Localtonians wish a Happy Anniversary to Daniel Boone and Rebecca Boone , who wed in 1756. They would settle in Rowan County, NC for a little while.
August 14, 1837, George D. Prentice, editor of the Louisville Journal , and Maj. Thomas P. Moore dueled with pistols at the Harrodsburg Spring. Neither party received injuries.
August 14, 1932, Deputy Constable Oscal Lovitt, McCreary County Constable’s Office , died from a gunshot while arresting a group of men disturbing a church meeting.
August 14, 1936, 5:20 a.m., Rainey Bethea, 22, became the last person publicly executed in the U.S. Bethea confessed to the rape and murder of a 70-year-old Lischia Edwards. The court ordered a public hanging. A mistake during the execution and the media circus contributed to the end of public executions in the U.S. Governor Chandler approved the death. Over 15,000 people attended, and newspapers described vendors selling hot dogs, popcorn, and drinks. “Locals packed every bar down the main street, tipsy merrymakers rollicked all night, and many homes held parties.” Time Magazine, August . Kentucky became the last state to change the law in 1938.
August 14, 1945, checkout a picture of Lexingtonians celebrating “Victory over Japan Day,” or “V-J Day” as it was commonly known .
August 14, 1949, Patrolman John Harold Tennyson, Louisville Police Department , died from a gunshot in a running gun battle with the notorious gangster, Earl David Bircham, when he interrupted a robbery at 9:15 pm.
August 14, 1950, Army PFC Howard R. Ledford from Caldwell County died in the Korean War.
On August 14, 1954, the third polio victim from Woodford County arrived at Lexington’s St. Joseph Hospital. In Louisville, an 18-year-old bride died on her wedding day from the virus.
August 14, 1964, former Kentucky Governor Bert Combs and then-Governor Edward Breathitt dedicated, in grand opening ceremonies, the new lodges at Buckhorn Lake State Park at Gays Creek, in Perry County.
5:20 p.m., August 14, 1974, Benton (Marshall County) native Joe Creason died after playing tennis from a heart attack at the Louisville tennis center. His popular column, “Joe Creason’s Kentucky,” began in 1963 and documented the lives of everyday Kentuckians.
On August 14, 1976, Eastern Kentucky University chose one of its V.P.s. as its 9th President but not without controversy. The Board of Regents, by a vote of 8-2, approved Harrodsburg native Dr. Julius C. Powell, 50, for the position that paid $45,000 annually. Many students felt he was not the best fit for the job out of the 250 applicants. Powell stayed till 1984.
August 14, 1980, Major Horace Hall, Jr., Bell County Sheriff’s Department , died when a car struck his patrol car head-on at a high rate of speed.
On August 14, 1985, three men died, and another was seriously injured when toxic gas filled a small Whitley County coal mine . The Kentucky State Police searched for the driver of a pick-up truck that dropped off the three bodies at the Kentucky Baptist Hospital in Corbin. The miners hit a pocket of carbon dioxide.
August 14, 1990, Boyd County teachers, in a dispute over their pay raises , voted to become the 1st Kentucky teachers since 1976 to go on strike. The teachers wanted a 14% raise, the board gave them 9%.
August 14, 1996, the 11-day Kentucky State Fair opened at 7:00 a.m., the exhibit building opened at 9:00 a.m., and the midway at 11:00 a.m. Adults paid $6.00 and children and senior citizens shelled out $2.00 to enter the festivities.
On August 14, 2001, while Wally’s assets were sold at auction to repay all the people he owed, Lexington announced it had hired its 1st black Police Chief. WGW would pass 46 weeks later. In 2007, Chief Beatty retired to work for UK Public Safety.
August 14, 2004, Kitten’s Joy stepped up to the Grade I level in the Secretariat Stakes at Arlington Park. The 4-5 favorite won by over three lengths. His 1:59.65 time for the 1 1⁄4-mile race was 2⁄5 of a second faster than older horses that ran in the Arlington Million earlier that day.
August 14, 2005, after 38 years of occupation, Israel began its withdrawal from the Gaza Strip by sealing the area and delivering final eviction notices to thousands of Jewish settlers.
August 14, 2008, Lexington native Tyson Gay ran the 1st heat of the 100 meters in the Beijing Olympics and claimed his hamstring was 100%. He coasted to victory.
August 14, 2010, a nose decided Ellis Park’s GIII $100,000 Gardenia Stakes for fillies and mares three-year-olds and upward. A Kentucky bred and Keeneland graduate won.
August 14, 2014, Knob Creek native Anthony Young, a self-described hillbilly oilman , received 33 months in prison for defrauding investors. In one 12-month period, Young’s company took in $7.4 million from investors, and he spent $3.9 million on boats, cars, casino gambling, and $75,000 a month on a Lear jet.
On August 14, 2015, locals marked the 70th anniversary of WWII’s end. The Lexington Cemetery, Mills Springs National Cemetery in Pulaski County, Bellevue Cemetery in Danville, and Camp Nelson National Cemetery all held observances.
August 14, 2016, a Keeneland graduate superfecta won the GII $200,000 Saratoga Special for two-year-olds.
On August 14, 2019, Kentucky public schools started a new school year with a new law . Kentucky legislators wanted In God, We Trust prominently displayed in each school. A minister representing Hodgenville created the bill. Fayette County schools detested the law and therefore exhibited an enlarged copy of a $1 bill to comply. The representatives envisioned children from each school getting creative to display the national motto.
On August 14, 2020, the governor signed an executive order to let Kentuckians vote through the mail . His daily briefing then focused on the number of kids infected, 77 under 18 for this day, which he called a “pretty significant” stat. To date, Kentucky reported one death under 29 years old, whose underlying health conditions were unavailable. Meanwhile, Washington debated herd immunity either by vaccine or natural infection. Dr. Fauci warned natural infections could result in a deadlier public health crisis.
August 14, 2022, Governor A. Beshear continued to alarm his constituents over coronavirus as more U.S. lawmakers traveled to Taiwan to inflame tensions and encourage war with China . The state reported 80 counties at high virus levels , prompting a request to wear masks indoors and out for those county residents.
On August 14, 2023, a few locals joined the Rail Explorers in Versailles and pedaled a railbike through horse farms, limestone hills, and Kentucky River views. The 10-mile round trip is on the Louisville Southern Railroad rail, which dates back to the 1880s. All cars have electric mode for those who need a break.