Friday, May 25, 1787: Two hundred and thirty-nine years ago today, “The Constitutional Convention opens in Philadelphus after reaching a quorum of seven states.”

(Source: The American Patriot’s Almanac by William J. Bennett and John T. E. Gribb.)

Tuesday, May 25, 1926: A century ago today, Johnson City Chronicle readers were stunned to read, “The glare of…

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Monday, May 24, 1926: A century ago today, the Johnson City Staff-News reported “The manufacturing section of the Johnson City Shale Brick Corporation which was totally destroyed by fire Saturday night will be rebuilt at once, officials of the corporation announced today.

“Grinding machines, pug mills, cutting machines managed in the conflagration will b…

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Monday, May 23, 1785: “Benjamin Franklin writes in a letter that he has just invented bifocal glasses.”

(Source: The American Patriot’s Almanac by William J. Bennett and John T. E. Gribb.)

Friday, May 23, 1788: “South Carolina becomes the eighth state to ratify the Constitution.”

(Source: The American Patriot’s Almanac by William J. Bennett and John T. E. …

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Wednesday, May 22, 1782: Two hundred and forty-four years ago today, “After the Revolutionary War, some American doubted that the newly freed colonies could govern themselves. In May 1782, George Washington received a letter from one of his officers, Colonel Lewis Nicola, proposing that the general use the army to make himself king of the United States.

…

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Thursday, May 21, 1542: Four hundred and eighty-four years ago today, “Spanish explorer Hernando De Soto dies on the banks of the Mississippi River.”

(Source: The American Patriot’s Almanac by William J. Bennett and John T. E. Gribb.)

Saturday, May 21, 1881: One hundred and forty-five years ago today, the American Red Cross was founded. “Commemorates the …

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Saturday, May 20, 1775: Two hundred and fifty-one years ago today, “North Carolina claimed the signing of a declaration of independence from England by the citizens of Mecklenburg County.”

(Source: Chase’s 2026 Calendar of Events.)

Thursday, May 20, 1926: A century ago today, the Johnson City Chronicle reported news with a dateline from Nashville, and a d…

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Monday, May 19, 1749: Two hundred and seventy-seven years ago today, “King George III grants the Ohio Company a large expanse of land to promote settlement of the Ohio River Valley.”

(Source: The American Patriot’s Almanac by William J. Bennett and John T. E. Gribb.)

Monday, May 19, 1828: One hundred and ninety-eight years ago today, “President John Quinc…

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Tuesday, May 18, 1926: A century ago today, the Johnson City Staff-News reported that “’White Rock Estates,’ a modern real estate development of 1900 acres including Buffalo Mountain, ‘White Roc’ and the valley between the city limits and Buffalo Mountain is announced today by them ‘White Rock Association,’ a group of prominent Johnson Citians and by th…

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Monday, May 17, 1926: A century ago today, the Johnson City Staff-News reported tragic news. Readers learned that “John T. (Doc) Young, sheriff of Yancey county (sic for County), and T. D. Gouge, merchant of Windom, a community near Burnsville, N. C., are dead as the result of a pistol duel, according to information reaching here today. The fatal shooti…

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Thursday, May 16, 1901: One hundred and twenty-five years ago today, The Comet reported several short news items and advertisements for its readers to peruse. Some of each follow: “To get good eating, go to Geo. B. Brown.”

“Miss Wagner, of Mountain City, is the guest of Miss Sallie Fox.”

Mountain City, Tennessee is about 44 miles northeast of Johnson City…

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Wednesday, May 15, 1602: Four hundred and twenty-four years ago today, the “English explorer Bartholomew Gosnold leads the first European exploration of Cape Cod, Massachusetts.”

(Source: The American Patriot’s Almanac by William J. Bennett and John T. E. Gribb.)

Saturday, May 15, 1756: Two hundred and seventy years ago today, “England declares was on Fra…

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Monday, May 14, 1787: Two hundred and thirty-nine years ago today, “Delegates begin gathering in Philadelphia for the Constitutional Convention.”

(Source: The American Patriot’s Almanac by William J. Bennett and John T. E. Gribb.)

Friday, May 14, 1897: One hundred and twenty-nine years ago today, “In Philadelphia, John Philip Sousa’s march ‘The Stars and …

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Sunday, May 13, 1607: Four hundred and nineteen years ago today, “The first permanent English settlement in what is now the United States took place at Jamestown, Virginia (named for England’s King James I), on this date. Captains John Smith and Christopher Newport were among the leaders of the group of royally chartered Virginia Company settlers who ha…

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Friday, May 12, 1780: On this day, two hundred and forty-six years ago, “Patriot General Benjamin Lincoln surrenders Charleston, South Carolina, and more than 5,000 troops to British general Sir Henry Clinton.”

(Source: The American Patriot’s Almanac by William J. Bennett and John T. E. Gribb.)

Sunday, May 12, 1901: One hundred and twenty-five years ago t…

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Saturday, May 11, 1901: One hundred and twenty-five years ago today, The Commercial Appeal reported news with a dateline from Washington, and a date of May 10. Readers learned that “The application of Samuel C. Williams, Tate L. Ernest, J. D. Cox, B. L. Brunn and M. S. Elza to organize the Unaka National Bank of Johnson City, Tenn., with a capital of $5…

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Monday, May 10, 1926: One hundred years ago today, the Johnson City Staff-News informed readers that “Reports from motorists as far as could be collected here, are to the effect that one automobile was seen racing toward the city about dusk, loaded with dogwood blooms.

“It was a large sedan, with the blossoms occupying the interior of the car, and the sp…

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Thursday, May 9, 1901: One hundred and twenty-five years ago today, The Comet informed readers about the upcoming season’s most popular color in a column entitled, “When Summer’s Sun is Shining”. Some of the fashionable tips included were the following: “The coming will undoubtedly be a white summer.”

“…

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Wednesday, May 8, 1901: One hundred and twenty-five years ago today, the Herald and Tribune reported several short news items to readers. The following information had a dateline from Mountain City, and a date of May 1: “Stacy Wallace walked into the store of Graham & Stanberry on Roan Creek Monday and without any warning, struck his cousin, Frank Walla…

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Friday, May 7, 1926: A century ago today, the Johnson City Chronicle reported news with a dateline from Luray, and a date of May 5. Readers learned that “The ‘John Miller Mountain’ is playing an important part as weather prophet in Page County. The ‘John Miller Mountain’ is a spur of the Blue Ridge, dropping down from that range in the Skyland section, …

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Monday, May 6, 1776: Two hundred and fifty years ago today, “Members of the Virginia House of Burgesses met for the last time. Records indicate that twice during the preceding autumn and spring a few members of the House met at the Capitol in Williamsburg under the authority of repeated orders of adjournment. Because a majority of the eligible members d…

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