TODAY IN KENTUCKY HISTORY

June 29, 2022June 29, 2022

Kentucky Trivia ● Kentucky Tweets

June 29, 1852, Henry Clay died of tuberculosis in Washington, D.C. at 75, while serving as a U.S. Senator representing Kentucky. 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 first person in American history to lie in state. Impressive ceremonies took place in D.C., New York, and other cities as Clay’s body traveled for the last time back to his Ashland Estate in Lexington. Upon arriving home, Clay’s body remained overnight while Lucretia kept watch. The next morning, after a memorial service on the front lawn, the funeral procession left Ashland. 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. Clay’s final resting place was in the Lexington Cemetery.

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 15^th Street and Front Street.

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, 1968, jockey Eddie Delahoussaye won his 1^st race, at Evangeline Downs, aboard Brown Shill.

June 29, 1968, Gamely, Princessnesian, and Desert Law all owned by William Haggin Perry and trained by Jim Maloney finished 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd, in the Vanity Handicap at Hollywood Park. The richest race ever run at Hollywood Park exclusively for fillies and mares, grossed $79,650, with the Perry powerhouse collecting $72,150 for the one-two-three finish.

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

June 29, 1971, Army CPL Harry T. Walton, Jr. from Lexington died in the Vietnam War.

June 29, 1971, state test score for students in Bell County were thrown out after to many irregularities were found after a state investigation. It was the first time an entire county has been sanctioned over test scores. State officials stopped short of calling it cheating.

June 29, 1978, the Rolling Stones played Rupp Arena. It was the first Rupp concert with no reserved seating, and ticket prices were $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 and jumped into their limousines at 11:45, headed for the airport. There was no encore.

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

June 29, 1983, President Ronald 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. It was the stiffest penalty handed down by a Jefferson County courtroom for an alcohol-related traffic fatality.

June 29, 1991, Mammoth Cave started a two-day celebration in honor of their 50^th anniversary as a National Park.

Kentucky Trivia: Enslaved people completed most of the early mapping in Mammoth Cave, including freed slave Stephen Bishop. He and several other family members rest near the cave entrance in the Old Guide’s Cemetery. The onsite cemetery holds not only their remains but also those of several Tuberculosis (TB) patients that passed there. For a short time, in the early 19^th century, TB patients lived in the caves hoping that the environment would help heal their lungs.

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

June 29, 2007, Governor 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, 2009, Bernie Madoff received 150 years for America’s largest Ponzi scheme.

June 29, 2012, the temperature peaked 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 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 Pride Festival. This year’s festival had about 200 vendors, and a record 20 of them were with religious groups.

On June 29, 2020, Governor A. Beshear announced 117 new cases and two deaths. One individual was 67, and the other was 83. One of the positive cases came from Robertson County, which meant that all 120 counties experienced coronavirus.

June 29, 2021, more than 40 million Americans sat in the crosshairs of triple-digit heat, with some spots soaring over 120 degrees as records fell across the West. The heat in many areas was dangerous, prompting excessive-heat warnings in seven states where temperatures were hazardous to human health.