September 9, 1752

1752 Officially, this day did not exist in Georgia. See Sept. 3 entry for reason.

September 9, 1815

1815 Lawyer and politician Howell Cobb born was born in Jefferson County, Georgia. While a youth, Cobb’s family moved to Athens, where he attended the University of Georgia. Following graduation in 1834, he read law and practiced law in Athens. Cobb also became active in politics and in 1841 was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. There, in part because of his moderate views on states’ rights issues, he rose in influence. In 1849, Cobb was elected Speaker of the U.S. House--the first Georgian to hold that important post. As Speaker, he played an important role in gaining approval of the Compromise of 1850. Because of the controversy generated by that legislation in Georgia, Cobb resigned from Congress and returned to Georgia to defend himself. In 1851, he ran for governor as a Union Democrat and won. After one term, he returned to practice law in Georgia, but in 1855 he was again elected to the U.S. House. The next year he was a prominent supporter of James Buchanan’s presidential race. After Buchanan won, the new president named Cobb as his Secretary of the Treasury. After a failed bid as the Democratic nominee in the 1860 presidential race, Cobb resigned his cabinet post and returned to Georgia, where he became an active secessionist. Cobb served as president of the provisional Confederate Congress, after which he raised a regiment and left for the battle front. In September 1863, Cobb returned to Georgia to serve as commanding general of the Georgia state forces. During Reconstruction, Cobb again became active with the Democratic Party. He died during a visit to New York City in October 1868.

September 9, 1819

1819 Future Confederate general Martin L. Smith was born in Danby, New York. After the war, he settled in Georgia. [See July 29 entry for biographical information on Smith.]

September 9, 1834

1834 Future Confederate general William McRae was born in Wilmington, N.C. After the war, McRae settled in Georgia, where he died in Augusta on Feb. 11, 1882. [See Feb. 11 entry for biographical information on McRae.]

September 9, 1871

1871 Georgia-born Cherokee Indian and Confederate general Stand Watie died in Delaware City, Okla. [See Dec. 12 entry for biographical information on Watie.]

September 9, 1933

1933 WSB radio in Atlanta began broadcasting with its new 50,000-watt transmitter. Will Rogers topped a long list of celebrities on hand to dedicate the occasion. A congratulatory letter from President Franklin Roosevelt was also read. In testing the transmitter, the signal was heard from as far away as New Zealand

September 9, 1941

1941 Soul singer Otis Redding was born in Dawson, Georgia. At an early age, his family moved to Macon, where he soon was influenced by such singers as Little Richard and Sam Cooke. In 1963, he recorded his first release, "These Arms of Mine." Based on its success, Stax Records signed him to a recording contract. Redding went on to record many successful rhythm-and-blues hits, including "I’ve Been Loving You Too Long" and "Try a Little Tenderness." On Dec. 10, 1967, at age 26, Redding died in a tragic plane crash while flying to a concert in Madison, Wisconsin. Three days before his death, he had recorded "(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay." Released a month later, it quickly went to the top of both R&B and Pop charts, eventually selling over 4 million records. For it, Redding was posthumously awarded Grammy Awards in 1968 for best male R&B performance and best R&B song.

September 9, 1942

1942 Georgia Congressman John Linder was born in Deer River, Minnesota. He graduated from the University of Minnesota in 1964, obtaining a D.D.S degree in 1967. In 1969, he moved to the Atlanta area, settling in Tucker, Georgia. Here he practiced dentistry from 1969-1982. A Republican, Linder served in the Georgia House of Representatives from 1974-80, and again from 1982-90. In 1992, he was elected in the 4th district to the U.S. House of Representatives. Following reapportionment, Linder decided not to run in the redrawn 4th district but instead ran in the new 11th district (even though his hometown was outside the district) and won easily over his Democratic challenger.

September 9, 1954

1954 Marvin Griffin beat M.E. Thompson in the race for governor in the Democratic primary. After the U.S. Supreme Court issued its first Brown v. Board of Education decision in May, Griffin had campaigned hard through the summer pledging to keep Georgia’s public schools segregated.

September 9, 1958

1958 Professional golfer Larry Mize was born in Augusta. In 1987, he became the third Georgia-born golfer to win Augusta’s Masters Golf Tournament.

September 9, 1962

1962 Two black churches were burned in the Terrell County community of Sasser, located about 15 miles northwest of Albany. Civil rights leaders called on President Kennedy for help in what they described as "a Nazi-like reign of terror" in southwest Georgia.

September 9, 1986

1986 Ted Turner’s WTBS Superstation presented the classic movie "Yankee Doodle Dandy" in color--the first colorized version of a movie originally made in black and white

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Today in History

1913 Despite intense questioning by detectives, Jim Conley stuck to his story that he wrote the notes found near the body of Mary Phagan, but at the order of Leo … read more