Way back when: Today in history
By GENE CURTIS on Sep 16, 2013, at 4:21 AM
Local
The convenience store chain was the sole distributor of the 50-cent stickers residents were required to place on bags of extra yard waste.
The plaintiff alleged in a lawsuit that he was made to perform pushups to avoid a ticket or jail.
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1928 – Hurricane kills 4,000 plus
The first recorded hurricane to reach Category
5 status crashed into the east coast of Florida
with wind of more than 90 mph. The death toll
in Florida was estimated several days later at up
to 2,300 as workers disposed of human bodies
in funeral fires in several areas of the Everglades
because there were too many for ground burial.
About 2,000 or more also were killed in other areas. The Okeechobee hurricane is still considered
one of the 10 most intense hurricanes in the U.S.
1940 – ‘Mr. Sam’ elected unanimously
Samuel T. Rayburn, D-Texas, was elected the
speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives by
acclamation, the second man in history to win the
post without a contest. The only previous uncontested winner was William Bankhead of Alabama,
the man he succeeded. Rayburn, known as “Mr.
Sam,” held the job until his death in November
1961 at the age of 79 from cancer. His tenure of
almost 17 years was longer than anyone in history
and he was considered by many historians as the
most effective speaker in history.
1992 – Telephone competition approved
The Federal Communications Commission
voted to open the $90 billion local telephone
exchange market to new communications
companies, which would allow competition for
local phone service. Under the historic order,
local exchange carriers such as the regional Bell
telephone companies were required to offer their
facilities — in some cases even office space — to
new companies. Communication experts said
that in the long run the greater competition at the
local level would bring innovations and improved
technology to the industry. A 1982 federal court
ruling opened long-distance telephone service to
competition.
1988 – Tomb yields rich treasure
A tomb that yielded the richest trove of gold,
silver and other artifacts was discovered in a pyramid near Sipen in Peru. Archeologists were aware of the pyramids but had lacked funds to examine them until artifacts began appearing on the black market and were traced to a band of tomb raiders. Police raided the leader’s home and traced artifacts to the pyramid built by the Moche, a culture comparable to those of ancient Egypt.
Local
The convenience store chain was the sole distributor of the 50-cent stickers residents were required to place on bags of extra yard waste.
The plaintiff alleged in a lawsuit that he was made to perform pushups to avoid a ticket or jail.
CONTACT THE REPORTER
Email
