Tulsa World: Way back when: Today in history

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Way back when: Today in history

Fires burn in New York from the crash of American Airlines Flight 587.

By GENE CURTIS
Published: 11/12/2009 2:26 AM
Last Modified: 11/12/2009 4:21 AM

1920

U.S. District Court Judge Kennesaw Mountain Landis became America's first baseball commissioner "to keep baseball on a high standard for the sake of the youngsters." Public confidence in baseball had diminished after the "Black Sox" scandal of 1919 and Judge Landis had been chosen by the 16 major league clubs to help restore confidence in America's pastime.

1924

A stunt pilot fell out of his airplane 1,200 feet above the ground between Sand Springs and Sapulpa as he was preparing to practice stunt walking. Pilot Clyde Horchem, who claimed the record for upside-down flying, was returning from a flying circus at Drumright.

1942

The World War II naval Battle of Guadalcanal that President Franklin Roosevelt later called the "turning point in this war" began. The Allies won a major victory in the battle that shaped both Allied and Japanese actions for the rest of the war.

2001

All 260 people aboard an American Airlines flight en route to the Dominican Republic and five on the ground were killed in the crash of the Airbus A-300 plane minutes after it took off from New York's Kennedy airport. The tail assembly and two engines fell off the plane as it broke apart in the air.

Gene Curtis, 581-8304
gene.curtis@tulsaworld.com, To purchase "Only in Oklahoma," a book of collected columns by Gene Curtis, visit, tulsaworld.com/OnlyinOklahoma By GENE CURTIS

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Seppo, Sydney, Australia (11/12/2009 5:27:47 PM)

I love reading this...what does it take to get the editor to actually make sure it winds up on the online site daily? It often is not here!

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