Smith Leads Jamestown – Today In Southern History

Sep 10, 2025

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

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.

Today In Southern History