Kentucky Trivia ● Kentucky Tweets
April 25, 1793, the Kentucke Gazette, the 1st newspaper published west of the Allegheny Mountains, reported that “Indians ambushed and killed the post rider on Laurel River (present-day Laurel County).
In the April 25, 1798 edition of the Kentucky Gazette, Henry Clay attacked the institution of slavery in a piece he wrote under the pseudonym of Scaevola.
Localtonians wish a Happy Anniversary to Logan County native James Bowie, 35, who married Maria Ursula de Veramendi, 19, in 1831. Several days before the ceremony, he signed a dowry contract promising to pay his new bride 15,000 pesos.
April 25, 1834, the term “Whig Party” 1st appeared in the Lexington Intelligencer newspaper. The National Republican Party began to re-brand itself.
April 25, 1896, Harrodsburg Police Officer John Russell died by gunshot attempting to arrest a man for being drunk and disruptive on Main Street in front of the Mercer National Bank.
According to his trainer John Ward, on April 25, 1924, Wise Counsellor, the Derby favorite, received death threats. Track criminals plotted to eliminate the colt from the May 12 Preakness and May 17 Derby by “doping him” or stuffing his nose with a sponge. Guards stayed posted until they withdrew from both races, which they did.
April 25, 1938, directors of the Keeneland Association organized their 1st horse sales. The auctioneer took bids on 31 various thoroughbreds totaling $24,885, an average of $802.74. A nine-year-old mare named Marmitina with a suckling colt brought the highest price, $3,500.
On April 25, 1940, Constable Elmer Doane, Laurel County Constable’s Office, died while attempting to question a man carrying two pistols two miles north of East Bernstadt. As the one-armed constable approached the couple, the man took cover behind his wife and told her to shoot.
Localtonians wish a Happy Birthday to Harlan native George Ella Lyon, born in 1949. A graduate of Centre College, she published in many genres, including picture books, poetry, juvenile novels, and articles. In addition, Lyon served as Kentucky Poet Laureate for 2015-16.
April 25, 1957, Chief of Police Novel McReynolds, Murray Police Department, died by a suspect who had assaulted a female friend in the county earlier in the day. When the woman threatened to call the sheriff, he drove to the county courthouse and shot him dead.
April 25, 1960, the Kellogg Foundation granted $754,000 for a seven year-study to improve economic conditions for 500,000 citizens in 30 Eastern Kentucky counties.
April 25, 1963, Chateaugay won the Blue Grass Stakes and returned to win the Kentucky Derby 15 days later.
April 25, 1967, Army CPL James L. Bell from Coopersville in Wayne County died in the Vietnam War.
April 25, 1968, Air Force MAJ Billy R. Givens from Dunmor in Muhlenberg County died in the Vietnam War.
April 25, 1970, Army CPL Billy Joe Sebastian from Lancaster died in the Vietnam War.
April 25, 1978, Kentucky went to federal court in Washington D.C. in another effort to stop the Marble Hill nuclear power plant. The plant, 31 miles upstream from Louisville in Indiana, had already started construction. Kentucky’s efforts paid off when in 1984, construction stopped only after the government sunk $2.5 billion into it.
On April 25, 1983, divers reached eight spelunkers in a Rockcastle County cave and reported they were all in good shape. Heavy rains turned an underground creek into an impassible river.
April 25, 1991, the National Quilt Museum, the brainchild of Bill and Meredith Schroeder, opened. The $2.2 million facility sits two blocks from the Ohio River in historic downtown Paducah. The museum changes exhibits 8-10 times per year, so visitors will enjoy a unique experience every time they visit.
April 25, 1997, always hearing he was too small, Owensboro point guard Brandon Davenport won the Mr. Basketball title along with Rachel Byars of Union County, who won the Miss Kentucky Basketball honor.
April 25, 2001, Bill Monroe’s 1923 Gibson F-5 mandolin, regarded by some as the most important instrument in country music, came out of its vault and changed hands for the 1st time since Monroe died. A foundation in Rosine paid $1.125 million. Private collectors, the Smithsonian Institution, and Nashville’s Country Music Hall of Fame coveted the instrument.
April 25, 2007, Wayne Joslin from Winchester caught a state record Tiger Muskie (Muskellunge Hybrid) weighing 19 lbs., 9 ozs. in a private lake in Clark County.
Picture By U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. This Is Not WayneApril 25, 2013, on the same day Ritchie Farmer pleaded not guilty in federal court, the Kentucky Supreme Court ruled that Kentucky students must be given Miranda warnings if principals interview them with a school officer present. The case started in Nelson County when a student sued the school system.
April 25, 2018, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, the largest robot competition in the world, consisting of 1,648 teams, began in Louisville. More than 10,000 participants from 30 countries participated in the tournament, with a team from China winning.
April 25, 2019, as horse trainers voiced concern about the current plan to ban Lasix within two years on race day, Kentucky’s prison population continued to rise after most states saw declining numbers. Kentucky prison populations increased three years in a row, breaking yearly records. Kentucky expected to spend $648 million to house prisoners in 2020.
April 25, 2020, despite the number of coronavirus cases topping 3,900, 13 counties still had not reported one positive case. Governor A. Beshear unveiled seven benchmarks to re-open Kentucky.
April 25, 2021, after a two-year covid-19 hiatus, Kentucky Muscle’s KDF NPC Derby Championships returned to the International Convention Center. Nearly 1,600 people watched 484 amateurs and professional competitors strut their stuff.
April 25, 2022, like proud peacocks, America marked its two-month proxy war in Ukraine by sending Secretary of State A. Blinken to the war-torn nation. Meanwhile, Elon Musk began the talks to buy Twitter.