Today in History for Oct. 22, 2016

Milton Lee Olive III

Oct. 22, 1775 - After years of poor health, Peyton Randolph, former president of the Continental Congress, died at the age of 54 in Philadelphia, Pa. He resigned as president of the Continental Congress in October 1774 to attend a meeting of the Virginia House of Burgesses but remained a powerful and influential figure within Congress. He did not live to see America achieve independence, a goal toward which he had worked for most of his adult life.

Oct. 22, 1777 – During the American Revolutionary War, the American defenders of Fort Mercer on the Delaware River repulsed repeated Hessian attacks in the Battle of Red Bank.

Oct. 22, 1821 - The steamboat “Harriet” reached Montgomery, Ala. after 10 days of travel from Mobile, Ala. This was the first successful attempt to navigate so far north on the Alabama River, and it opened river trade between Montgomery and Mobile.

Oct. 22, 1824 – During his tour of the United States, the Marquis de Lafayette arrived in Norfolk, Va. via steamer from Petersburg, and he spent four days there and in Portsmouth.

Oct. 22, 1836 - Sam Houston was inaugurated as the first President of the Republic of Texas, an independent state that existed between 1836 and 1845 between Mexico and America.

Oct. 22, 1844 - The world was supposed to come to an end in conjunction with the return of Christ, according to the American preacher William Miller, leader of the 'Millerism' movement. 'Millerites' referred to the following day as the Great Disappointment.

Oct. 22, 1862 – During the Civil War, skirmishes were fought near Helena and Huntsville, Arkansas; with Indians at Old Fort Wayne, near Maysville in the Indian Territory; at Van Buren, Missouri; at Caston Plantation, Frampton Plantation, near Pocotaligo, and at Coosawhatchie, South Carolina; and near Snickersville, Virginia.

Oct. 22, 1862 - Confederates raided several sections of the Nashville & Northwestern Railroad, and a skirmish was fought at Beatties Prairie (or Beaty’s Prairie) in Delaware County, Oklahoma.

Oct. 22, 1862 – During the Civil War, a four-day Federal expedition from Fort Donelson to Waverly, Tennessee began.

Oct, 22, 1863 – During the Civil War, skirmishes were fought near Volney, Kentucky; at Brownsville, Mississippi; at New Madrid Bend, Tennessee; and near Annandale, Beverly Ford, and in the vicinity of the Rappahannock Bridge, Virginia. A three-day Federal reconnaissance from Germantown, Tennessee to Chulahoma, Mississippi also began.

Oct. 22, 1864 - Confederate General John Bell Hood marched from Gadsen to Guntersville, Ala. in order to cross the Tennessee River. However, Hood had forgotten to retrieve his army's pontoon bridge from the Coosa River in eastern Alabama. He took the troops 50 miles out of their way and made a surprise attack on Tennessee unlikely. When Hood did move into Tennessee Union General William T. Sherman's force was ready and waiting.

Oct. 22, 1864 - At the Battle of Byram's Ford in Kansas City, Mo., Confederate General Sterling Price pushed by a small Union force under Union General Samuel Curtis' army.

Oct. 22, 1864 – During the Civil War, skirmishes were fought on the White River, near Saint Charles, Arkansas; at Big Blue River, Independence and State Line, Missouri; and with Indians in the vicinity of Midway Station in the Nebraska Territory. A three-day Federal expedition fron Brashear City to Belle River, Louisiana also began.

Oct. 22, 1877 - Scotland suffered its worst-ever mining disaster when more than 200 people died in an explosion at the High Blantyre Colliery.

Oct. 22, 1878 – West Point graduate, lawyer and state senator Edmund W. Martin died in Evergreen, Ala. He served as an officer in Mexican-American War and Civil War and was wounded at the Battle of Dalton, Ga. on Feb. 25, 1864.

Oct. 22, 1883 – Major General Charles Lewis Scott, who became chief of American armored forces in 1943, was born in Mount Pleasant in Monroe County, Ala. He graduated from West Point in 1905 and became a pioneer in the mechanized cavalry. He commanded the 13th Mechanized Cavalry at Fort Knox, Ky. and in 1940 became the first commanding general of the Second Armored Division at Fort Benning, Ga. and later first commander of the First Armored Corps. He passed away at the age of 71 at Walter Reed Hospital.

Oct. 22, 1883 – The Metropolitan Opera House in New York City opened with a performance of Gounod's “Faust.”

Oct. 22, 1884 – Greenwich, in London, England, was adopted as Universal Time meridian of longitude by the International Meridian Conference.

Oct. 22, 1887 – Journalist and poet John Silas “Jack” Reed was born in Portland, Oregon.

Oct. 22, 1907 – National Baseball Hall of Fame first baseman Jimmie Foxx was born in Sudlersville, Md. During his career, he played for the Philadelphia Athletics, the Boston Red Sox, the Chicago Cubs and the Philadelphia Phillies. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1951.

