Localtonians wish a Happy Birthday to Henry Clay, Sr. , born in 1777 in Hanover County, Virginia. The 7th child of nine brothers and sisters, his father, a Baptist/Farmer died when Clay was four. At 15, Clay’s mother and stepfather moved to Versailles, leaving him in Virginia. In November 1797, Clay moved to Lexington.
Localtonians wish a Happy Birthday to Ohio County native George Humphrey Tichenor , born in 1837. Tichenor developed his antiseptic formula in Louisiana, which consisted of alcohol, oil of peppermint, and arnica. He marketed his product initially as a useful medicine for both internal and external uses for man and animal.
Localtonians wish a Happy Birthday to Green County native Junius George Groves , born in 1859. The “Potato King of the World” built his vast financial success by 1902. Booker T. Washington analyzed his successes further in The Negro in Business (1907) to help combat racism by providing economic opportunities for other Black Americans.
April 12, 1860, an “interesting” unveiling ceremony of a beautiful Henry Clay statute, at Richmond, VA, took place with ex-president John Tyler.
At 4:30 a.m. on April 12, 1861, Confederate troops fired on Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor. Less than 34 hours later, Union forces surrendered. Traditionally, this event marked the beginning of the Civil War. In Washington, however, the fall of Sumter was the latest in a series of events that culminated in war.
April 12, 1875, Barron County native William L. Day received the Medal of Honor for gallant conduct during campaigns and engagements with Apaches in the Arizona Territory during the winter of 1872 to 1873.
April 12, 1902, The Celt launched for the 1st time as a private yachtThe Celt had a top speed of up to 13 knots and could hold up to 217 tons GRT. She would later end up in Northern Kentucky abandoned.
Localtonians wish a Happy Birthday to Glasgow native Billy Vaughn, born in 1919. He was sure to be a barber like his father.
April 12, 1926, Nannette McDowell Bullock, Henry Clay’s great-granddaughter, who lived at Ashland , created the Henry Clay Memorial Foundation. The foundation preserved the home and dedicated it on Clay’s 1950 birthday as a historic shrine honoring The Great Compromiser .
Localtonians wish a Happy Birthday to Maysville native Betty Clooney, born in 1931.
April 12, 1932, Captain Edward Earl Parr and Detective William Leath Mulligan, Louisville Police Department , died from gunshots while arresting two men inside their apartment for burglaries.
Localtonians wish a Happy Birthday to Mt. Union (Allen County) native Charles Lewis Napier , born in 1936.
On April 12, 1945, President Franklin D. Roosevelt passed away. Hours after his death, Harry S. Truman took the oath to be the 33rd President in a private ceremony in the White House Cabinet Room, using a closed Bible. Truman’s 1949 inauguration was the first to be televised and included an air parade and a revival of the inaugural ball.
Click to see an aerial view of Keeneland on Friday, April 12, 1946, the meet’s second day, where 6,000 attended. It was the track’s first post-war meet. On opening day, the attendance (9,000) and mutuel ($314,260) records were broken. Admission cost $1 for men and 50 cents for the ladies. The historic meet featured the 22nd Bluegrass Stakes with a $12,500 purse.
On April 12, 1950, a vast crowd gathered to hear U.S. Vice President Alben Barkley dedicate Ashland as a historic house museum and shrine devoted to preserving the legacy of Henry Clay.
April 12, 1951, Army PVT Russell K. Lucas from Powell County , Army PFC Richard Phelps from Pulaski County and Army PFC Conly McCoy from Christian County , died in the Korean War.
April 12, 1968, Army CPL Alan J. Hettich from Louisville and Army SGT Huburt E. Waford from Shelbyville , both died in the Vietnam War.
April 12, 1969, Marine Corps PFC Patrick E. Blagg from Newport in Campbell County died in the Vietnam War.
April 12, 1972, Deputy Sheriff Lawrence Conley, Floyd County Sheriff’s Office , died from ambush as he sat in his car at a service station on Highway 80 in Garrett at approximately 11:45 pm.
April 12, 1974, Glasgow native Arthur Bernard Krock died . The Pulitzer Prize winner covered eleven U.S. Presidents and was known as the Dean of Washington Newsmen .
On April 12, 1981, Columbia’s 1st flight took off , officially known as the Space Transportation System (STS); therefore, this flight was STS-1. The mission had a two-person crew with an objective to ensure Columbia worked well in space.
Wednesday, April 12, 1995, unusual events continued at Keeneland’s Spring Meet when jockeys Jerry Bailey and Eddie Martin Jr., came out of their saddles during different races . On Friday, opening day, Pat Day lost his mount during a race. Sunday, Governor B. Jones visited the stewards’ office upset over a DQ. Before the meet ever started, mutual clerks and valets went on strike and Gatewood Galbraith gave Governor Paton a mouthful after crossing the picket lines.
April 12, 2000, Lexington patched a sewer line after spilling 220,000 gallons of sewage into an undeveloped section in Hamburg . The waste spilled into a dry stream bed that drains into the North Elkhorn Creek. A rock pierced the 24-inch diameter, 22-year-old pipe.
April 12, 2005, the U.S. government told Americans they had mailed a dangerous flu strain to thousands of laboratories across the U.S . The strain had caused a pandemic in 1957. The government released the information to ensure all the strains got destroyed.
On April 12, 2009, Kentucky’s largest church, Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, opened its 1st satellite location in Indiana. Currently, they are the 11th largest church in the U.S.
April 12, 2012, the 40th annual Spalding Derby, also called the Run for the Rodents , kicked off the Kentucky Derby season . The winner never crossed the finish line, turning around about a foot short and headed back to the starting gate.
On Sunday, April 12, 2020, churches got creative to celebrate Easter.
April 12, 2022, the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) released its study of all 50 states based on three variables: the economy, education policy, and mortality during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study found that the correlation between lockdowns and pandemic mortality was ‘essentially zero’ Utah’s coronavirus strategy worked best and New Jersey the worst, according to the paper.
On April 12, 2023, Rep. McGarvey kept the national spotlight on Louisville two days after a mass shooting that killed five individuals.
On April 12, 2024, Thomas Massie kept his 1.2 million followers focused on the crucial topics while exposing Speaker Johnson’s loyalty to the swamp creatures.
On April 12, 2024, Governor A. Beshear welcomed Nebraska native Mark Pope home. Rex Chapman, the first to reply, posted a blue heart emoji. Pope is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.