November 11, 1854

1854 Lawyer and politician William Y. Atkinson was born in Oakland, Ga. Atkinson graduated from the University of Georgia in 1877 after being named champion debater for the Demosthenian Literary Society. After graduation, he began a flourishing law practice in Newnan. In 1879, he was appointed solicitor of the Coweta superior court circuit. In 1886, Atkinson began was elected to the Georgia House of Representatives--and by 1892 he was named Speaker. While serving in the General Assembly, Atkinson was instrumental in creation of the Georgia Normal and Industrial School for Girls (now Georgia College and State University) in Milledgeville.

Atkinson was elected governor in 1894 and reelected in 1896, both hard-fought elections. As governor, he hired Ellen Dortch to serve as assistant state librarian--the first woman with an official position in Georgia state government. He also spoke out against lynching, established a prison commission to curb some of the worse abuses then prevalent in the system, and supported increased funding for education. In 1897 Atkinson vetoed a bill which would have outlawed football in the state of Georgia, passed after the death of University of Georgia football player Richard Von Gammon (see Oct. 30 TDGH entry). After a second term as governor, Atkinson returned to his law practice in Newnan. On a trip to Florida in 1899, he came down with dysentery and died on August 8, 1899. He is buried in the Oak Hill Cemetery in Newnan. The General Assembly named a southwest Georgia county in his honor on August 15, 1917.

November 11, 1864

1864 Sherman’s forces completed the burning of Rome, Ga. Though many homes were spared, mills, warehouses, depots, wagon shops, tanneries, commercial buildings, bridges, and a host of other structures were torched.

November 11, 1889

1889 Gov. John B. Gordon signed legislation limiting the number of hours mill workers could be required to work to 11 hours a day or 66 hours a week.

November 11, 1889

Georgia cities and towns created by acts approved on Nov. 11:

1889 Emerson (Bartow County)

November 11, 1918

1918 Fighting in World War One came to an end with the signing of an armistice between the Allies and Germany. Word reached Georgia that morning and the celebrations began. Gov. Dorsey closed all state offices and declared the day a state holiday. Atlanta mayor Candler gave city employees the afternoon off, while city schools held patriotic ceremonies before releasing students. Many Atlanta-area business closed for the day. All day long, downtown Atlanta was filled with crowds and impromptu parades. Similar celebrations were held throughout the state as Georgians rejoiced at the end of what had been labeled "the war to end all wars."

November 11, 1972

1972 Allman Brothers bass guitarist Berry Oakley was killed in a motorcycle accident in Macon. Ironically, his death occurred just three blocks from where Duane Allman had been killed in motorcycle accident a year earlier.

November 11, 1978

1978 Georgia Tech running back Eddie Lee Ivery rushed for 356 yards to lead the Yellow Jackets to a 42-21 victory over Air Force.

November 11, 1984

1984 Martin Luther King Sr. died in Atlanta at age 84.

November 11, 1988

1988 The Georgia Vietnam Memorial was dedicated in Atlanta, across the street from the state capitol.

November 11, 1996

1996 Atlanta Braves pitcher Greg Maddux’s streak of four consecutive Cy Young awards ended when fellow Braves pitcher John Smoltz won the award for 1996. Smoltz was 24-8 with a 2.94 ERA, winning 14 consecutive decisions from Apr. 9-June 19.

November 11, 1997

1997 Dedication ceremonies were held for a state monument honoring Georgia’s World War I veterans located in front of the Floyd Veterans Memorial Building across street from the state capitol. The memorial’s design, which mirrors that of the World War II memorial, lists the names of the 1,937 Georgians who were killed during the war. The monument will contains a map, showing how the war unfolded, plus quotes of President Woodrow Wilson and General John J. Pershing and poems associated with the war.