 |
| Alabama Governor John Patterson |
April 21, 1777 - British troops under the command of General
William Tryon attacked the town of Danbury, Conn. They went on a rampage,
setting fire to homes, farmhouses, storehouses and more than 1,500 tents.
April 21, 1789 - John Adams was sworn in as the first U.S.
Vice President.
April 21, 1809 – Dr. William H. Cunningham Sr. was born in
Mecklenburg County, Va. He would go on to work as a physician and serve as a
state representative in Monroe County, Ala. He also served as a private in
Dailey’s Co., Home Guard, Confederate States Army. He passed away at the age of
58 on Aug. 26, 1867 in Conecuh County and is buried in the Cunningham Cemetery
at Tunnel Springs.
April 21, 1816 – Novelist Charlotte Bronte was born in
Thornton, Yorkshire, England. Her books include 1847’s “Jane Eyre.”
April 21, 1838 – Naturalist and conservationist John Muir, a
dedicated advocate for the protection of American wild lands, was born in
Dunbar, Scotland.
April 21, 1861 - Upon the outbreak of the Civil War threats
were made against the safety of the USS Constitution. On April 26, the ship
began a three-day trip to New York, towed by the steam gunboat R.R. Cuyler.
April 21, 1861 - Rioting continued
in Baltimore, Md., and state troops seized the U.S. Arsenal at Fayetteville,
N.C.
April 21, 1862 – During the Civil
War, skirmishes were fought at Pocahontas, Ark. and at Monterey, Va.
April 21, 1863 - Union Colonel Abel Streight began a raid
into northern Alabama and Georgia with the goal of cutting off railroad traffic
between Chattanooga and Atlanta. Streight surrendered near Rome, Ga. on May 3
to a force half the size of his own led by Confederate General Nathan Bedford
Forrest.
April 21, 1863 – During the Civil
War, a Federal operation was conducted between Opelousas and Barre’s Landing in
Louisiana. A skirmish was also fought at Palo Alto, Miss., in the vicinity of
present-day West Point, Miss. A comprehensive "tax-in-kind" plan was
also passed by the Confederate Senate. It required that 10 percent of
everything produced or grown be given to the Confederate government.
April 21, 1864 – During the Civil War, a skirmish was fought
at Harrison Gap, Ala.
April 21 1864 – During the Civil
War, skirmishes were fought along the Cache River, near Cotton Plant, Ark.; at
Tunica Bend, La.; at Red Bone, Miss., between Vicksburg and the Big Black
River; and at Masonborough, N.C.
April 21, 1865 - The steamboat Sultana left New Orleans. The
craft exploded on April 27 killing about 1,700 people.
April 21, 1865 – During the Civil War, Federal troops
entered Monroeville, Ala.
April 21, 1865 - A train carrying the coffin of assassinated
President Abraham Lincoln left Washington, D.C. on its 1,654-mile journey back
to Springfield, Illinois, where he would be buried on May 4. The train, dubbed
“The Lincoln Special,” carrying Lincoln’s body traveled through 180 cities and
seven states on its way to Lincoln’s home state of Illinois.
April 21, 1865 – Newspaperman Thomas Easton died and was
buried in Monroeville, Ala. He was a former publisher of The Halcyon newspaper
at St. Stephens and later established The Alabama Whig at Claiborne and
continued to publish the Alabama Intelligencer.
April 21, 1865 - A two-day Federal
operation between Donalsonville and Bayou Goula in Louisiana began, and a
seven-day Federal operation began between Rolla and Thomasville in Missouri.
April 21, 1887 – National Baseball Hall of Fame manager Joe
McCarthy was born in Philadelphia, Pa. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in
1957.
April 21, 1898 - The Spanish-American War began.
April 21, 1904
– Italian-Austrian SS officer Odilo Globocnik was born in Trieste,
Austria-Hungary (now Italy).
April 21, 1905 – H.P. Lovecraft finished writing “The Beast
in the Cave,” which was originally published “The Vagrant” No. 7 in June 1918.
