Thursday, August 4, 1735: Two hundred and ninety-one years ago today, “In an important case for freedom of the press, John Peter Zenger, publisher of the New York Weekly Journal, is acquitted of charges of libel against Gov. William Cosby.”

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

Wednesday, August 4, 1790: Two …

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

Friday, August 3, 1923: One hundred and three years ag…

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Friday, August 2, 1776: Two hundred and fifty years ago today, “Members of the Continental Congress begin signing an engrossed copy of the Declaration of Independence.” More details are provided from Chase’s 2026 Calendar of Events. “Contrary to widespread misconceptions, the 56 signers did not sign as a group and did not do so July 4, 1776. John Hancoc…

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Wednesday, August 1, 1770: Two hundred and fifty-six years ago today, “The soldier, explorer and public servant William Clark was born at Caroline County, Virginia. He served seven years in the United States Army and then gained his lasting fame when Meriweather Lewis asked him to join an expedition…

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Tuesday, July 31, 1792: Two hundred and thirty-four years ago on this date, “The cornerstone of the Philadelphia Mint, the first United States government building, was laid.”

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

Wednesday, July 31, 1901: One hundred and twenty-five years ago today, the Herald and Tribune published several short news items; some of t…

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Tuesday, July 30, 1619: Four hundred and seven years ago today, “The first representative assembly in America convened in Jamestown, Virginia.”

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

Wednesday, July 30, 1755: On this date, two hundred and seventy-one years ago, or on July 31, 1755 (the exact date being uncerta…

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Thursday, July 29, 1926: A century ago today, the Johnson City Chronicle informed readers of important happenings in the lives of local residents; this news was in a column entitled “Personals”. Some of the “Personals” included the following: “Friends of Mrs. John Frank Williams will be glad to know that she is getting along nicely after a tonsil operat…

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Tuesday, July 28, 1914: On this day, one hundred and twelve years ago today, “Archduke Francis Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary and his wife were assassinated at Sarajevo, Bosnia, by a Serbian nationalist a month earlier, on June 28, 1914, touching off the conflict that became World War I. Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia July 28, the formal beginning…

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Monday, July 27, 1789: Two hundred and thirty-seven years ago today, “The first presidential cabinet department, called the Department of Foreign Affairs, was established by the Congress. Later the name was changed to Department of State.”

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

Tuesday, July 27, 1926: One hundred years ago today, the Johnson City Chro…

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

Sunday, July 26, 1788: On this day, two hundred and thirty-eight years ago today, “New York becomes the eleventh state to ratify the…

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Friday, July 23, 1926: One hundred years ago today, the Johnson City Chronicle reported that “Announcement has just been made that another retail business house will open in Johnson City on Friday of this week, July 23, the new institution being ‘Piggly-Wiggle Store No. 2.’

“Following the recent change in ownership of the original Piggly-Wiggly store her…

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Monday, July 22, 1901: One hundred and twenty-five years ago today, The Evening Tribune reported news that was very relevant to Johnson City. There was no dateline, but readers were informed that “As a result of a final competition between six architects plans for the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers, to be erected near Johnson City, Tenn.,…

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Sunday, July 21, 1901: One hundred and twenty-five years ago today, The Chattanooga Sunday Times reported several short news accounts from towns in upper East Tennessee. The news was in a column entitled “Social News From Near-By Towns”. The dates were always July 20, but the following news carried a dateline from Erwin: “Miss Anna Mae Hoss returned Mon…

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Tuesday, July 20, 1926: A century ago today, the Johnson City Chronicle brought tragic news to readers. With a dateline from Morristown, and a date from July 19, readers read news that was brought via the United Press. “Mrs. Ruby Henson, 19, wife of Ruble Henson, committed suicide here Sunday by throwing herself under the Memphis Special, as it was pull…

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Wednesday, July 19, 1865: On this day, one hundred and sixty-one years ago, Charles Horace Mayo was born. “American surgeon, one of the Mayo brothers, founders of the Mayo Clinic and Mayo Foundation, (was) born at Rochester, Minnesota. (He) died at Chicago, Illinois on May 26, 1939.”

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

Monday, July 19, 1926: A cent…

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Friday, July 18, 1800: On this day, two hundred and twenty-six years ago today, John Rutledge, died. He was an “American statesman, associate justice on the Supreme Court, was born at Charleston, South Carolina, in September of 1739. Nominated as the second chief justice of the United States to succeed John Jay and served as the acting chief justice unt…

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Sunday, July 17, 1763: Two hundred and sixty-three years ago today, John Jacob Astor was born. “Founder of what is considered the first American business monopoly – the American Fur Company (1808), Astor broke into the fur trade in 1786 by starting a fur-goods store in New York City. He made considerable transactions in Canada and the Great Lakes region…

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Sunday, July 16, 1769: Two hundred and fifty-seven years ago today, “Junipero Serra founds the first Catholic mission in California at San Diego.”

Here are more details of the founding: “’Day by day this country seems to grow bigger and bigger with great walls and fortress-like bastions rising up to defend the west coast. They force us to make many detou…

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