Kentucky Trivia ● Kentucky Tweets
Localtonians wish a Happy Anniversary to Matthew Harris Jouett and Margaret (Peggy) Henderson Allen, who wed in 1812 in Fayette County. They met accidentally in a field as she rode a spirited Indian pony bareback, and the Transy student scouted for turkey nest.
Localtonians wish a Happy Birthday to Nicholasville native Bennett Henderson Young, born in 1843. As a lieutenant of the Confederate States Army, he entered Vermont from Canada and occupied the town of St. Albans.
May 25, 1900, Deputy Sheriff Felix Davidson, Clay County Sheriff’s Office, succumbed to a gunshot wound sustained one week earlier while attempting to arrest a man who had been in town with his gun.
Wednesday, May 25, 1904, Morris Park hosted their last Belmont Stakes when Mr. Keene’s homebred, Delhi, took the 38th edition and earned $13,685. The field of eight went 1 ¼ mile in 2:05 3/5. They arrived at post four minutes before the 4:00 p.m. start.
May 25, 1910, Milton Oliver, an enemy of the Knight Riders, got shot in the left hip while standing in his Hopkinsville front yard. Governor Augustus Willson sent Kentucky State Guards to keep watch over Oliver’s farm and protect the surrounding neighborhood, all part of the Black Patch Tobacco War. The Kentucky guard’s presence angered local Lyon County residents.
On May 25, 1921, three prisoners, “hardened characters” by description, stole an automobile within the walls of the Frankfort state penitentiary and sped through the gates, during a rainstorm. They almost ran down a trusty who had opened the gate for them. All three hatched the escape while working in the prison shirt factory.
May 25, 1926, Deputy Sheriff Louis Casebolt, Pike County Sheriff’s Office, succumbed to a gunshot wound sustained two days earlier by a man who was attempting to free a prisoner.
May 25, 1951, Army CPL Edward Hyatt from Laurel County died in the Korean War.
May 25, 1965, Muhammad Ali (21-0) fought Sonny Liston (35-2) in St. Dominic’s Hall, Lewiston, Maine. Because of the way the 1st fight ended, boxing authorities order a rematch in remote Lewiston. Only 2,434 fans were present, the lowest attendances ever for a heavyweight title fight. The end of the battle remains one of the most controversial in boxing history. Halfway through the 1st round, Liston fell to the canvas in what many have argued was not a legitimate knockdown. Ali did not retreat to his corner but stood over Liston, yelling at him, “Get up and fight, sucker!” The photo that captured that moment became one of the most famous in all sports. Referee Jersey Joe Walcott, a former heavyweight champion, appeared confused, and 20 seconds passed. By then, Liston had gotten up and resumed boxing. But Nat Fleischer, publisher of The Ring, alerted Walcott that Liston had been down more than the requisite 10 seconds, and Walcott stopped the fight, giving Ali a 1st-round knockout. Some claimed that Liston had bet against himself and took a dive because he owed money to the Mafia. Liston said years later in an interview that he feared for his safety from Nation of Islam extremists who supported Ali.
May 25, 1967, Army PFC Robert G. Staton from Salt Lick in Bath County died in the Vietnam War.
May 25, 1968, Army PFC Kelly Fields from Pikeville died in the Vietnam War.
May 25, 1970, Army CPL Harold R. Burton and Army CPL Charles R. Stevenson both from Louisville died in the Vietnam War.
May 25, 1973, the Catlett House, also known as Beechmoor Place in Catlettsburg received admission on the National Register of Historic Places.
By NyttendLocaltonians wish a Happy Birthday to Murray native Molly Simms, born in 1973. Sports Illustrated frequently hired Molly as a swimsuit model in the early 2000s. She also walked the runway for the annual Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show in 2001.
May 25, 1983, six hundred and fifty-eight moviegoers attended a midnight showing of Star Wars: Episode VI — Return of the Jedi, at South Park Cinemas in Lexington.
May 25, 1987, Maj. Gen. T. Allen unveiled a black granite monument covered in red, white, and blue bunting at Fort Campbell to remember the 248 Ft. Campbell soldiers who died in a 1983 airliner crash in Canada. About 500 relatives and friends attended the Memorial Day ceremony at the army base. The Screaming Eagles were returning home from a peace keeping mission in Sinai.
May 25, 1991, U.S. Larry Hopkins, Lt. Governor B. Jones, Mayor Scotty Baesler, Dr. Floyd Poore, and other primary candidates worked the stump at the Mountain Laurel Festival. As Jones worked the crowd in the Pineville parade, Governor W. Wilkinson passed him up in a convertible Corvette; they didn’t acknowledge each other. Wally later crowned and kissed the 60th Festival Queen, an NKU senior from Fort Thomas, Meredith Paige Slawter.
On May 25, 1999, the Kentucky State Penitentiary (KSP) in Eddyville, under Governor P. Patton’s administration, electrocuted a murderer.
On May 25, 2003, Kenny Perry won his 5th PGA event when he defeated Justin Leonard by six strokes at the Colonial in Texas. The Elizabethtown native earned 900,000 for his 1st Colonial. He won it again two years later by seven strokes.
May 25, 2005, Marine SGT David N. Wimberg, 24, of Louisville, died from a gunshot, in Iraq, fighting in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
May 25, 2010, London native Darrell Scott released his album, Crooked Road. He collaborated with Steve Earle, Emmylou Harris, and many others.
May 25, 2014, in reaction to the attack on smokers’ rights in Paris, Judge-Executive Donnie Foley said, “Burley put me through school, Burley built this courthouse, burley built the schools, and burley put food on the table.” At the time, Kentucky ranked #1 in the number of smokers per capita.
On May 25, 2018, after less than a year on the job, the 1st director of the Kentucky Department of Education’s Charter School division resigned unexpectedly. He returned home for his wife’s career. He said he didn’t leave because Governor M. Bevin made new appointments with the state school board.
May 25, 2020, nail and hair salons reopened after a two-month shutdown due to coronavirus.
On May 25, 2021, black Louisville residents accounted for about half of all new coronavirus cases in the city, which the mayor called “alarming.” Louisville reported 592 positive cases and 55 deaths in the previous week. Many black residents declined the vaccines. Governor A. Beshear stated, “The incidence rate, in the newer cases, is much higher among younger Kentuckians than older ones.” But, he added, “It is directly associated with whether you are vaccinated.”