Kentucky Trivia ● Kentucky Tweets

June 20, 1778, Daniel Boone arrived back at Fort Boonesborough after being held captive for approximately five months by the Shawnee.  He made the brave escape from his capture when he became aware of their plan to attack Fort Boonesborough, and his arrival was critical in preparing for the violence.  Boone had abandoned his horse after a few miles and made the rest of the way on foot.  He covered over 160 miles in four days, eating only one meal and a bit of jerked venison en-route.  For ten days, the fort was a beehive of activity.  The main gates and stockades were strengthened, and post between the outer cabins ware completed or repaired.  No attack came, but it did lead directly to the Great Siege of Fort Boonesborough in September.
A History of the Daniel Boone National Forest, 1770-1970 by Robert F. Collins; pg: 101

June 20, 1854, locals changed the name of the county seat of Perry County from Perry Court House to Hazard.  Both the town and the county are named for Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry, the hero of the Battle of Lake Erie in the War of 1812.

June 20, 1892, the Delmar Park Jockey Club race track in St. Louis, Missouri, became the first to conduct a meeting under electric lights.

June 20, 1914, Luke McLuke beat two others to win the 46^th Belmont Stakes, going 1 3/8 miles in 2:20 and earned $3,025 and a $250 plate.  Jockey Merritt Buxton carried 126 lbs. to win his only Triple Crown race.  James R. Keene bred the colt at Castleton Stud.

Localtonians wish a Happy Birthday to Lawrenceburg native Anna Mac Clarke, born in 1919.

June 20, 1930, the U.S. House appropriated $5,325,000 for a “Drug Farm” in Fayette County.  The lawmakers designated 5,000,000 for land and the remainder for preliminary work.  They snuck in $25,000 for Mammoth Cave.  The senate voted next.

June 20, 1946, five women and 13 men graduated from the College of the Bible in Lexington.  The women received Masters-of-Religious Education degrees.  The men received Bachelor-of-Divinity degrees.

January 20, 1950, Audubon Country Club, Owl Creek Country Club, Pastime Boat Club, Big Spring Golf Club, and other private Louisville clubs removed their slot machines overnight, at least temporarily, due to a feud between the Sherriff and County Judge.  Many establishments ignored the spat and continued to gamble without fearing repercussions.

June 20, 1966, Army SSG Bobby Senters from Ashland died in the Vietnam War.

On June 20, 1967, the government arrested Kentuckian Muhammad Ali in Houston for refusing induction in the U.S. armed forces.

June 20, 1970, Army SGT Melvin N. Rutherford from Nicholasville and Army SP4 Billy R. Sargent from Williamsburg in Whitley County, died in the Vietnam War.

June 20, 1975, seventy-seven women arrived at Fort Knox to begin coed training, a first for the U.S. Army base.

June 20, 1980, the Federal Election Commission’s quarterly report stated that 60 Kentuckians had already given the maximum $1,000 donation to their favorite presidential candidate in the 1981 race.

June 20, 1984, Pat Day set a track record when he won seven races on the Churchill Downs card.

June 20, 1991, eight hundred coal companies allegedly tampered with coal dust samples intended to protect miners and received a record $6.5 million in fines.  Kentucky mines earned $1.4 million in penalties, 2^nd, behind WVA.

June 20, 2005, The Kentucky Theatre’s Mighty Wurlitzer Theatre Pipe Organ located in Lexington became the official theatre pipe organ of the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

June 20, 2005, Milk is named and designated the official state drink of Kentucky.

Kentucky Trivia:  Kentucky is one of 20 states with milk as the official beverage even though we are not in the top 25 states in terms of milk production.  Many ask why Bourbon is not the official drink?

June 20, 2010, Governor S. Beshear sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Education.  He sought permission to become the first state to police themselves in regard to education standards.

June 20, 2014 the members announced Larry Seiple, a UK wide receiver and running back, would be inducted into the Kentucky Pro Football Hall of Fame.

June 20, 2020, the 152^nd Belmont Stakes started the 1^st leg of the 2020 Triple Crown Series, due to the coronavirus.  Tiz the Law, backed by Sackatoga Stable and Barclay Tagg, became the 1^st New York-bred to win since Forester in 1882.  The winning connections campaigned the 1^st New York bred Kentucky Derby winner in 2003.

June 20, 2021, spacewalking astronauts equipped the ISS with powerful new solar panels, overcoming suit problems and other obstacles with muscle and persistence.