TODAY IN KENTUCKY HISTORY

March 27, 1751, Christopher Gist left the 1^st written record of his travels through what is now Hazard.  His notes on this date acknowledged the large deposits of coal.

March 27, 1775, possibly the same Native American party who attacked Captain Twitty two days earlier attacked six of Boone’s men who camped near Boonesborough.  Two more settlers died, and three were wounded.  Because of this attack and the severe injuries to Captain Twitty, they constructed a temporary log shelter as a protective defensive position for the rest of the party.  Within a few days, Twitty died, and they buried him along with Sam, his servant, at the site.  The temporary structure became known as “Twitty’s Fort” or “The Little Fort” and continued to exist for many years.

March 27, 1827, Calvin Smith and Robert Brank, both of Tennessee, fought a duel in Simpson County with pistols at ten paces.  On the first fire, Mr. Brank received a bullet through the body and expired on the spot.  The difference arose from a trial in a county courtroom where both men were lawyers.  Famous Kentucky Duels by J. Winston Coleman, Jr.; pg: 140

Localtonians wish a Happy Birthday to Anchorage native Patty Smith Hill, born in 1868.  Patty taught at the Louisville Experimental Kindergarten School and collaborated with her sister Mildred on a song called Good Morning to All.  The song became a greeting students would sin to to teachers.  It is unclear how the tune morphed into Happy Birthday to You.  Still, today, it’s the most recognizable song in English.

On March 27, 1890, a violent storm hit Louisville at 8:30 p.m. and lasted only about five minutes, long enough to sweep over the downtown area.  Ultimately, over 100 individuals died, and thousands were injured.  The storm’s path was so localized that citizens went to bed that night, unaware disaster struck the city.  Telegraphs came from all over the world and offered help.

March 27, 1912, Frankfort native Albert Fall became a U.S. Senator from New Mexico.  The U.S. Army Captain supported a military invasion of Mexico in 1916 to end Pancho Villa’s raids.

March 27, 1948, Kentucky played Louisville in the Old Madison Square Garden and won 91-57 for the quarter-finals of the Olympic Trial Tournament.

March 27, 1951, Army SGT Charles D. Quinn from Greenup County and Army SGT William Stevens from Harlan County, both died in the Korean War.

March 27, 1953, Marine Corps PFC Donald E. Hendricks from Franklin in Simpson County and Marine Corps PFC Theodore R. Irvin from Cawood in Harlan County, both died in the Korean War.

March 27, 1954, Deputy Sheriff Robert Hensley and Sheriff Clarence Taylor from the Owsley County Sheriff’s Office died while investigating a truck stuck in a ditch on the side of a roadway.  One of the three men inside the vehicle opened fire and killed both lawmen.

March 27, 1958, the General Assembly created the State Archives and Records Commission.

March 27, 1969, Army PFC William P. Thompson, Jr. from Shelbyville died in the Vietnam War.

March 27, 1971, a 21-year-old senior from Danville, Betsy Kaye Ellis, captured the crown and title of Miss University of Kentucky.  Memorial Hall hosted the event.  In addition, Ms. Ellis represented UK at the Miss Kentucky Pageant in Louisville.  Meanwhile, C.V. Whitney’s home hosted Lexington’s Sayre High School’s mid-term formal dance.

On Monday night, March 27, 1972, UK’s Athletics Association Board made it clear, in the words of President Otis Singletary, “that the university retirement policy will be followed in the case of Coach Adolph Rupp, so that his retirement will occur on June 30, 1972.”  The night before, Coach Rupp told a banquet that if the university forced him out, he would run for U.S. Congress in the 6^th district.

March 27, 1978, Joe B. Hall led Kentucky over Duke to win their 5^th National Championship in St. Louis’s Checker Dome.  Many have said Jack Given’s 41-point game performance ranked as one of the finest in college basketball; his last game as a Wildcat.  The Cats went 30-2 and won the SEC regular season champions.  The SEC did not hold a conference tournament from 1953 to 1978.

March 27, 1979, John Y. Brown, Jr. interrupted his honeymoon with Phyllis George to announce his candidacy for Kentucky governor.

