TODAY IN KENTUCKY HISTORY

Kentucky Trivia ● Kentucky Tweets

On July 14, 1776, Shawnees captured Jemima Boone along with Fanny and Betsy Callaway; Boone’s party rescued the girls two days later.

Localtonians wish a Happy Birthday to Breckinridge County native Philip Leget Edwards, born in 1812.  Mr. Edwards became Oregon’s 1st teacher.  Next, he helped establish the Methodist Mission.  He was also involved with the Willamette Cattle Company before returning to Missouri to fight against the Mormons.

July 14, 1885, Falmouth native Samuel Thomas Hauser became the 7th governor of Montana Territory.

Localtonians wish a Happy Birthday to Corydon native Albert Benjamin “Happy” Chandler Sr., born in 1898.

Kentucky Trivia:  At Transylvania, Chandler’s jovial and pleasant outlook earned the nickname “Happy.”  Chandler received his undergraduate degree at Transylvania, while a member of Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity, captain of the football and basketball teams, and quarterback of the football team.

July 14, 1901, Deputy Sheriff Joseph Manning, Bell County Sheriff’s Department, died as he and a Middlesboro police officer attempted to arrest a man for firing a gun into the air.  The suspect was known to taunt officers by firing into the air and fleeing town, outside of their jurisdiction.

Localtonians wish a Happy Birthday to Thomas Dionysius Clark, born in 1903, in Louisville, Mississippi.

July 14, 1911, Justice of the Peace Andrew Jackson Beatty and Constable William F. Heath, Pulaski County Constable’s Office died from gunshots while waiting to serve warrants for liquor violations on two suspects at the county courthouse.

Localtonians wish a Happy Birthday to Harlan native Wallace Clayton “Wah Wah” Jones, born in 1926.  Wah Wah helped Kentucky win their 1st two basketball national titles and is considered one of the school’s greatest all-around athletes.

Localtonians wish a Happy Birthday to West Irvine native Harry Dean Stanton, born in 1926.  Billed as Dean Stanton throughout the 1950s and 60s, the narrow-faced, weather-beaten actor with the hangdog expression was one of the busiest actors of his generation.

On July 14, 1937, Senator Barkley won the majority leadership by a single vote.  Many senators—including his supporters—interpreted his election as a victory for the president rather than for Barkley.  His colleagues assumed he spoke primarily for the White House to the Senate.  His job was to speak for the Senate to the White House.  He would become V.P. in 12 years under Truman.

July 14, 1950, Army SGT Elmer Hodge, from Edmonson County and Army CPL Chester Miller from Perry County, died in the Korean War.

July 14, 1951, in his last race, Calumet Farm’s six-year-old Citation won the Hollywood Gold Cup by four lengths and became racing’s first millionaire horse.

July 14, 1968, Marine Corps PFC David T. Durham from Corbin died in the Vietnam War.

July 14, 1969, Army SP4 Edward Kingrey from Glasgow in Barren County and Army PFC James H. Smith from Leitchfield in Grayson County, died in the Vietnam War.

July 1970, Army SSG Gary L. Schneider from Newport in Campbell County died in the Vietnam War.

July 14, 1973, environmental groups bitterly attacked the Army Corps of Engineers’ latest plan to dam the Red River.  They vowed to stop it.

Localtonians wish a Happy Birthday to Owensboro native and motorcycle racer, Thomas Hayden, born in 1978.

July 14, 1979, the Kentucky Bourbons swept a doubleheader from the Philadelphia Athletics winning 8-4 and 3-1; afterwards many were asking if they would ever lose again.

July 14, 1981, Governor J.Y. Brown’s goal to rid Coach Fran Curci of Kentucky Football publicly ended when Coach George Allen released a statement “withdrawing his name from consideration.”  Governor Brown, “I guess we can look forward to another 30 years of losing.”  It ended one of the most bizarre chapters in Kentucky Football.

July 14, 1992, with new laws taking affect, Kentuckians had be older to buy cigarettes, parents were fined for truant children, and pilots could be charged with drunk flying.

July 14, 2000, police arrested Shane Ragland in Frankfort and charged him with the murder of Trent DiGiuro.

Effective July 14, 2000, Bardstown’s Kentucky Bourbon Festival became the official state bourbon festival.

July 14, 2008, Kentucky Space’s Balloon-1, a high-altitude balloon payload, launched from Bowling Green and ascended to the edge of space, 91,277ft.  One of several chase teams recovered the payload undamaged from a farm near Scottsville.  This team included; Tyler Doering, Dan Erb, Sam Hishmeh, and Jason Bratcher.

July 14, 2011, Army Sgt. Jeremy R. Summers, 27, of Mount Olivet died in Afghanistan fighting in Operation Enduring Freedom.

July 14, 2017, federal officials sentenced Kentucky attorney Eric Conn in absentia to 12 years in prison.  He escaped while awaiting sentencing for swindling Social Security.  The flamboyant attorney cut off his electronic monitor and remained at large for months until they captured him in a Honduras Pizza Hut.

On July 14, 2019, Kurt Busch beat his brother fishtailing in the final laps and won the Quaker State 400 at the Kentucky Speedway.

On July 14, 2020, from the Capitol Rotunda, Governor A. Beshear announced 547 new positive coronavirus cases, much higher than previous days.  This boosted total positives over 20,000.  He also told of six new deaths from 44-89 years old.  Meanwhile, one of the Louisville police officers fired over Breonna Taylor’s death came from the Lexington force.  The police officer’s Lexington supervisor recommended against his reemployment.

On July 14, 2021, Netflix’s new documentary show, Heist, debuted.  The series investigated some of Modern America’s biggest theft jobs, including episodes 5 & 6, which spotlighted the heist of Pappy Van Winkle and Wild Turkey.