April 21, 1906 - The members of George W. Foster Camp,
United Confederate Veterans, were scheduled to meet in the Monroe County Courthouse
in Monroeville, Ala., at 3 p.m. on this Saturday. Business was to include the
election of delegates to the annual Reunion at New Orleans, April 25-27. T.J.
Emmons was the camp’s commander, and Thos. S. Wiggins was adjutant.
April 21, 1910 – Mark Twain died at the age of 74 in
Redding, Connecticut.
April 21, 1918 – During World War I, Army Pvt. James Atkins,
19, of Flat Rock, Ala. “died from disease.” He was a private in the Machine Gun
Corps. He is buried at Doullens Communal Cemetery Extension No. 1, Doullens,
Departement de la Somme, Picardie, France, Plot VI. C. 66.
April 21, 1918 – During World War I, 25-year-old German
fighter ace Manfred von Richthofen, better known as "The Red Baron",
was shot down and killed by Allied fire over Vaux-sur-Somme in France.
April 21, 1920 - Alabama author Andrew Glaze was born in
Nashville, Tenn.
April 21, 1932 – Screenwriter, director, comedian and actor
Elaine May was born Elaine Berlin in Philadelphia.
April 21, 1934 – The "Surgeon's Photograph," the most
famous photo allegedly showing the Loch Ness Monster, was published in the
Daily Mail. In 1999, it was revealed to be a hoax.
April 21, 1940 – After getting back to Brewton at 4 a.m. on
this Sunday morning, at a 14-7 loss in Tallassee, the Brewton Millers baseball
team lost to Andalusia, 14-3. Gore, pitching for the Rams, struck out 11
Brewton batters. The Millers were charged with seven errors. After this game,
Manager Yaryan and team officials announced that they would present a changing
array of new faces, or put a hustling, scraping ball club on the field, even if
they had to get optioned players.
April 21, 1947 – Hank Williams’s first recording was made
when eight songs were cut under the Sterling label.
April 21, 1947 – In their season opener, Evergreen High
School’s baseball team lost, 10-2, to Bay Minette.
April 21, 1949 - The Medical Association of the State of
Alabama presented Dr. P.L. Hollingsworth of Belleville, Ala. a Certificate of
Distinction for 50 years in the practice of medicine.
April 21, 1949 – The Evergreen Courant reported that Ottis
Johnson, former Evergreen Greenie star, was currently leading the Troy State
Teacher’s College baseball team in batting with a .320 average. Ottis starred
with the Greenies for three seasons, always batting near the .400 mark, and was
one of the Tri-County Baseball League’s top outfielders. This was his first
season with the college squad. The TROY MESSENGER, daily paper in Troy, Ala.,
had this to say about Ottis: “At present, right fielder Ottis Johnson is
leading the pack at the plate with a .320 average. The big fly-chaser has added
plenty of power to the Wave attack since breaking into the lineup. This is his
first season of baseball with the Wavemen.”
April 21, 1949 – The Monroe Journal reported that Mrs.
Charlie McKinley of Atmore was the guest that week of her sister, Mrs. A.C. Lee
and Mr. Lee.
April 21, 1949 – The Monroe Journal reported that the family
of Pfc. Aubrey L. Norris had received word from the War Department that the
body of the former Monroeville soldier was being shipped to the United States
for re-burial. He was wounded on New Guinea on July 16, 1943, while serving in
the infantry, and died four days later on Guadalcanal Island. A native of
Frisco City, Norris was the first Monroe County serviceman to be killed in
action in World War II. Entering service on May 16, 1942, he was 21 years old
when killed. He was awarded the Purple Heart posthumously. Prior to being
brought to the states, Norris’ body had been buried in the U.S. Army, Navy and
Marine cemetery on Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands. Upon arrival in Monroe
County, the body was to lie in state at the home of W.M. Norris of Goodway, an
older brother. He was a member of the 169th Infantry, 43rd
Infantry Division. Born on Aug. 1, 1920, he is buried in the Union Cemetery in
Frisco City.
