Today in History for Dec. 26, 2014

Henry Lee III

Dec. 26, 1799 – Four thousand people attend George Washington's funeral where Henry Lee III declared him as "first in war, first in peace and first in the hearts of his countrymen."

Dec. 26, 1861 – During the Civil War’s “Trent Affair,” Confederate diplomatic envoys James M. Mason and John Slidell were freed by the United States government, thus heading off a possible war between the United States and United Kingdom.

Dec. 26, 1862 – During the Civil War, the Battle of Chickasaw Bayou began in Warren County, Miss.

Dec. 26, 1862 - Union General Rosecrans moved his forces south to meet Confederate troops at Stones River. The actual battle began on December 31.

Dec. 26, 1862 - In Mankato, Minnesota, 38 Dakota Indians were executed for their role in the uprising ended with 500 white settlers and 150 Sioux warriors dead. It was the largest mass execution in American history. U.S. President Lincoln commuted about 260 sentences.

Dec. 26, 1863 – During the Civil War, a skirmish occurred at Sand Mountain, Ala.

Dec. 26, 1900 – A relief crew arrived at the lighthouse on the Flannan Isles of Scotland, UK, only to find the previous crew has disappeared without a trace.


Dec. 26, 1905 - The regular term of Conecuh County Court was scheduled to be held on this day.

Dec. 26, 1919 – Babe Ruth of the Boston Red Sox was sold to the New York Yankees by owner Harry Frazee, allegedly establishing the Curse of the Bambino superstition.

Dec. 26, 1927 - The East-West Shrine football game featured numbers on both the front and back of players’ jerseys.

Dec. 26, 1939 – Alabama native W.C. Handy recorded the classic "St. Louis Blues."

Dec. 26, 1944 - Tennessee Williams' play "The Glass Menagerie" was first performed publicly, at the Civic Theatre in Chicago, Ill.

Dec. 26, 1947 – Baseball Hall of Fame catcher Carlton Fisk was born in Bellows Falls, Vermont. He would go on to play for the Boston Red Sox and the Chicago White Sox.

Dec. 26, 1954 - "The Shadow" aired on radio for the last time.

Dec. 26, 1954 – Major League Baseball shortstop Ozzie Smith was born in Mobile, Ala. He would go on to play for the San Diego Padres and the St. Louis Cardinals.

Dec. 26, 1973 – “The Exorcist,” a horror film starring the actress Linda Blair as a girl possessed by an evil spirit, made its debut in theaters. It will go on to earn a reputation as one of the scariest movies in history. “The Exorcist” was based on William Peter Blatty's 1971 novel of the same name.

Dec. 26, 1980 - The first night of the Bentwaters UFO incident took place. Multiple witnesses at the UK military base reported seeing a luminous triangular shaped craft, pulsating fog and strange entities.

Dec. 26, 1985 – The Evergreen Courant reported that Army Pvt. Alexander Booker of Evergreen had arrived for duty with the 204th Signal Battalion in South Korea.