Kentucky Trivia

On November 29, 1800, the Lexington Library Association incorporated the Lexington Library.  The association consisted of John Bradford, James Morrison, Samuel Postlethwait, and others.  The collection moved from the Transylvania Seminary into the rear of Andrew McCalla’s drug store on Short Street, facing Cheapside.  The Squire’ Sketches of Lexington by J. Winston Coleman, Jr.; pg: 24

November 29, 1820, during the economic downturn following the Panic of 1819, the General Assembly created the Bank of the Commonwealth of Kentucky.  It was “deemed expedient and beneficial to the state and the citizens thereof” to establish a bank “for the purpose of discounting paper and making loans for longer periods than has been customary, and for the relief of the distresses of the community.”  They located the bank in Frankfort, and the legislature appointed a president and twelve directors to run operations.  No legislature could serve as a director for the twelve months after the end of his term, and no bank officer could be a legislature member.  The bank continued until January 1, 1841.

November 29, 1890, Patrolman Birch Puff, Louisville Police Department, suffered a fatal heart attack while escorting another police officer to police headquarters.

November 29, 1917, the Kentucky football team closed out their season under Coach Daddy Boles by shutting out Florida 52-0.

Localtonians wish a Happy Birthday to Rosewood native Merle Robert Travis, born in 1917 in Muhlenberg County.  His songs’ lyrics often discussed the lives and the economic conditions of American coal miners.

November 29, 1919, Constable Elijah Baker, Whitley County Constable’s Office, succumbed to a gunshot wound sustained two days earlier while attempting to arrest two brothers wanted for arson.

November 29, 1928, Captain William H. Poore, Paducah Police Department, succumbed to a head injury he sustained the previous day when he fell through a train trestle while searching for two suspects who had stolen a suitcase.

November 29, 1950, 20-year-old, Marine Corps PFC William B. Baugh from McKinney, received the Medal of Honor, the military’s highest award for his Korean War heroism.  In addition to the Medal of Honor, PFC Baugh posthumously received the Purple Heart Medal.  He previously held the Presidential Unit Citation, Navy Occupation Service Medal with Europe Clasp, Korean Service Medal with three bronze stars, and the United Nations Service Medal.  The U.S. Navy also honored PFC Baugh by naming a Strategic Sealift Ship in his memory.  Sealift ships supply all military branches around the globe.

November 29, 1950, the following Kentuckians died fighting in the Korean War: Marine Corps PFC Billie J. Ashby from Slaughters in Webster County, Marine Corps CPL Raymond T. Bowers from Louisville, Army PFC Clyde M. Carter from Carroll County, Army CPL James E. Collins from Letcher County, Army CPL Asher Daniel from Bell County, Army CPL Robert Eaton from Whitley County, Marine Corps PFC Charles E. Jarrett from Louisville, Army PFC Earl B. Kresen from Louisville, Army CPL William F. McDaniel from McCracken County and Army CPL Thomas F. Palmer from Greenup County all died fighting in the Korean War.

November 29, 1959, I dig Chicks, by Louisville native Jonah Jones, won a Grammy for Best Instrumental Jazz Performance, Individual or Group, in the 1^st year they televised the awards ceremony.

November 29, 1961, Muhammad Ali (10-0) fought Willi Besmanoff (44-27-7) in Freedom Hall State Fairgrounds.  Besmanoff, 29, a German who had fought the likes of Sonny Liston, George Chuvalo, Zora Folley, and Archie Moore before Clay.  Before the fight, Clay told a TV interviewer, “I’m embarrassed to get in the ring with this unrated duck.  I’m ready for top contenders like Floyd Patterson and Sonny Liston.  Besmanoff must fall in seven!”  This insulted Besmanoff and he immediately came after Clay.  But Clay toyed with him for six rounds, then KO’d him in the 7^th, determined to make good on his prediction.

