May 22, 1825, The Marquis de Lafayette, the namesake of Fayette County, left the Commonwealth after a 12 day visit in the region. Kentucky in Retrospect by Lila Jones Kington pg; 59
May 22, 1863, Covington native Charles W. Rundle and Newport native William Steinmetz , while fighting in the Battle of Vicksburg, earned the Medal of Honor for taking part in the “volunteer storming party.” Around 150 unmarried volunteers charged a heavily fortified Confederate position; Rundle and Steinmetz answered the call.
Localtonians wish a Happy Birthday to Nicholasville (Jessamine County) native Lena Madesin Phillips , born in 1881. In 1917, she became the first honors graduate (man or woman) from the UK College of Law and had the highest marks for her law class. She returned to Nicholasville, where she opened her practice. She is best known for founding the National Business and Professional Women’s Clubs in 1919.
Friday, May 22, 1885, Tecumseh won the 13th Preakness Stakes going 1 1/2 miles in 2:49 on a heavy track over three others and earned $2,160. Jockey Jim McLaughlin won his only Preakness.
May 22, 1897, Health Officer John J. Sullivan, Lexington Police Department , accidentally died when another officer nearby stood from his chair, knocking his gun to the floor, making it discharge, and striking Officer Sullivan.
May 22, 1905, Deputy Sheriff William C. Brown, Hancock County Sheriff’s Office , died by a gunshot from a suspect who had shot and wounded the Lewisport town marshal and several other men the previous day.
Tuesday, May 22, 1906, Whimsical won the 31st Preakness Stakes going one mile and seventy yards in 1:45 to win $2,355. Whimsical did not enter the Derby which ran on May 2.
May 22, 1909, Patrolman H. Clarence Conner, Jefferson County Police Department , died after responding to a fight at a tavern. During an arrest the suspect was able to gain control of Patrolman Conner’s service weapon and shot him in the head.
May 22, 1917, Policeman Shade H. Hunley, Hazard Police Department , died from a gunshot while arresting several men along the spur line near the Louisville & Nashville Railroad Depot.
On May 22, 1925, the Ashland Golf Club opened its new golf course and clubhouse in Lexington. Today, it is known as the Idle Hour Country Club.
May 22, 1932, Baxter in Harlan County erected The Coal Monument honoring Kentucky coal miners and the coal industry. Rather than traditional stone, the obelisk is made of coal blocks. It is literally in the road where U.S. Highway 421 and Highway 119 intersect.
On May 22, 1936, the Secretary of the Interior accepted Mammoth Cave into the national park system. Five years later, Washington declared it a National Park. The ball got rolling in 1926 when Congress passed HR 12020, designating 70,618 acres for the future park. It was a long process.
May 22, 1954, Hasty Road won the 54th Preakness Stakes going one mile and three-sixteenths in 1:57 2/5 to win $91,600. Hasty Road placed 2nd in the Derby on May 1.
May 22, 1965, Army SSG Murrel D. Thomas from Glasgow in Barren County died in the Vietnam War.
May 22, 1967, astronaut John H. Glenn Jr. visited Lexington as William T. Young’s house guest . Lucy Young and Rex Potter are also shown in the photograph.
May 22, 1968, Marine Corps CAPT Robert E. Harris from Russell in Greenup County , Army PFC Anthony D. Hatcher from Cave City in Barren County , Army PFC Sammy L. Scott from Peytonsburg from Cumberland County, and Marine Corps SSGT William B. Hughes from Vanceburg in Lewis County , died in the Vietnam War.
May 22, 1974, Ruffian ran her 1st race in a 5.5F maiden special at Belmont Park ; Jacinto Vasquez received the mount. Frank Y. Whiteley, Jr., kept her talent a secret, and she went off at 9-2. She quickly went to the front, easily extended her lead to 15 lengths, and tied the track record of 1:03, something no other two-year-old had ever done while breaking their maiden race. Ruffian’s impressive debut was later called the “greatest race ever run by a 1st -time starter.”
On May 22, 1975, the Kentucky Colonels defeated the Indiana Pacers 110-105 in Game 5 of the ABA Championship , securing their 1st and only major professional sports title for the Commonwealth. This victory marked the culmination of a dominant season for the Colonels, considered the best team in the world at the time. Freedom Hall hosted a crowd of 16,622 fans.
