May 29, 1775, Richard Henderson’s journal stated that a letter arrived at Boonesboro containing news of a battle near Boston. The Battles of Lexington and Concord, 20 miles from Boston, were fought on April 19, 1775.
On May 29, 1777, Fanny Henderson became one of the first white children born in what would be Kentucky to parents married in the future state. Her parents, Samuel Henderson and Elizabeth Calloway, were married on August 7, 1776, by Squire Boone, Jr., the younger brother of Daniel.
Localtonians wish a Happy Birthday to Lexington native Thomas Satterwhite Noble, born in 1835. He is well known for his historical works containing sharp political and social commentary. TS was unique among artists of his era, a Southern artist who painted critiques of the institution of slavery. Noble also helped establish the McMicken School of Design in Cincinnati.
May 29, 1882, Louisville native Joshua Fry Speed passed. A close friend of Abraham Lincoln, Speed farmed and invested in Kentucky land. He did serve one term in the Kentucky House of Representatives starting in 1848.
May 29, 1897, Scottish Chieftain defeated five others to win the 31st Belmont Stakes going the 1 3/8 in 2:34 ¼ and earned $3,350. Stewards fined winning jockey J. Scherrer $50 for disobedience at the post. The winner skipped the May 12th Derby and the June 8th Preakness.
By Bain News ServiceOn May 29, 1932, Senator A. Barkley announced the government would start accepting bids for a “superstructure” referred to as the Lexington Narcotic Farm. The U.S. Narcotic Farm, or NARCO, opened in 1935, America’s 1st prison for drug addicts. Meanwhile, acting Governor Chandler increased his aides-de camp by commissioning 23 colonels, two admirals, one general, and one major general when Governor Laffoon visited Indiana to watch the Indy 500.
May 29, 1948, architect Frank Lloyd Wright visited the Jefferson County Courthouse at Sixth and Jefferson streets during a trip to Louisville. At first he said if the building were associated with politics, “I won’t like it, Politicians don’t hire good architects. They never hired me.” When he asked who the architect was and was told it was (Kentucky-born) Gideon Shryock, Wright responded, “Never heard of him.” Finally, though, he paused to admire the Greek-revival structure, calling it a “noble old edifice,” the story goes. He added: “We shouldn’t build this type building anymore, but we should keep those we have left.”
May 29, 1951, Army SFC Kenneth A. McAllister from Nelson County died in the Korean War.
May 29, 1957, Dee Mee Dee, became the 1st thoroughbred to win at Audubon Raceway in Henderson.
May 29, 1962, President John F. Kennedy celebrated his 45th birthday at Glen Ora, his Virginia estate. Marilyn Monroe sang Happy Birthday, Mr. President, ten days earlier to him at Madison Square Garden.
May 29, 1966, Army PFC Billy R. Patrick from Hazard died in the Vietnam War.
May 29, 1970, Howardstown native Sue Stiles, a 20-year-old beauty, received a kiss from Governor Nunn as he crowned her Kentucky Mountain Laurel Festival Queen at Pine Mountain State Park. Grand Marshal Colonel Harland Sanders offered his congratulations. It took a three-county search and twenty-five men to find enough late-blooming Laurel flowers to make all the contestants’ bouquets.
May 29, 1976, the climax of the 40th Mountain Laurel Festival took place when Governor Carroll kissed Frankfort native Linda Carol Barnes, 20, and crowned her Queen. An estimated 10,000 people attended, including the Grand Marshal-UK football coach Fran Curci.
May 29, 1984, eleven incumbents lost their seats in the Kentucky House primary races. Almost all hailed from Eastern Kentucky, and most were Red. Governor M. Collins had no comment.
May 29, 1991, 29% of Reds and 39% of Blues showed up at the primary polls to vote for governor. The small turnout did not meet the low expectations.
Blue Red
1979 – 49% 30%
1983 – 52% 23%
1987 – 48% 22%
1991 – 39% 29%
On Saturday, May 29, 1999, the Kentucky Mountain Laurel Festival decided that UK Senior and London native Holly Rowland Young the Queen. The pageant played out under the towering sandstone cliffs of Pine Mountain, ending Pineville’s four-day gathering in Bell County. Tuxedo-clad Governor P. Patton had crowning honors.
May 29, 2000, at the same time Kentucky crime declined and the prison population leveled off, prison building increased. Fourteen county jails were being built or had expanded. One month earlier, the legislatures approved $88 million for a new 900-bed state prison. The 4,400 new beds in the county jails cost the taxpayers $250 million.
May 29, 2003, federal regulators offered a plan they said would protect Appalachian waterways below mountaintop coal mines. Seven environmental groups called it a blueprint for filling more streams with rock and debris supported by the Bush White House.
On May 29, 2006, lawyer Melbourne Mills, Jr. informed the press that his $23.6 million fees for the fen-phen case were excessive. He mentioned that he had already spent most of the money and wouldn’t be able to pay it back even if ordered to do so. His lawyer had previously told the court that Mills was too intoxicated to have stolen any money.
May 29, 2011, Tom Watson, 61, won the PGA Senior Championship at Valhalla Golf Club in the 1st playoff hole over David Eger.
On Monday, Memorial Day, May 29, 2017, hundreds of people walked among thousands of tombstones at Camp Nelson National Cemetery, remembering lives lost in such wars as Vietnam or Korean. The Memorial service included two cannon salutes, music by the West Jessamine High School Band, and a flyover.
On May 29, 2019, Robert Mueller closed his special counsel office and spoke publicly about his report for the 1st time. The Mueller report failed to find evidence of President Trump’s wrongdoing, but the ex-leader of the F.B.I. made it clear he thought the ex-reality TV star was not clean or good. The investigation spent $32 million.
Monday, May 29, 2023, the U.S.A. held its 155th National Memorial Day observance, remembering the brave men and women who gave their lives for the Military Industrial Complex. America, in between endless wars, had a significant number of troops in the Middle East for the Hamas/Israel relationship, also Iraq, and Syria. Meanwhile, America’s next war in Ukraine ramped up with the talk of sending F-16s to Russia’s border.
On Wednesday, May 29, 2024, Louisville dropped all charges against pro golfer Scottie Scheffler. Police arrested the world’s #1 outside Valhalla Golf Club after dragging an officer to the ground in a moving vehicle 12 days earlier. Xander Schauffele won the PGA Championship, and Scottie tied for 8th with three others.
