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TODAY IN KENTUCKY HISTORY

June 29, 1852, Henry Clay died of tuberculosis in Washington, D.C., at 75, while serving as a U.S. Senator.  Befitting Clay’s status as one of the most respected and influential political figures of his time, they placed his body in the Capitol Rotunda, making him the 1st person in American history to lie in state.  Impressive ceremonies took place in D.C., New York, and other cities, and on July 10, Clay’s body traveled back to his Ashland Estate for the last time.  Upon arriving home, Clay’s body remained overnight while Lucretia kept watch.  The following day, the funeral procession left Ashland after a memorial service on the front lawn.  Black draped the storefronts on Main Street along the way, and all businesses in Lexington closed.  The traffic stood still, and a calm silence appeared as the procession passed through town and into the Lexington Cemetery.  Locals erected the massive monument in 1857.

By Calstanhope

June 29, 1910, Lieutenant Conrad Frank, Ashland Police Department, died from a gunshot while he and other officers raided an establishment selling illegal liquor at 15th Street and Front Street.

On June 29, 1935, Lexington started negotiations to buy a hanger between $2,000 and $14,000 for the airport on Newton Pike.  The privately-owned hanger came from an airfield outside Cincinnati.  Meanwhile, UK bought a large tobacco warehouse boarding campus at the same time they announced a record enrollment for summer school with 1,716 for the 5-week 1st term.

Localtonians wish a Happy Birthday to Louisville native Keno Don Hugo Rosa, simply known as Don Rosa, born in 1951.

June 29, 1958, Deputy Sheriff Millard Brock, Leslie County Sheriff’s Office, died from a gunshot as he and another deputy conducted a traffic stop at Jack’s Creek, near the Leslie-Clay County line.

June 29, 1959, Constable Henry Clay Jones, Jr., Bell County Constable’s Office, died from a gunshot in Middlesboro by a hotel owner who was upset about an ongoing investigation.

Localtonians wish a Happy Birthday to Owensboro native Jeff Jones, born in 1960.

June 29, 1969, Army WO1 Harrell S. Mefford from Irvine in Estill County died in the Vietnam War.

On June 30, 1972, after much controversy around “age,” Coach A. Rupp resigned from the University of Kentucky (UK).  In March, the Athletic Association Board and President Otis Singletary stood together and assured everyone that Coach A. Rupp would follow the school’s established retirement policy and retire as mandated.

June 29, 1975, Jessamine County Architect Sarah Tate discussed her plans to build a home with a solar heating system.  She had issues to resolve, like installing a blower to move the heat and what to do on rainy days.  Sarah also acknowledged the installation price tag, but she hoped to save money in the long run.

June 29, 1978, the Rolling Stones played Rupp Arena, the 1st Rupp concert with no reserved seating. Tickets cost $8, $9, and $10.  On the day of the show, ticket scalpers, who had expected a windfall of fans, found out tickets were going for $3, $1, and even for free.  The Stones arrived at Rupp at 8:20 p.m., went onstage at 10:10, jumped into their limousines at 11:45, and headed for the airport.  There was no encore.

June 29, 1983, jockey Angel Cordero Jr. won his 5,000th career race, aboard Another Rodger, in Belmont’s 9th; the 4th rider in history, behind John Longden, Bill Shoemaker, and Laffit Pincay Jr., to hit the mark.

June 29, 1983, President R. Regan visited Louisville to speak to the National Leadership Conference of the Vocational Industrial Clubs of America.

June 29, 1987, Donald James, a 55-year-old executive at Brown-Foreman, received 20 years in prison for killing a man while driving drunk.  Two friends asked if he would like a ride home; he declined both times.  A Jefferson County courtroom handed down its stiffest penalty for an alcohol-related traffic fatality.

June 29, 2000, Louisville Slugger Field unveiled a statue of Pee Wee Reese.  The bronze statue depicts the throw to 1st base that clinched victory for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1955 World Championship game.

June 29, 2007, Governor E. Fletcher personally selected road projects to reward political allies according to the #2 official in the Kentucky Department of Highways.  When #2 made the statement, he was negotiating a plea deal of a felony perjury charge.

June 29, 2008, Kenny Perry won his 2nd Buick Open in Grand Blanc, Michigan, by one stroke over Woody Austin and Bubba Watson to earn $900,000 and become the oldest winner at 47.  He began the final round tied for 5th place, three shots back.  Kenny won for the 1st time in 2001 and earned $558,000.

June 29, 2009, Bernie Madoff received 150 years for America’s largest Ponzi scheme.

June 29, 2012, Kentucky baked at 105 degrees, two degrees higher than the day before when Louisville set a record for the hottest day in June.

June 29, 2018, Governor M. Bevin’s effort to reshape Kentucky’s Medicaid program came to an end when a federal judge blocked his plan to require some people to meet strict new requirements, including working, volunteering, or paying to get health coverage.

June 29, 2019, a record number of faith groups joined Lexington’s Pride Festival.  The gathering had about 200 vendors, and a record 20 of them were with religious groups.

June 29, 2021, more than 40 million Americans sat in the crosshairs of a triple-digit heat wave, as some locations soared over 120 degrees as records fell across the West.  Seven states declared heat warnings for human health.

June 29, 2022, Lexington Ok’d a new professional soccer franchise and a stadium off Newton Pike.  The club broke ground on a different site the following year off the I-75 Athens-Boonesboro exit.  Meanwhile, Parkette Drive Inn, Lexington’s oldest and most nostalgic restaurant, closed.

June 29, 2023, President J. Biden Sat down for a rare interview, this time with MSNBC.  In 100 years, only Nixon and Reagan held fewer news conferences.  On his 2023 Ireland trip, President Biden abandoned the decades-old tradition of holding a news conference while abroad.  In April, Columbia’s President met with Mr. Biden, but the two did not hold a news conference together, another practice of his predecessors that Mr. Biden has frequently skipped. After the meeting, Mr. Petro took questions from reporters — alone — at microphones in front of the West Wing.