Senator Huey Long was shot in the Louisiana state capitol
building. He died about 30 hours later. Called a demagogue
by critics, the populist leader was a larger-than-life figure
who boasted that he bought legislators “like sacks of
potatoes, shuffled them like a deck of cards.”
He gave himself the nickname “Kingfish,” saying “I’m a
small fish here in Washington. But I’m the Kingfish to the
folks down in Louisiana.”
On September 7, 1813, according to the most cited—and
Congressionally approved—account, the United States
got its nickname, Uncle Sam. The name is linked to Samuel
Wilson, a meat packer from Troy, New York, who supplied
barrels of beef to the United States Army during the War of
1812. Wilson (1766-1854) stamped the barrels with “U.S.”
for United States. But because Wilson was known locally
as "Uncle Sam," soldiers began referring to the grub as
“Uncle Sam’s.”
The local newspaper, the Troy Post, picked up on the story
and Uncle Sam eventually gained widespread acceptance
as the nickname for—and personification of—the U.S.
federal government.
Scholars have uncovered a handful of earlier references linking
the U.S. to the nickname Uncle Sam, but the Troy Post origin
story has stuck as the official one.
TIM MAGUIRE
Known as Buddy Holly, born to a musical family in Lubbock, Texas
was a singer, songwriter and musician who was a central and
pioneering figure of mid-1950s rock and roll.
The spelling change from Holley to Holly came about because of
an error in a contract he was asked to sign, listing him as Buddy
Holly, according to the website for "The Buddy Holly Story."
As the fourth and youngest child in his family, Holly was nicknamed "Buddy" by his mother, who felt that his given name was too big
for her young boy, according to Biography.com.
Buddy Holly and the Crickets (from left to right), Joe B.
Mauldin, Buddy Holly and Jerry Allison.
On September 6, 1901, President William McKinley was shaking
hands at the Pan-American Exhibition in Buffalo, New York,
when a 28-year-old anarchist named Leon Czolgosz approached
him and fired two shots into his chest. The president rose slightly
on his toes before collapsing forward, saying “be careful how you
tell my wife.”
The president died on September 14 after his wound became
infected. Caught in the act, Czolgosz was tried, convicted, and
executed by the State of New York seven weeks later on
October 29, 1901.
President McKinley greeting well-wishers at a reception in
the Temple of Music minutes before he was shot.
Leon F. Czolgosz (May 5, 1873 – October 29, 1901)
Site of McKinley murder marked by "x" in lower right.
