Smith Leads Jamestown

10 September 1608 

Pocahontas Saves John Smith 

On this date in 1608...

In 1608, explorer, adventurer, writer, and map-maker John Smith assumed the presidency of the Jamestown, Virginia settlement.

Other Years:

• 1794 - America's first non-denominational college was charted as Blount College which later became the University of Tennessee. 
• 1836 - Confederate and later U.S. General Joseph "fighting Joe" Wheeler was born in Augusta, Georgia.
• 1861 - Battle of  Cheat Mountain began near Elkwater in what is now West Virginia.
• 1919 - The sixth strongest hurricane to strike North America made landfall at Key West and killed 772 victims as it raked Florida and later hit the Texas coast.  
• 1935 - "The Kingfish," Huey P. Long died of wounds caused by an assassin.  Long is buried on the Louisiana capitol grounds.
• 1961 - Oklahoma-native Mickey Mantle tied a major league baseball record for home runs when he hit the 400th of his career. 
• 1963 -  Twenty black students entered Alabama public schools.
• 1974 - Arkansas Native, Lou Brock of the St. Louis Cardinals set a new major league baseball record when he stole his 105th base of the season. 
• 1998 - Texan Mac Davis received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Read: Why Know Southern History?

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