Kentucky Trivia
“Rats and roaches live by competition under the laws of supply and demand; it is the privilege of human beings to live under the laws of justice and mercy.” Wendell Berry
August 8, 1785, the 3rd Kentucky Convention met at Danville , the 2nd convention occurred in May. The 10th and final convention took place in April 1792.
On August 8, 1801, one of the largest camp meetings in the Great Revival movement occurred at Cane Ridge Meeting House near Paris in Bourbon County.
On August 8, 1822, William Logan died in his home in Shelby County . In 1819, he became our U.S. Senator; in 1820, he resigned to run for governor; and ran 2nd . One of the 1st white children born in Kentucky in Fort Harrod rests in the family plot near Shelbyville.
On August 8, 1887, Mason County native Alexander William Doniphan, an attorney, soldier, and politician, died . He is best known for preventing the summary execution of Joseph Smith in Missouri after the state ran him out. Normal people eventually chased the cult to the middle of nowhere in the Utah Territory. Joseph and his wife later named a son for him.
August 8, 1908, Town Marshal Lafayette C. Copas, Rocky Hill Station Police Department , died from a gunshot by the cousin of a man he had just arrested. They convicted the suspect of manslaughter and received a two-year sentence.
On August 8, 1922, over 300 dogs and other animals, such as birds, insects, reptiles, and small mammals , were displayed at Lexington’s Woodlawn Park. Prizes for 1st , 2nd , and 3rd places came from 20 categories.
August 8, 1925, County Patrolman John F. Allen, Hopkins County Police Department , died in an ambush while arresting three men for being drunk in public.
August 8, 1927, Charles Lindbergh landed the Spirit of St. Louis at Bowman Filed in Louisville during a national goodwill tour, three months after the 1st solo non-stop trans-Atlantic flight. Ten thousand people were there to see the plane land. His flights across the county stimulated interest in flying. A triumphant visit took the Charles, aka “Lone Eagle,” down 4th Street in a ticker-tape parade where 100,000 arrived. Lieutenant Philip R. Love had the honor of piloting the Spirit of St. Louis on one 10-minute flight. The Encyclopedia of Louisville edited by John E. Kleber; pg: 8
August 8, 1936, Policeman Mize Hensley, Jackson Police Department , died when he and the police chief ordered the driver of a truck to stop blowing his horn in the downtown business district. The suspect opened fire, striking Policeman Hensley in the spine and the chief in the hand. The chief returned fire killing the suspect.
August 8, 1943, Calumet Farm held Whirlaway Day under a grove of Locust trees where the colt foaled . Warren Wright’s home-bred retired months earlier and entered stud in 1944. In 1953 he died in France.
August 8, 1948, Lexington patrolmen Gilbert Hay, left, and Jesse Williams Jr. stood with slot machines seized in a raid at 401 East High Street.
August 8, 1950, Marine Corps PFC Chadwick O. Burns from Frankfort and Army PFC Harold E. Oliver from Boyd County , died in the Korean War.
August 8, 1951, Army PFC Jack D. Patton from Laurel County and Army PFC Adam D. Frasure from Pike County , died in the Korean War.
August 8, 1956, Kelsie Travis, Jr. from Paducah caught a 40-pound Longnose Gar in the Ohio River. The Longnose Gar is an Ancient Fish species.
August 8, 1958, Deputy Sheriff Conley Potter, Letcher County Sheriff’s Office , died when he and another deputy transported a man they had just arrested to jail. The man produced a firearm and killed Deputy Potter.
August 8, 1966, Army PFC Andy Johnson, Jr. from McDowell in Floyd County died in the Vietnam War.
August 8, 1967, Army SSG Clarence E. Tackett from Hartley in Pike County died in the Vietnam War.
August 8, 1968, Army SP4 Myron Thompson from Manchester died in the Vietnam War.
August 8, 1970, Citation died at 25 years old . The 8th Triple Crown winner won 16 consecutive stakes races and was the first horse to win $1 million. He rests at Calumet Farm.
August 8, 1972, Sergeant Billy Franklin Wood, Williamstown Police Department , died in an automobile accident during a vehicle pursuit.
8-8-78. At 227 3/4, Muhammad Ali carved this into wood from a wood pile at his Pennsylvania training camp he built and trained in during the 1970s. Ali made the carving training for his September rematch with Leon Spinks. He won the fight to win back the belts.
August 8, 1988, for a day the world focused on tiny Barren County , in the community of Eighty-Eight. More than 4,000 people from around the country made the trek to Eighty-Eight for a celebration of the once-in-a-lifetime occurrence of the numeral 8 dominating the calendar.
Localtonians wish a Happy Birthday to Owensboro native Kody Keplinger , born in 1991.
August 8, 1996, Jack Nicklaus and Muhammad Ali posed for photographers at the 78th PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Nicklaus, a five-time PGA champion and the course designer, missed the cut by a single stroke at age 56.
August 8, 2005, Blackford native Robert Allen Baker Jr. died, a professor of psychology emeritus at UK . The Kentuckian wore many coats: psychologist, skeptic, author, investigator of ghosts, UFO abductions, lake monsters, and other paranormal phenomena.
On August 8, 2011, the U.S. and global stock markets fell over a weakening U.S. economy . Before this event; the U.S. received a credit downgrade from Standard & Poor’s (S&P) for the 1st time in history amid an earlier debt ceiling impasse. Although the donkeys and elephants solved the political gridlock, S&P felt the agreement fell short of what was needed to repair the nation’s finances.
August 8, 2014, the main chandelier in UK’s W.T. Young Library crashed to the floor of the building’s 5th level. No bystanders were in the immediate area, and Kentucky Sports Radio described the sound of the crash as being like “a thunderstorm.”
On August 8, 2015, a Kentucky bred won the GI $1,250,000 Whitney Stakes for three-year-olds and upward at Saratoga. A nose separated the top two finishers in one of 2015’s best races.
On August 8, 2019, V.P. Pence visited Manchester to raise awareness of the opioid crisis and gave Kentucky $10 million to combat it . Some of the money may help, but he didn’t address the root problem, pharmaceutical companies making pills 24/7 and their drug pushers in white coats. Meanwhile, a judge tacked on more prison time for Junior Johnson, Purchase Pro founder, for not following court orders.
On August 8, 2020, Kentucky’s childcare system collapsed during of the coronavirus restrictions . The article claimed Kentucky’s patchwork childcare system had declined for years because of inadequate funding and the restrictions ended many centers throughout the state. Proving once again the lockdowns created many hardships for the working class and poor. Governor A. Beshear, for a 2nd time, mandated face coverings in public spaces.
On August 8, 2021, a report claimed that motorists put the pedal to the metal during the coronavirus lockdowns . The data showed highway deaths in 2020 were the greatest in more than a decade, even though fewer cars drove fewer miles. Meanwhile, Kentuckians had a hard time finding coronavirus tests in the hard-hit areas.
August 8, 2022, John Tilley, former secretary of Kentucky’s Justice and Public Safety Cabinet, posted a $25,000 cash bond after police arrested him in downtown Lexington. Attorney Christopher Spedding stated that Tilley maintained he didn’t commit a crime. During his tenure, Tilley worked to decrease the backlog of untested rape kits. “The survivors of sexual assault should never have to endure the uncertainty of another backlog,” he said in a 2017 press release.
August 8, 2022, President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden arrived in Lexington on Air Force One before departing to Eastern Kentucky on Marine One to visit families affected by recent devastating floods. At least 37 people died during the tragedy, which dropped 8 to 10 1/2 inches of rain in only 48 hours.