May 10, 1733

1733 In London, Georgia’s Trustees issued a warrant authorizing the Parish Church of Saint Margaret at Westminster to raise funds in support of the new colony of Georgia. Saint Margaret’s was the parish in which James Oglethorpe lived during his stays in London.

May 10, 1738

1738 Georgia’s Trustees formally approved George Whitefield to replace John Wesley as the Anglican minister at Savannah. Eager to begin, Whitefield had sailed for Georgia two months earlier, arriving May 7, 1738 -- three days before his appointment became official.

May 10, 1775

1775 News of the Battle of Lexington reached Savannah, leading not only to patriot celebrations but a raid on the royal powder magazine, where 600 pounds of gun powder were seized to be sent to Boston.

May 10, 1838

1838 From the Cherokee Agency in southern Tennessee, U.S. Army general Winfield Scott issued an order stating that every Cherokee remaining in the Cherokee Nation must begin the emigration west within two weeks.

May 10, 1863

1863 Following his accidental wounding at Chancellorsville by Confederate troops, Thomas Jackson "Stonewall" Jackson died on this day Although not a Georgian, he was the second best-known general in the Confederate Army -- and his death was mourned throughout the South.

May 10, 1864

1864 Planter and politician Thomas Butler King died in Waresboro, Ga. Born Aug. 27, 1800 in Palmer, Mass., King was educated at an academy in Massachusetts, after which he read law and passed the bar in Pennsylvania. In his early 20s, King moved to Glynn County, Ga. to join his brother, who was a sea island planter. There, he married the daughter of a wealthy planter. By mid-1830, King had become very successful himself, owning three plantations and 355 slaves. In 1832, he was elected to the Georgia Senate, and in 1838 to the U.S. House of Representatives, where he would serve five terms (1839-43, 1845-51). In Congress, King was active in reorganizing the U.S. Navy, establishing an Atlantic fleet, and pushing the transition from sail- to steam-powered vessels. After brief involvement in California politics and promoting a Texas-to-California railroad, King returned to Georgia to promote in-state railroads. With the outbreak of the Civil War, Gov. Brown appointed King as a commissioner to promote direct trade between Georgia and European countries. King immediately left for Europe, where he had unofficial meetings in Britain and France. When Confederate representatives took on this responsibility in 1862, King returned to Georgia, where he was active in state and Confederate politics until his death in 1864.

May 10, 1865

1865 Confederate Pres. Jefferson Davis was captured by Union troops at Irwinsville, Ga.

May 10, 1884

1884 The Georgia Marble Company was founded in Tate, Georgia.

May 10, 1913

1913 The Atlanta Constitution reported that ex-policeman Robert House had said he once caught Leo Frank and a young girl in the woods at Druid Hills park engaging in immoral acts. According to House, Frank had pleaded with him not to report the incident.

May 10, 1992

1992 Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter met with Mikhail and Raisa Gorbachev at the Carter Center in Atlanta to discuss Center projects and the formation of a Gorbachev Foundation.

May 10, 1998

1998 Andres Galarraga, Andruw Jones, Javier Lopez, and Ryan Klesko hit home runs to give the Atlanta Braves an 8-5 home win over the San Diego Padres. The home run derby also was the 22nd consecutive game in which the Braves hit at least one home run--which tied the Braves franchise record set in 1953. This brought the Braves within two games of the National League record and three games of the Major League record for most consecutive games in which a home run is hit.

May 10, 2006

2006 Former Georgia State School Superintendent Linda Schrenko pled guilty to defrauding the government and money laundering; she used federal education money to help fund her unsuccessful bid for governor in 2002.

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Today in History

1917 What began as a warm, windy day would end with the most fire destruction to Atlanta since Sherman burned the city in 1864. In a strange set of circumstances, … read more