February 8, 1943

Americans secure Guadalcanal

1924

First execution by lethal injection

February 9, 1950

McCarthy says communists are in

State Department

1964

America meets the Beatles on

the Ed Sullivan Show

February 10, 1971

Journalist killed in helicopter crash

1763

The French and Indian War ends

February 11, 1990

Underdog Buster Douglas knocks out

Mike Tyson

2008

Tolkien heirs file Lord of the Rings lawsuit

February 12, 1809

Abraham Lincoln is born

1983

Release of US POWs begins

February 13, 1861

First Medal of Honor action

1998

Downhill skier Hermann Maier crashes

in Olympics

February 14, 1929

The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre

Penicillin discovered

1779

Captain Cook killed in Hawaii

February 15, 1998

Dale Earnhardt wins first Daytona 500

1966

DeGaulle offers to help end Vietnam War

Satchel Paige nominated to Baseball Hall of Fame

February 9, 1971

On this day in 1971, pitcher Leroy “Satchel” Paige becomes the first Negro League veteran to be nominated for the Baseball Hall of Fame. In August of that year, Paige, a pitching legend known for his fastball, showmanship, and the longevity of his playing career, which spanned five decades, was inducted. Joe DiMaggio once called Paige “the best and fastest pitcher I’ve ever faced.”

Paige was born in Mobile, Alabama and earned his nickname, Satchel, as a boy when he earned money carrying passengers’ bags at train stations.

He pitched an estimated 2500 games, had 300 shut-outs, and 55 no-hitters. In one month in 1935, he reportedly pitched 29 consecutive games.

Many unclear on exact origins of St. Valentine’s Day

February 14, 278

According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, the true identity and exact origins of St. Valentine are unclear. In early martyrologies under the date February 14, there are three St. Valentine’s listed, all martyrs. Legends vary on how the martyr’s name became connected with romance. The date of his death may have become mingled with the Feast of Lupercalia, a pagan festival of love. On these occasions, the names of young women were placed in a box, from which they were drawn by the men as chance directed. In 495 AD, Pope Gelasius decided to put an end to the Feast and declared that February 14 be celebrated as St. Valentine’s Day.

Gradually, February 14 became a date for exchanging love messages, poems and simple gifts such as flowers.

Clinton County News Headlines:

Thursday, February 9, 1950 – Volume 1, #15

To erect feed mill in North Albany

Alvin L. Cook and Willard Conner have purchased land from W. H. Vitatoe on Hwy. 35 in North Albany and plan to start immediately erecting a building to house a new feed mill, mixer, etc. They plan to handle Master Mix concentrates, and will do custom work for the farmers, and will probably have a feed of their own on the market.

Tournament to be held March 1, 2, 3, 4

The twentieth district basketball tournament will be held in Tompkinsville, Ky. Albany will play Tompkinsville in the first game.

Dates for the tournament have been set for March 1, 2, 3, and 4.

Tuesday night the Bulldogs lost to Tompkinsville 64-43. Sloan scored 13 points, Dixon 12, Bill DeForest 12, Bob DeForest 4, and Lawless 2.

The second team also lost to the Monroe County boys, 41-28. Willard Smith and York scored 8 each, Ned Smith 7, Groce 2, Cummings 2, and Guthrie 1.

Kentucky Facts and Trivia:

The old official state tree was the Kentucky coffee tree (Gymnocladus dioicus.)

The tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera) is the current official state tree.

The change was made in 1976.

The tulip tree can grow up to 165 feet tall and live for over 200 years. It blossoms in late spring with yellow-green flowers that resemble tulips. The tulip tree is also the state tree of Indiana and Tennessee.

Kasparov loses chess game to computer

February 10, 1996

On this day in 1996, after three hours, world chess champion Gary Kasparov loses the first game of a six-game match against Deep Blue, an IBM computer capable of evaluating 200 million moves per second. Man was ultimately victorious over machine, however, as Kasparov bested Deep Blue in the match with three wins and two ties and took home the $400,000 prize. An estimated six million people worldwide followed the action on the Internet.