from Atlanta across the state to the south and east towards Savannah, one of the last Confederate seaports still unoccupied by Union forces. Along the way, Sherman destroyed farms and railroads, burned storehouses, and fed his army off the land.

Dec. 10, 1864 – During the Civil War, 13 days of Federal operations began against the Apache Indians in Central Arizona.

Dec. 10, 1864 – During the Civil War, the CSS Ida was captured in the Savannah River, Ga.

Dec. 10, 1864 – During the Civil War, skirmishes were fought near Savannah and near Springfield in Georgia; and in front of Fort Holly in Petersburg, Va.

Dec. 10, 1864 – During the Civil War, a skirmish was fought at one of the Chickasawhay Bridges, in southeastern Mississippi. Also known as the Battle of McLeod’s Mill. Confederate troops under the command of Col. Bob McCulloch prevented Union cavalry from attacking the Mobile & Ohio Railroad.

Dec. 10, 1864 – During the Civil War, operations began against Fort Fisher, N.C.; and a five-day Federal reconnaissance from Core Creek to Southwest Creek in North Carolina began. A two-day Federal operation from East Tennessee into Southwestern Virginia to destroy Confederate salt works also began.

Dec. 10, 1868 – Escambia County, Ala. was formed by an act of the Alabama legislature from portions of Conecuh and Baldwin counties.

Dec. 10, 1884 – Mark Twain's “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” was first published in Canada and England. It wouldn’t be published in the United States for two more months.

Dec. 10, 1897 – Dr. H.C. Bradley of River Ridge, Ala. passed away.

Dec. 10, 1901 - The first Nobel prizes were awarded.

Dec. 10, 1904 - Ivan Pavlov, who knew a thing or two about making dogs salivate, received the Nobel Prize for physiology.

Dec. 10, 1906 – U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt won the Nobel Peace Prize for his role in the mediation of the Russo-Japanese War, becoming the first American to win a Nobel Prize.

Dec. 10, 1911 – English botanist and explorer Joseph Dalton Hooker died at the age of 84 in Sunningdale, Berkshire, England.

Dec. 10, 1914 – Former Conecuh County Probate Judge Perry C. Walker, who was for many years a prominent citizen of Evergreen, Ala., passed away at the age of 64 in Salisbury, N.C. Born in Belleville on Feb. 22, 1850, he was elected to probate judge, succeeding his father, F.M. Walker, each serving in this capacity for 18 years. His remains were taken to Columbia, Ala. for burial.

Dec. 10, 1917 – During World War I, men ordered to report to the Local Board (in Monroeville, Ala.) for military duty and transportation to mobilization camp on this Monday included Burnie E. Jones, James Bernard Wright, Jack Lyon, Oscar William White and Denny C. Coleman.

Dec. 10, 1917 - After three years of war, during which there had been no Nobel Peace Prize awarded, the Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded the 1917 prize to the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Dec. 10, 1919 - The National League voted to ban spitballs by all new pitchers. The Rules Committee officially worked out the ban the following February.

Dec. 10, 1920 - Richard Furguson claimed to have been robbed of about $13 by a “strange man” near the mineral spring on this evening on his way home from Evergreen, Ala. He said the highwayman held a pistol on him while he was forced to hand over all of his money before the man escaped.

Dec. 10, 1925 – Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Carolyn Kizer was born in Spokane, Wash.

Dec. 10, 1927 - The Grand Old Opry made its first radio broadcast from Nashville, Tenn. and the phrase "Grand Ole Opry" was used for the first time on-air.

Dec. 10, 1929 – Paving equipment began to arrive for use in paving the Evergreen-Castleberry highway in Conecuh County, Ala. The Davis Construction Co. of Atlanta, Ga. was the contractor in charge of the project.

Dec. 10, 1937 – The Monroeville Chamber of Commerce hosted “one of the most delightful affairs ever had in Monroeville” when they held a banquet for the Monroeville High School football team on this Friday evening at the Commercial Hotel. The guest speaker was Ralph Jones. Players who were awarded letters in football at the banquet by MCHS Coach T.C. Huckabee included Joe Carnathan, Mack Hayles, Johnson Lathram, Boyd Pullen, Hunter Skipper, Quentin Lambert, Pete Johnson, Francis Johnson, Ed Lee, Mack Feagin, Doc Stevens, John D. Carnathan, Charles Falkenberry, Clem Clapp, Charles Floyd, Earl Lazenby, Zolen Hall, Willie Joiner and manager Buck Marshall.

Dec. 10, 1938 – Filming on “Gone With the Wind” began with the “Burning of Atlanta” scene, although the role of Scarlett O’Hara still hadn't been cast.

Dec. 10, 1938 – Pearl S. Buck received the Noble Prize in literature for “The Good Earth.”

Dec. 10, 1939 - The National Football League's attendance exeeded one million in a season for the first time.

Dec. 10, 1946 – National Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Walter Johnson died at the age of 59 in Washington, D.C. He played his entire career, 1907-1927, for the Washington Senators, and he also managed the Senators and the Cleveland Indians. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1936.

Dec. 10, 1947 - A radio version of Alabama author Ambrose Bierce's story "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" was broadcast as part of the “Escape” series.

Dec. 10, 1948 - The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) was a milestone document in the history of human rights. Drafted by representatives with different legal and cultural backgrounds from all regions of the world, the Declaration was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in Paris on this day (General Assembly resolution 217 A) as a common standard of achievements for all peoples and all nations. It declares, for the first time, that fundamental human rights were to be universally protected. UDHR has been translated into over 500 languages.