Oct. 22, 1908 – Novelist and columnist John Gould was born in Brighton, Mass.

Oct. 22-24, 1914 - The annual reunion of Alabama Division United Confederate Veterans was held in Mobile, Ala.

Oct. 22, 1914 – A devastating fire on this night destroyed a residence at Knoxville, on the outskirts of Evergreen, Ala., known as the “Rountree Place,” which was occupied by John Smith and his family. The house was owned by Mrs. T.H. Miller and most of the household effects were saved.

Oct. 22, 1914 – Former Monroe County (Ala.) Sheriff John I. Watson, who was about 80 years old, passed away at Canoe and was brought to Monroeville for burial. He lived in Monroeville for about 30 years and ran a hotel for much of that time. He was elected Monroe County Sheriff twice.

Oct. 22, 1915 – The Mitchell Council of Kadosh in Montgomery, Ala. was officially chartered. It was renamed the Montgomery Council of Kadosh on Oct. 20, 1955.

Oct. 22, 1918 – During World War I, Army Pvt. Willie Snell of McWilliams in Wilcox County, Ala. “died from disease.”

Oct. 22, 1918 – Major League Baseball infielder Lou Klein was born in New Orleans.

Oct. 22, 1919 – Noble Prize-winning novelist Doris Lessing was born in Kermanshah in present-day Iran.

Oct. 22-23, 1924 – The State Reunion of the United Confederate Veterans was held in Mobile, Ala.

Oct. 22, 1924 – J.D. Hill, field director of Lions Club International, visited Monroeville and organized a Lions Club in Monroeville during a meeting at the Commercial Hotel. The club’s charter members included Judge M.M. Fountain, Dr. S.J. Yarbrough, L.J. Bugg, A.C. Lee, S.W. Hixon, C.G. Yarbrough, Frank Lathram, R.O. Hendrix, E.R. Morrissette Jr., G.A. Harris and Charles J. Brockway.

Oct. 22, 1926 – J. Gordon Whitehead sucker punched magician Harry Houdini in the stomach in Montreal, precipitating his death.

Oct. 22, 1927 – Nikola Tesla introduced six new inventions including a motor with one-phase electricity

Oct. 22, 1928 - The play “The Grey Fox” opened on Broadway, with Alabama author Andrew Lytle performing the role of Biagio.

Oct. 22, 1936 – English soldier, author, and explorer John Blashford-Snell was born.

Oct. 22-23, 1939 – “The Wizard of Oz,” starring Judy Garland, showed at the Pix Theatre in downtown Evergreen, Ala.

Oct. 22, 1939 – J.B. Henderson, 65, of Fountain, Ala. died around noon at the hospital in Repton, Ala. as a result of a fractured skull said to have been inflicted by J.G. Noble on Oct. 20. Noble allegedly struck Henderson in the head with an automobile clutch hub during an argument over money supposedly owed Henderson’s son by Noble, who operated a sawmill at Fountain. Noble, who had moved to Fountain from Evergreen, was arrested and put in the Monroe County Jail.

Oct. 22, 1939 - The first televised pro football game was telecast from New York. Brooklyn defeated Philadelphia, 23-14.

Oct. 22, 1944 – In an incident attributed to the Bermuda Triangle, the Cuban freighter Rubicon was found by the Coast Guard in the Gulf Stream off Key Largo, Florida. The ship was deserted except for a hungry dog.

Oct. 22, 1948 – Thomaston beat Monroe County, 27-6, in a “hotly disputed contest” in Thomaston. Standout MCHS players in that game included George Klepic, Bodie Thompson and Hurtis Tomlinson, who scored Monroe’s only touchdown on a one-yard run.

Oct. 22, 1950 - The Los Angeles Rams set an NFL record by defeating the Baltimore Colts, 70-27. It was a record score for a regular season game.

Oct. 2, 1952 - Alabama author Vicki Covington was born in Birmingham, Ala.

Oct. 22, 1954 – Major League Baseball catcher Jamie Quirk was born in Whittier, Calif.

Oct. 22, 1956 – Major League Baseball pitcher Frank DiPino was born in Syracuse, N.Y.

Oct. 22, 1957 – During the Vietnam War, U.S. military personnel sufferred their first casualties in the war when 13 Americans were wounded in three terrorist bombings of Military Assistance Advisory Group and U.S. Information Service installations in Saigon. The rising tide of guerrilla activity in South Vietnam reached an estimated 30 terrorist incidents by the end of the year and at least 75 local officials were assassinated or kidnapped in the last quarter of 1957.

Oct. 22, 1960 - John Updike memorialized Ted Williams’ baseball career by telling the story of his last at-bat in the short story "Hub Fans Bid Kid Adieu," which was published in the Oct. 22, 1960 issue of The New Yorker.

