Kentucky Trivia ● Kentucky Tweets

June 5, 1887, Andrew Cowan wrote a 2,500-word essay titled “Public Parks: A Plan to Promote the Pleasure, Happiness, and Prosperity of the People.”  Mr. Cowan outlined a proposal for Louisville’s public parks system, including a large park in each of the city’s “Ends,” connected by grand boulevards, lined with expensive homes.  This proposal would become Cherokee, Iroquois, and Shawnee Parks and the parkways that connect them.

On June 5, 1892, as an excursion train pulled a baggage car and three coaches filled with African American vacationers and some white passengers, it ran head-on into a northbound Owensboro & Nashville Railroad passenger train.  The train left the Owensboro station an hour earlier.  The collision occurred near South Carrollton.  Four people died, and more than 25 got injured.

June 5, 1899, Garrard County Carrie Nation said she received a vision from God, telling her to smash saloons in Kiowa, Kansas.

June 5, 1910, Patrolman William C. Sube of the Louisville Police Department, died after contracting tetanus as a result of wound received while on patrol.

June 5, 1916, the U.S. Supreme Court swore in Louisville native Louis Dembitz Brandeis.  Born to Jewish immigrant parents from Bohemia, the People’s Attorney became the 1^st person of the Jewish faith to serve on the nation’s high court.  As a young man, he enrolled at Harvard Law School and graduated at age 22; his academic record remains the highest of any law graduate.

June 5, 1939, the log house of Col. Robert Patterson, founder of Lexington and Cincinnati, returned to Transylvania Campus after being removed from Kentucky in 1901.  The one room cabin is thought to be one of the 1^st to be erected in Lexington.   The Squire’s Sketches of Lexington by J. Winston Coleman, Jr.; pg: 17

Localtonians wish a Happy Birthday to Lexington native Mark F. Jarmon, born in 1952.

June 5, 1953, Mount Victory native Vermont Garrison earned the Medal of Honor while fighting in the Korean War.

June 5, 1955, Dean Martin sang Kentucky Babe on the Colgate Comedy Hour.

June 5, 1960, Rudell Stitch, a professional boxer from Louisville, died trying to save his friend’s life in the Ohio River.  He died the day before he was to sign for a rematch with Luis Manuel Rodriguez.  The fight would have taken place on July 24, 1960.

June 5, 1966, Air Force A1C Jerry D. Olds from Elizabethtown in Hardin County died in the Vietnam War.

June 5, 1967, Army PFC James W. Ramage from Burna in Livingston County died in the Vietnam War.

June 5, 1968, Army SP4 Dennis O. Akers from Louisville, Army SGT Larry D. Maggard from Isom in Letcher County, and Marine Corps LCPL Michael W. Simon from Owensboro died in the Vietnam War.

June 5, 1969, Marine Corps PFC Hank Sally from Covington died in the Vietnam War.

On June 5, 1980, Troublesome Creek Times newspaper began.  The colorful weekly paper, published in Hindman, serves Knott County and beyond.  By 1990, the Times’s aggressive and investigative reporting had won 220 state and national press awards for excellence.  In addition, the National Newspaper Foundation named it a national blue-ribbon newspaper.  Noted for its sense of humor, the Times publishes an annual April Fool news edition on its front page.

June 5, 1982, watch Stanton native Woodford Cefis Stephens win the 109^th Belmont Stakes, his 1^st of five Belmont’s in a row.

June 5, 1985, Steve Cauthen won the Epsom Derby aboard Slip Anchor and became the only American jockey to win both the English Derby and Kentucky Derby.  Cauthen rode Affirmed in the 1978 Run for Roses.  An American jockey had not won the race since 1920.

On June 5, 1991, a train derailed just north of Cave City, causing the evacuation of 300 people because two carloads of chemicals spilled and the possible leak of 34,000 gallons of propane.

On June 5, 1991, the 11^th launch of Space Shuttle Columbia occurred.  They dedicated this journey solely to biology, including the 1^st spaceflight with three women crew members.

June 5, 1993, Colonial Affair won the Belmont Stakes in 2:29.97 over 12 others.  Sea Hero, the Derby winner, finished 7^th and Prairie Bayou, the Preakness winner, finished last.  The Virginia bred paid $29.80 to win.  Keeneland graduates finished 2^nd and 3^rd.

June 5, 1999, Lemon Drop Kid, a Keeneland graduate, won the 99^th Belmont Stakes in 2:27.88 to win $600,000.  The longshot paid $61.50, and ended Charismatic’s bid for the Triple Crown.

June 5, 2000, a man shot and killed a Kentucky prosecutor at his home in Cumberland County.  The murder took place hours before the man was to appear before the prosecutor for child molestation charges.  Prosecuting Attorney Fred Capps killed his assailant in his home before he died of his injuries while protecting his family.

On June 5, 2004, Birdstone denied Smarty Jones the Triple Crown, making it a 26-year drought.  Marylou Whitney owned and bred the colt in Kentucky.  Over half the field were Keeneland graduates.

June 5, 2007, Army PFC Timothy R. Vimoto, 19, of Fort Campbell, died in Afghanistan, fighting in Operation Enduring Freedom.

On June 5, 2009, Louisville native Dan Uggla reached 100 career home runs in his 502^nd game, faster than any other second baseman in MLB history.

June 5, 2010, watch the 142^nd Belmont Stakes.  Keeneland graduates finished 1^st and 2^nd.

On June 5, 2013, the Guardian published the 1^st revelations of Edward Snowden documents concerning the National Security Agency (NSA) and the data collection of ordinary U.S. citizens.  Supposedly, Verizon helped the government collect emails and telephone metadata.  It was later revealed to be an even broader government collection of data.

June 5, 2015, a Louisville businessman described by federal prosecutors as a “serial fraudster” received a 12-year sentence for a massive scheme that a federal judge described as “truly staggering” and “eye-popping.”  Anthony Huff got his start in 1996 when he illegally provided cars to Cardinal basketball player Samaki Walker.

On June 5, 2018, the U.S. Senate confirmed Harlan County native Robert E. Wier as a Federal District Judge for Eastern Kentucky.  Wier joined four other Eastern District judges.  Kentucky has two federal judicial districts: the Western District of Kentucky, headquartered in Louisville, and the Eastern District of Kentucky, headquartered in Lexington.

On June 5, 2019, UK announced that for the 1^st time in 15 years, the school would charge all students the same price.  Previously it cost Juniors and Seniors more than 1st or 2nd-year students.  The total price for in-state students was $12,360 for two semesters.  Out-of-state students paid $30,680.

June 5, 2021, Godolphin’s Essential Quality beat seven others to win the GI $1,500,000 Belmont Stakes, 153^rd edition.  On May 17, NYRA banned Bob Baffert from racing in New York.  The ban had not been lifted by June 5, so Medina Spirit or Concert Tour did not run.  June 2^nd Churchill confirmed the split sample and banned him from their tracks for two years and disqualified Medina Spirit.