On Thursday, May 22, 1986, H.M. Queen Elizabeth II landed in Lexington to begin a private, five-day visit to Kentucky . She came to inspect thoroughbred farms and several mares she kept in the area. H.M.’s 1st visit occurred in October 1984; this was her second.
May 22, 1991, Louisville-based National Guard’s 23rd Military Police Company returned to Kentucky from Iraq and greeted family and friends after serving in Operation Desert Storm.
May 22, 2000, Kentucky’s birthrate among teenagers dropped substantially in the last few years, although it remained above the national average, according to the State Cabinet of Human Resources.
May 22, 2005, Kenny Perry won the Bank of America Colonial by seven strokes over Billy Mayfair to pocket $1,008,000 for his 9th PGA victory.
On May 22, 2006, the U.S. Attorney General (AG) under President George Bush hinted in a Washington Post interview that journalists might be charged for any disclosure of classified national security information. At the time, many journalists faced the threat, including a New York Times reporter, Judith Miller, who was in jail for refusing to reveal a source for her story.
On May 22, 2011, Louisville volunteers planted the American Chestnut Tree . The tree is integral to Kentucky’s history, culture, and heritage, and no other tree could replace its niche.
On May 22, 2013, KYforKY asked their friends on Facebook if they’d like a free Kentucky Kicks Ass tattoo using only Abe Lincolns. They had many takers who got some amazing Kentucky Kicks Ass tattoos.
On May 22, 2015, Gilbert “Toby” Curtsinger, the alleged ringleader of a bourbon theft and steroid trafficking ring , requested his trial move out of Frankfort. Curtsinger and five others allegedly used their jobs at Buffalo Trace Distillery to sell Pappy Van Winkle and Wild Turkey.
On May 22, 2017, Owensboro (Daviess County) native Nicholas P. Hayden, 35, nicknamed “The Kentucky Kid,” and who was the 2006 MotoGP World Champion, died in an Italian hospital after being hit by a car while riding his bicycle. The AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 2018 posthumously inducted him.
May 22, 2018, locals went to the polls and had some unique names to grab the voters’ attention. “Booger” Jude ran for Martin County Jailer. “Duck” Moore ran for Jackson County Clerk. “Tobo” Bryant ran for mayor of Irvine. “Pear Hair” Webb ran for the Carlisle Jailer role.
May 22, 2019, a 2,000-pound piece of coal rock fell on Bell County native Felix Matthew North, 48, at a Harlan underground coal mine. He passed eight days later in a TN hospital. Flex was engaged to be married and was waiting on the birth of twin granddaughters. Federal authorities said the accident was avoidable and blamed the mine owners.
On Friday, May 22, 2020, the state reported 391 deaths since March and anxiety seemed high as the state began to open back up with guidelines that seemed confusing and used like scare tactics to make people stay within safe parameters. Dr. Stack, Public Health Commissioner, “The danger is there if we take our eye off the ball. We could find ourselves in late June paying very dearly for our actions today.” Andy, “None of us want this 1st time we can get together in this way to be a time when we spread the virus.”
On May 22, 2020, Kentucky released “opening guidelines for low-contact youth sports, fitness centers, and movie theaters.” Kids could practice on June 15 but not compete in biking, tennis, golf, horseback riding, baseball, and softball. The precautions continued. Groups of 10 for high-contact sports such as ice hockey, cheerleading, and volleyball would be allowed to do “group workouts,” but would not be allowed to have “practice.”
On May 22, 2021, for the 1st time in 11 months, the daily average of new coronavirus infections in the U.S. fell below 30,000 , confirming that the pandemic had lessened and had reached the endemic stage. Meanwhile, President Biden told corporations to pay people more money if they wanted to find employees.
May 22, 2023, Deputy Sheriff Caleb Conley, Scott County Sheriff’s Office , died from a gunshot while conducting a traffic stop near mile marker 127 on southbound I-75 in Georgetown at about 4:45 pm. The killer, already a wanted man, fled the scene but was arrested a short time later and received a life sentence.
On May 22, 2024, the governor provided an update for Kentucky’s largest factory. The BlueOval SK Battery Park in Glendale (Hardin County) is larger than the Toyota plant in Georgetown in terms of total square footage (9 million vs. 8.1 million square feet).