August 8, 1775

1775 The Georgia Whigs’ Council of Safety wrote a letter to royal governor James Wright asking that members of Georgia militia companies be allowed to elect their own officers. The reason--"many of the commissioned officers in the militia are disagreeable to the people over whom they command." Wright would turn the request down, fearing that Whigs were attempting to take over Georgia’s militia.

August 8, 1776

1776 A copy of the Declaration of Independence reached Savannah, and Archibald Bulloch read it to the Council of Safety.

August 8, 1899

1899 Former Georgia governor William Y. Atkinson died during a trip to Florida.

August 8, 1912

Georgia cities and towns incorporated by acts approved on Aug. 8:

1912 Bethel (Dodge County)

August 8, 1913

1913 In day eleven of the Leo Frank trial, the defense had civil engineer T. H. Willett draw a diagram of the National Pencil Factory showing how the murder could have been committed on the first floor without the knowledge of anyone (including Leo Frank) working on the second floor. Daisy Hopkins, one of the women C.B. Dalton had claimed he met for immoral purposes at the factory, denied having ever met Dalton or Leo Frank. Two street car conductors testified Mary Phagan had ridden alone the morning of her murder, contradicting the testimony of George Epps. Assistant factory manager N.V. Darley said he believed Conley and Dalton were lying about trysts in the basement, as he worked most Saturdays and would have known of such actions. Factory timekeeper E.F. Holloway said he worked every Saturday and had never seen Conley and Frank interact, and that he had never seen a woman other than Frank’s wife in his office.

August 8, 1925

1925 Gov. Clifford Walker signed an act prohibiting dancing on Sunday at any public place in the state of Georgia. Any owner of a public place allowing dancing could be convicted of a misdemeanor.

August 8, 1941

1941The U.S. Army Air Colrps awarded a contract to Griffin, Mion, and Shepherd of Atlanta to begin construction of an aircraft supply and repair depot at Wellston, a small community in Houston County, Ga. This new facility would eventually become the Warner Robbins Air Force Base.

August 8, 1957

1957 In Montgomery, Ala., Martin Luther King and over 100 black leaders met for a two-conference. Out of their meeting would come the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.

August 8, 1958

1958 Television host and former Today Show anchor Deborah Norville was born on this day in Dalton, Georgia.

August 8, 1959

1959 Inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame were Ray Beck, Sam Burke, Dickie Butler, George Mathews, Mark Smith, and Drane Watson.

August 8, 1959

1959 Stonewall Jackson--yes, that’s his real name--went to number one on the popular and country music charts with "Waterloo"--a song he wrote and recorded. Born in North Carolina, Jackson grew up on a sharecropping farm near Moultrie, Georgia.

August 8, 2002

2002 With a full month left in the season, relief pitcher John Smoltz got his 40th save as the Atlanta Braves beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 4-1 in Phoenix. Relieving Tom Glavine to pitch the final image, Smoltz’s save broke the Braves franchise record for season saves.