November 29, 1967, Patrolman Joseph Lloyd Price, Louisville Police Department, died from a gunshot, and his partner was critically wounded after a man abducted them at gunpoint.

November 29, 1968, Army PFC Henry L. Rogers from Bath County died fighting in the Vietnam War.

November 29, 1971, for the 1^st time, an ocean-going ship docked at the Port of Louisville Terminal.  The vessel unloaded its 1,300-ton cargo of agriculture twine from Mexico.  The ship stayed for five days, headed to St. Louis and then back down the Mississippi River.

Localtonians wish a Happy Birthday to Louisville native Governor Andrew Graham Beshear, the 63^rd governor, born in 1977.

November 29, 1980, Trinity toppled Tilghman for the 4-A football crown, 31-8, with 6,000 fans at Louisville Fairgrounds watching.

November 29, 1980, 1^st Lady Phyllis George Brown and her son Lincoln caught the state’s helicopter from Cave Hill to the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky airport to catch a flight to NY for her CBS show the next morning.

November 29, 1982, The Who performed a sold-out show at Rupp Arena.

Localtonians wish a Happy Birthday to Lexington native Pamela Ashley Brown, born in 1983.

November 29, 1990, Whitesburg native Harry M. Caudill passed away; his death sent shock waves through Southern Appalachia and beyond.  Many people adulated him; some despised him; others weren’t sure they always understood him.  Harry Caudill was a complex man of many talents.  He was best-known as an Appalachian prophet, his prose, and spoken rhetoric blistered the hides of those he assembled as wrongdoers: legislators in the pockets of special interests; strip miners and other mine operators with more interest in profits than in safety of the environment; educators who did not educate children to the best of their potential; and the absentee owners who took away much more than they returned to the region.  He was also a lawyer, legislator, and a university history teacher.  But there was another Harry Caudill who dearly loved a good story and told it with florid adjectives and powerful verbs.

November 29, 1996, Kentucky’s 93-year-old historian laureate married the former Loretta Gilliam Brock, 75, at her Lexington home on Kentucky Avenue in a private ceremony.

November 29, 2006, Army PFC Theodore M. West 23, of Richmond, died in Baghdad, fighting in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

November 29, 2010, Nicholasville began a recount of the November 2^nd election results for City Commissioner.  Betty Black the incumbent asked for the recount after coming up one vote short of a tie.

November 29, 2014, #24 Cardinals defeated Kentucky 44-40 in Louisville.  In Stoops’s 2nd year, the Cats ended their season with their 6th loss in a row.  Louisville won their 4th Governor’s Cup in a row and finished the season 9-4 with a loss to Georgia in the Belk Bowl.

On November 29, 2019, Pappy Van Winkle held their annual lottery to buy one of its bottles.  Pappy lovers had four hours to enter the lottery in 50 Kroger stores throughout the state.  Meanwhile, the Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts in Louisville announced they had completed their renovation after the June 2018 massive fire.

November 29, 2019, eleven three-year-olds went to post in the GI $600,000 Clark Handicap Stakes at Churchill Downs, Keeneland graduates finished in the top five spots.

November 29, 2019, the Louisville / Western Kentucky basketball game could only be viewed streaming on the Live Conference USA Facebook page.  Louisville won 71-54.

November 29, 2020, a federal judge upheld Governor A. Beshear’s mandate to close private schools days after a district judge said the mandate was illegal.  Meanwhile, officials announced two new deaths*; however, the final number on the state’s website jumped to 11.

Positives:  2,803 / 176,925
Deaths:  11* / 1,896 – 1^st Death 3/16/20
50&over: 1,849 / 49-30: 44 / 29&under: 3

November 29, 2021, Lexington police arrested Laura Zimmerman while she protested Kentucky Utilities for cutting down trees in her Lansdowne neighborhood.  Although many stood with her, Laura was the only one who never backed down.  Meanwhile, Governor A. Beshear continued to alarm Kentuckians over the positivity rate and omicron.