March 27, 1980, while President Carter asked congress to save Saturday mail, the Kentucky Senate passed legislation to put the question of Sunday openings on local ballots.  Kentucky law stated retail stores couldn’t open on Sundays, with some exceptions.  The controversial bill allowed retail stores to stay open after 1:00 p.m.

March 27, 1991, Louisville police charged Donnie Wahlberg with first-degree arson for a fire at the Seelbach Hotel.  The New Kids on the Block lead singer posted a $5,000 bond after turning himself in.  The 20-year-old then performed at Freedom Hall to a sold-out crowd.

On March 27, 1994, Lawrence Winchester Wetherby, Kentucky’s 48^th governor, passed over.  Lawrence became governor when Governor Clements took the Kentucky U.S. Senate seat.  The Middletown native later won a four-year term making him governor for five years and 16 days.

March 27, 1996, the Dubai World Cup ran its inaugural race.  At the time, the $4 million purse ranked #1.  The six-year-old bay colt, Cigar, traveled 6,000 miles for his 14^th straight victory.  In Cigar’s most competitive race, Jerry Bailey asked Cigar more than ever before.  The win left Cigar two victories short of Citation’s record of 16 consecutive victories.

On March 27, 2009, Kentucky fired Coach Billy Gillispie after a 40-27 record.  Mitch Barnhart claimed the firing was unrelated to on-court performance but a feeling he was “not a good fit” for UK.  Gillispie coached for two years on a “Memorandum of Understanding,” not a contract.  UK offered Gillispie a seven-year contract, but he had never signed it.

Sunday, March 27, 2011, in Coach Cal’s 2^nd year, Kentucky defeated UNC 76-69 to advance to the Final Four.  Kentucky’s last visit came in 1998.  The city of Houston hosted Connecticut, Butler, UK, and VCU.  The Huskies won it all for the 3^rd time.

On March 27, 2013, Ashley Judd declined to run against Mitch after thoughtful consideration. Meanwhile, hemp advocates cheered Frankfort for passing legislation to license hemp farmers.  The Kentucky Industrial Hemp Commission, backed by Mitch and Rand, took the bill to Washington to persuade them to legalize it nationally.

March 27, 2014, Keeneland Race Course confirmed they wanted to host a Breeders Cup weekend.  The track’s president and CEO, Bill Thomason, “We want to make sure if Keeneland’s going to be involved in it, we’re going to do it right.”  The track hosted the World Championships the following year.

On March 27, 2016, pollsters released their Red River Gorge impact study and estimated that 7,500 rock climbers, many international guests, visit the six counties surrounding the Gorge annually and spend $3.6 million.  “If we want to attract more climbers, we need more space to climb,” Professor Maples from EKU.

On March 27, 2018, Chris Mack agreed to terms on a seven-year contract worth about $4 million annually to become the UofL’s head basketball coach.  The Cardinals became the 1^st school to hire away a head coach whose last team was a #1 seed in the NCAA tournament.  Louisville and Chris Mack agreed to part ways on January 26, 2022.

Friday night, March 27, 2020, President D. Trump signed into law the largest transfer of wealth in U.S. history without public debate or discussion.  In 20 days, President Trump signed three Coronavirus Relief Packages (CRPs) for $2,400,000,000,000.  He would sign two more CRPs before he left office, distributing close to $4 trillion in 10 months.

March 27, 2021, vaccinated Kentucky seniors begin to emerge from isolation as stories emerge of family and friends reconnecting.  Brazil accounted for ¼ of the world’s coronavirus deaths, far more than any other nation.  The South American country averaged 2,400 deaths a day at one point.

March 27, 2021, a Kentucky bred won the GI $770,000 Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park.  The winner finished 8^th and the horse who placed, finished 18^th in May.

On March 27, 2022, Thomas Massie won’t “let” them forget.

On March 27, 2023, Thomas Massie retweeted his interview that took place outside the Capitol three years to the day, after he did his job.

Governor A. Beshear’s March 27, 2024 post should get help if the U.S. Department of Education ceases, as announced in 2025.