April 21, 1949 – The Monroe Journal reported that Miss
Jennie Faulk was the recent guest of Misses Maud and Margaret Howard of Mobile.
April 21, 1950 - Evergreen High School’s baseball team won
their first victory of the 1950 season on this Friday, defeating Castleberry in
Castleberry, 9-0, behind the near-perfect, one-hit pitching of Bertie Hassel.
Hassel had the Blue Devil batters under control all the way as the Aggies
evened up their series with Castleberry.
April 21, 1955 - The Tenth Annual 4-H Club and F.F.A. Fat
Calf Show was held in Evergreen on this Thursday, and Marilyn Dees and her
brother, Alvin, walked away with top honors. Seventy-two calves were shown,
entered by some 67 F.F.A. and 4-H Club members. Thirteen-year-old Marilyn, a
member of the Evergreen 4-H Club, and daughter of Mr. and Mrs. A.H. Dees,
showed the Grand Champion for the second time, having won this coveted award in
1953, and the Reserve Champion in 1954. Her winner was a 1,015-pound Hereford.
The T.R. Miller Mill Co. paid a record price of 68 cents per pound for the
Grand Champion.
April 21, 1955 - Jack B. Kinzer, chairman of the Boys and
Girls State Committee of the Alma Martin Post No. 50, announced on this day the
names of the representatives from the four Conecuh high schools that would
represent their schools at these statewide events. Representing Conecuh County
High School was to be Louise Bradley and Comer Beasley. Repton High School was
to be represented by Jean Armstrong and Comer Bonds, and Lyeffion planned to
send Sarah Hardee and Clarence Riley. Evergreen High was to be represented by
Patty McGehee, Clinton Claybrook and Buck Lewis. Boys State was to be held at
the University of Alabama on May 28 through June 3. Girls State was to convene
on June 12 and close on June 18.
April 21, 1955 – The Monroe Journal reported that the Monroe
County Commission had purchased five lots fronting on North Mount Pleasant Street,
which were to be used as a site for the erection of a new county jail, provided
the approval of all interested governmental agencies was obtained. The lots,
measuring 88 feet fronting on Mt. Pleasant Street, and 162 feet deep, were
purchased from W.B. Owens of Monroeville, who owned four, and Max Bradley of
Monroeville, who owned one of the lots.
April 21, 1958 - The 12th Annual Evergreen Junior Chamber
of Commerce-sponsored Conecuh County Fat Calf Show was scheduled to be held in
Evergreen on this Monday, according to John Horne, chairman of the Jaycee
committee in charge.
April 21, 1963 – Dock Eli Higdon passed away at the age of
76 after a long illness. Higdon, a Mason, was a widely known and highly
respected Conecuh County farmer and businessman, serving as director of the Conecuh
County Exchange for many years. During World War I, he served with distinction
in the U.S. Army in France as a scout for the famed Wildcat Division. Born on
Feb. 2, 1887, he is buried in the Arkadelphia Cemetery at Loree.
April 21, 1965 - The Central
Intelligence Agency and the Defense Intelligence Agency reported a “most
ominous” development: a regiment of the People’s Army of Vietnam – the regular
army of North Vietnam – division was now operating with the Viet Cong in South
Vietnam.
April 21, 1966 – During his campaign for a second term,
former Alabama Gov. John Patterson visited Evergreen, Ala. at 4 p.m. and
delivered a “major address” from a bandstand in “No Man’s Land” in downtown
Evergreen, Ala. He was preceded by Rebe Gosdin and the Sunny Valley Gang. The
Gosdin group appeared with Patterson during his successful first campaign for
governor in 1958.
April 21, 1971 – William Baker “Bill” Grant, the 18-year-old
son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Grant of Frisco City and star athlete at Monroe
Academy, died on this Wednesday afternoon while participating in at track meet
at Selma. Attendants at Vaughn Memorial Hospital said he was dead on arrival at
the hospital and that death was apparently due to a heart attack. Born on Nov.
15, 1952, he is buried in the Union Cemetery in Frisco City.