Oct. 22, 1962 – During the Cuban Missile Crisis, US President John F. Kennedy, after internal counsel from Dwight D. Eisenhower, announced that American reconnaissance planes have discovered Soviet nuclear weapons in Cuba, and that he had ordered a naval "quarantine" of the Communist nation.

Oct. 22, 1965 - In action this day near Phu Cuong, about 35 miles northwest of Saigon, PFC Milton Lee Olive III of Company B, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry, threw himself on an enemy grenade and saved four soldiers, including his platoon leader, 1st Lt. James Sanford. Private Olive’s body absorbed the full, deadly blast of the grenade and he died saving his comrades. Lieutenant Sanford later said of Olive’s act that “It was the most incredible display of selfless bravery I ever witnessed.” Olive, a native of Chicago, was only 18 years old when he died; he received the Medal of Honor posthumously six months later. The city of Chicago honored its fallen hero by naming a junior college, a lakefront park, and a portion of the McCormick Place convention center after him.

Oct. 22, 1966 – Union High School (in Monroeville, Ala.) defensive tackle John Dean intercepted a tipped pass and returned it 65 yards for a touchdown in a 29-0 win over Camden Academy.

Oct. 22, 1968 – The Excel Town Council held the first meeting of its new term on this Tuesday, and lower insurance rates and a new water well for the town were among the matters of business discussed. Excel Mayor Coy Stacey presided over that meeting, and the members of the Excel council included Quinton Mixon, Fred Kinsey, L.S. Hancock, Bernard Brown and Jerald Jordan.

Oct. 22, 1971 – Excel High School began an amazing streak of 43 straight regular season football wins that didn’t end until Aug. 27, 1976 when they lost to Southern Normal, 20-8.

Oct. 22, 1972 – During the Vietnam War, in Saigon, Henry Kissinger and South Vietnamese President Nguyễn Văn Thiệu met to discuss a proposed cease-fire that had been worked out between Americans and North Vietnamese in Paris.

Oct. 22, 1973 – Major League Baseball outfielder Ichiro Suzuki was born in Kasugai, Aichi, Japan.

Oct. 22, 1977 – Excel High School’s “Roy Stacey 100-Percenter Award” was established by the Stacey family during a half-time ceremony in Excel’s homecoming game against Castleberry. Stacey, who died in 1976, was a long-time booster at the school.

Oct. 22, 1982 – Major League Baseball second baseman Robinson Canó was born in San Pedro de Macorís, Dominican Republic.

Oct. 22, 1982 – On homecoming night in Evergreen, Evergreen High School defeated Choctaw County High School, 21-7, at Brooks Memorial Stadium. Leading the way on offense for Evergreen was quarterback Tracey Hawsey with 99 yards rushing on just nine carries. On defense, the Aggies were led by Fredrick Middleton with five solos and seven assists. Other standout Evergreen players in that game included Mark Bell, DeWayne Booker, Don Jackson, Frank Likely, Marion Oliver, Ben Rigsby, Ricky Stallworth and Deatrich Wise.

Oct. 22, 1982 – On homecoming night in Evergreen, Sparta Academy beat Thomasville Academy, 21-6, at Stuart-McGehee Field. Joey Johnson led Sparta with 149 yards and a touchdown, and Ed Carrier followed with 120 yards and a touchdown. Other standout Sparta players in that game included Chris Blatz, Russ Brown, Wes Brown, Trent Carrier, Al Etheridge, Charles Floyd, Scotty Grace, Don Langham, Joe McInvale, Britt McNeill, Tom Reed, Dewan Salter, Scott Smith and Mike Wilson. Richard Brown was Sparta’s head coach.

Oct. 22, 1983 - New York's Metropolitan Opera celebrated its 100th anniversary.

  

Oct. 22, 1992 - Red Barber, the legendary announcer for the Brooklyn Dodgers, passed away in Tallahassee, Fla. at the age of 84.

Oct. 22, 1993 – Episode No. 6 of “The X-Files” – entitled “Shadows” – aired for the first time.

Oct. 22, 1997 - Alabama author and Poet Laureate William Young Elliott died in Huntsville, Ala.

Oct. 22, 1999 – The motion picture adaptation of “Crazy in Alabama” by Mark Childress was released in theaters.

Oct. 22, 1999 – Frisco City High School’s Carlos Salinas made a record-setting 29 tackles in a 20-19 loss to A.L. Johnson in Frisco City, Ala.

Oct. 22, 2000 - Corey Dillon of the Cincinnati Bengals ran for 278 yards against the Denver Broncos.

Oct. 22, 2006 – A Panama Canal expansion proposal was approved by 77.8 percent of voters in a National referendum held in Panama.

Oct. 22, 2011 - Albert Pujols of the St. Louis Cardinals became the third player to hit three home runs in a World Series game.