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TODAY IN KENTUCKY HISTORY

Kentucky Trivia ● Kentucky Tweets

Localtonians wish a Happy Birthday to Madison County native Willie Kavanaugh Hocker, born in 1862.  Willie taught school and designed the current Arkansas flag.

July 21, 1891, Fayette County’s new jail on East Short Street received their first prisoners.  

July 21, 1897, Hopkins County lynched Ephraim Brinkley, an unknown male, for bad character.

Localtonians wish a Happy Birthday to Frankfort native Susan Clay Sawitzky, born in 1897.  The great-granddaughter of Henry Clay became a poet and historian.

July 21, 1919, Constable William Lear, Madison County Constable’s Office, succumbed to a gunshot wound sustained the previous day while questioning a man who had threatened a boy.

On July 21, 1943, the Narcotic Farm smuggling trial ended in federal court in Lexington when a jury returned guilty verdicts.  A prisoner, his wife, and a guard all got caught introducing contraband into the prison, including money, letters, and marijuana.  The jury acquitted two black inmates in the conspiracy.

July 21, 1944, Marine PVT 1st Class Luther Skaggs, Jr. from Henderson received major wounds when a Japanese grenade exploded near him in Guam.  But instead of calling a corpsman and revealing his outfit’s position, he calmly applied a tourniquet to his shattered leg and, for eight hours, continued to return the enemy’s fire with his rifle and hand grenades.  For this, President Truman awarded Skaggs the Congressional Medal of Honor for being uncomplaining and calm and serving as “a heroic example of courage and fortitude to other wounded men.”

July 21, 1944, Lexington reported their 3rd case of poliomyelitis or infantile paralysis.  Even though the average number of people affected was five a year, the Kiwanis Club canceled their boys’ summer camp for the underprivileged.  The polio vaccine began in 1955.

July 21, 1949, Guard Julius R. Cummins, Kentucky Department of Corrections, died in an automobile accident near Eddyville while returning to the prison facility from the prison farm.

July 21, 1950, Army PFC John R. McCoy from Bell County died in the Korean War.

July 21, 1951, Army PFC William O. Kolb from Jefferson County died in the Korean War.

July 21, 1952, Army CPL Rex Lovely from Magoffin County died in the Korean War.

July 21, 1969, Army PFC Edward S. Hamilton from Ashland died in the Vietnam War.

July 21, 1970, Army W01 Phillip G. Wright from Ashland died in the Vietnam War.

July 21, 1976, Pebworth native Earle Combs died in Richmond and is interred in the Richmond Cemetery.

July 21, 1980, Uncle Sam wanted 19 and 20-year-old men to sign up for the draft, even though the law under which registration resumed night be ruled unconstitutional because it excludes women.  Regardless, few men signed up.

July 21, 1980, Rona Barrett interviewed Governor and Mrs. John Y. Brown, Jr. on the Good Morning America Show.  Rona reminded John they met 12 years earlier and he told her he wanted to be vice president and possibly president.  He did not remember.

Localtonians wish a Happy Birthday to Draffenville native Chrishell Stause, born in 1983 in Marshall County.  She is best known for playing Amanda Dillon on All My Children and later Jordan Ridgeway in Days of Our Lives.

July 21, 1990, after five consecutive defense titles, Darrin “School Boy” Van Horn lost his the IBF Junior Middleweight Championship against Gianfranco Rosi.

July 21, 1991, Place Dancer won the $30,850 Simon Kenton Stakes at Ellis Park for owner A.J. Foyt, Jr. and trainer A.J. (Tony) Foyt III.

Kentucky Trivia:  In 1925 James C. Ellis, a Rockport businessman, purchased Dade Park.  He brought about many changes at the track including adding a tote board wagering system and a terrace grandstand.  The facility was renamed Ellis Park in 1954.  James Ellis died in 1956.

July 21, 1998, as a yearling, Fusaichi Pegasus topped the July Yearling Sale at $4 million and two years later won the Kentucky Derby.

July 21, 2000, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission released filings that showed Shane Ragland’s father sold more than $16 million in stock from his company days before his son was put behind bars with a $1 million bond.

July 21, 2003, John Hoover from Louisville caught a state record Warmouth in a private pond in Jefferson County that weighed 1 lb. and 6.2 ozs.

July 21, 2003, former Ashland Mayor Paul Reeves asked for leniency but instead received a 3.5 year prison term for possessing child pornography.  Before the sentencing he told the court he was a born again Christian and would never do it again.  The judge said he wasn’t convinced.

July 21, 2010, Coach Calipari got cold feet, and within a day after announcing he would host a $1,000 a plate fundraiser at his home for Governor S. Beshear, the coach changed his mind and canceled the event.

July 21, 2018, three guys from Louisville set a world record for “highest pinfall in tenpin bowling in 24 hours (team).”  Stephen Wiseman, Trace Wiseman, Jalin Troutman, and Kyle Reed scored a 39,557.  In 2017, Trace and Steve set the Guinness World Records title for most pins knocked down in 24 hours by a pair, which was the impetus for attempting this record title.

July 21, 2018, Saratoga’s GI $500,000 Diana Stakes for fillies and mares, three-year-olds and upwards is won by a nose.

July 21, 2020, Rep. Huff from Williamsburg faced criticism over a controversial tweet.  She chaired the House Education Committee and was concerned about more mandates coming down and impacting school children.  It showed cult leader Jim Jones on one side and Dr. Anthony Fauci on the other.  “My intent of the tweet was the juxtaposition of the two,” Rep. Huff explained. “Whether you are controlling for good or evil, it can still have outcomes that are evil.  That was the only purpose of the tweet.”