April 21, 1972 – A number of awards were presented at the
Evergreen High School athletic banquet, including Whalon Oliver, Evergreen
Civil Air Patrol Best Lineman Award; Wavie Ausby, WBLO Best Back Trophy and
Basketball MVP Trophy; Marshall Davis, Best Sportsmanship Trophy; Frank Murphy,
and Evergreen Jaycees Best All Around Player Award. Coach Wendell Hart was also
presented with a special award in honor of his retirement after 26 years as a
coach.
April 21, 1975 - Xuan Loc, the last
South Vietnamese outpost blocking a direct North Vietnamese assault on Saigon,
fell to the communists.
April 21, 1975 – Writer Nell Freudenberger was born in New
York City.
April 21, 1975 - A Charolais steer fed by the Evergreen FFA
Chapter and shown by Jimmy McNeil won the grand championship of the annual
Conecuh County 4-H and FFA Fat Calf Show held in Evergreen on this Monday at
the Conecuh Stockyard Show Arena. The steer weighed 1,190 pounds and graded
choice. Conecuh-Monroe Counties Gas District paid a premium 91 cents per pound
for the champ.
April 21, 1981 - Cedarcrest
in Oak Hill in Wilcox County, Ala. was placed on the Alabama Register of
Landmarks and Heritage.
April 21, 1982 – NFL running back Cadillac Williams was born
in Gadsden, Ala. He went on to play at Auburn, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the
St. Louis Rams.
April 21, 1982 – Rollie Fingers of the Milwaukee Brewers
became the first pitcher to record 300 saves.
April 21, 1983 – NFL quarterback Tarvaris Jackson was born
in Montgomery, Ala. He went on to play for Sidney Lanier, Alabama State, the
Minnesota Vikings, the Seattle Seahawks and the Buffalo Bills.
April 21, 1984 - David Palmer of the Montreal Expos pitched
the fourth shortened, perfect game in major league baseball history. The game
was called due to rain after five innings. Palmer had made 57 pitches.
April 21, 1986 - Geraldo Rivera opened a vault that belonged
to Al Capone at the Lexington Hotel in Chicago. Nothing of interest was found
inside.
April 21, 1991 - A television version of Alabama author Mary
Raymond Shipman Andrews' book “The Perfect
Tribute” was broadcast.
April 21, 1994 – The Evergreen Courant reported that
Clayton Cobb had announced his candidacy for the office of coroner of Conecuh
County in the upcoming Democratic primary. Cobb was a lifelong resident of the
Brooklyn-Paul community. He was self-employed and operates Brooklyn Machine,
Inc. He was a Blue Lodger and Scottish Rite Mason.
April 21, 1994 – The Evergreen Courant reported that when
Conecuh County voters went to the polls that June they would be electing a new
sheriff for the first time in 20 years. Conecuh County Sheriff Edwin L. Booker
announced that week that he would not seek an unprecedented fifth term of
office. He planned to retire when the new sheriff took office in January 1995.
April 21, 1994 – The Monroe Journal reported that J.F.
Shields High School coach Herbert Blackmon and Monroe County High School senior
forward Kewanna Booker had been named coach and player of the year,
respectively, for the all-Monroe County girls basketball team. Other players on
the all-county first team were Christy Agnew, Monroe Academy; Diane Bullard,
MCHS; Renea Fountain, Shields; Tracy Griffin, MA; Aquinda Jackson, MCHS; Kim
Parker, J.U. Blacksher; Bridget Riley, Shields; Tammie Stallworth, Shields; and
Melissa White, Blacksher. Honorable mentions included MCHS coach Valerie
Stephens and players Terrica Shomoe, Blacksher; Tara Acton, MA; Cleo Sanders,
Shields; Demetrius Richardson, MCHS; Romona Watson, Shields; Tanjai English,
Blacksher; Teresa Jackson, MCHS; and Staci Stephens, MA.
April 21, 2004 – Five suicide car bombers targeted police
stations in and around Basra, killing 74 people and wounding 160.
April 21, 2006 - A movie version of Alabama author James
Redfield's book “The Celestine Prophecy”
was released.
No comments:
Post a Comment