Dec. 10, 1953 - Hugh Hefner published the first "Playboy" magazine with an investment of $7,600.

Dec. 10, 1053 – The Monroe Journal reported that the dedication of Monroeville’s new $95,000 National Guard Armory had been postponed until early in 1954. Lt. Windell Owens was commanding officer of the local unit and said that the delay of the dedication ceremonies, announced originally for Dec. 19, was requested by the adjutant general’s office of the State National Guard in Montgomery. More time was needed for completion of construction details, Owens said.

Dec. 10, 1957 – Evergreen High School football player Paul Pace, the son of Mr. and Mrs. P.L. Pace of Evergreen was awarded the Most Valuable Player Trophy at the Pix Theatre in Evergreen. The team voted on the award, which was given to the player they “thought was most valuable on both offense and defense.” Pace, who also played basketball, was also a member of the Glee Club, the “E” Club, the Journalism Club, and was on the Echoes Staff.

Dec. 10, 1959 – The Evergreen (Ala.) High School Quarterback Club held its annual banquet at the Evergreen High School lunchroom at 7:30 p.m. University of Alabama assistant football coach Bob Ford was the featured speaker.

Dec. 10, 1962 - Frank Gifford of the New York Giants was on the cover of "Sports Illustrated."

Dec. 10, 1970 - The defense opened its case in the murder trial of Lt. William Calley, who was being tried because of his leadership role in the My Lai massacres.

Dec. 10, 1972 - The American League voted to adopt the designated-hitter rule in a three-year experiment. In December 1975, the American League voted to permanently adopt the designated-hitter rule.

Dec. 10, 1972 - The longest non-scoring pass in National Football League history was made when Jim Hart of the St. Louis Cardinals threw a pass from his own one yard-line to Bobby Moore (Ahmad Rashad). Moore was tackled on the Rams' one-yard line. The pass was officially 98 yards.

Dec. 10, 1972 – During the Vietnam War, technical experts on both sides begin work on the language of a proposed peace accord, giving rise to hope that a final agreement is near. A peace agreement was signed on January 23, 1973.

Dec. 10, 1978 - Ed Wood Jr., the creator of such "classics" as “Plan 9 From Outer Space,” passed away at the age of 54 in Los Angeles, Calif.

Dec. 10, 1978 – The home of Lewie and Nina Wilson in Conecuh County, Ala. (probably in Evergreen) was totally destroyed by fire.

Dec. 10, 1981 – The Evergreen Courant reported that the Evergreen (Ala.) Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown Action Committee had announced that most local stores would be open all day on Wednesdays from that date until Christmas.

Dec. 10, 1981 – Evergreen, Ala. weather observer Earl Windham reported that the area was about 14 inches short of its normal rainfall up to that point in 1981.

Dec. 10, 1983 – Evergreen (Ala.) High School’s Quarterback Club held its annual football banquet in the E.H.S. cafeteria, and Alabama offensive line coach Tom Goode was the guest speaker. Goode, a native of West Point, Miss., played center and linebacker at Mississippi State, where he was a three-time All-SEC selection and a Kodak All-American in 1960. He went on to play for the Houston Oilers, Miami Dolphins and the Baltimore Colts. After his NFL career, he coached from from 1972 through 2003.

Dec. 10, 1984 - Terry Brooks of Loango killed a 200-pound trophy buck in Conecuh County. The deer had 15 points.

Dec. 10, 1987 - The creation of a new division, Connie Apparel, by Connie Manufacturing Co. was jointly announced on this Thursday by Alabama Gov. Guy Hunt and John Law Robinson, president of CMC at the governor’s office in Montgomery. Bert Cook, a partner in CMC, was to be president and a partner with Robinson in CMC Apparel, which was to manufacture men’s dress slacks and employ 40 when it went into production in January. The new division was expected to eventually employ 125.

Dec. 10, 1991 - Legislation signed into law on this day by President George H. W. Bush changed the “Custer Monument” to the “Little Big Horn Battleground Monument.” Removing Custer’s name from the National Monument and the Park was an important step in re-imaging the Little Bighorn battlefield. It signaled that Custer’s death should not be considered the most important thing that happened at the Little Bighorn. The legislation also specified that an Indian Memorial should be built near Last Stand Hill.

Dec. 10, 1993 – Episode No. 11 of “The X-Files” – entitled “Eve” – aired for the first time.

Dec. 10, 1994 - Art Monk of the New York Jets set an NFL record of 178 straight games with a reception.

Dec. 10, 1994 - Advertising executive Thomas Mosser of North Caldwell, N.J. was killed by a mail bomb that was blamed on the Unabomber.

Dec. 10, 2003 - The U.S. barred firms based in certain countries, opponents of the Iraq war, from bidding on Iraqi reconstruction projects. The ban did not prevent companies from winning subcontracts.

Dec. 10, 2003 - The National Archives released 240 hours of tape recordings from the Nixon White House from July through October 1972. On the tapes Nixon called Ronald Reagan "strange" and "uncomfortable to be around."

Dec. 10, 2006 - The San Diego Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson racks up his 29th touchdown of the year, breaking the National Football League record for touchdowns scored during a single season.

Dec. 10, 2007 - Michael Vick was sentenced by a federal judge in Richmond, Va. to 23 months in prison for bankrolling a dogfighting operation and killing dogs that underperformed.