November 18, 1883

1883 Politician Carl Vinson was born in Baldwin County, Georgia. One of the most influential national legislators of the twentieth century, Vinson’s legislative career spanned fifty years and one month--a record of longevity that stood until 1994. Vinson was noted particularly for his dedication to the United States Armed Services. To honor him, the Institute of Government at the University of Georgia was formally named the Carl Vinson Institute of Government in 1983.

November 18, 1895

1895 John Phillip Sousa and his fifty-piece band premiered at the Cotton States and International Exposition, playing two concerts to enthusiastic, cheering audiences.

November 18, 1909

1909 Song writer Johnny Mercer was born in Savannah. Mercer was fascinated with music as a youth and at age fifteen wrote his first song--a piece for his sister. Hoping to become an actor, he went to New York with an amateur theater group in 1928. While auditioning for a show the next year, he met Elizabeth "Ginger" Meehan, who became his wife in 1931. Mercer did not earn an acting role in the show, but did write a song that was used -- "Out of Breath and Scared to Death." With the contacts he had made in New York and his remarkable song writing talents, Mercer was soon collaborating with some of the nation’s most prominent musicians, such as Hoagy Carmichael, Benny Goodman, Tony Bennett, and Bing Crosby. In the 1935 he moved to Hollywood where his career soared, writing songs for both popular musicians and for film scores.

While Mercer lived in California from 1935, he never forgot his ties to Georgia. He kept a country home near the Wormsloe plantation on Burnside Island near Savannah. In 1962, the Chatham County Commission renamed Black River (near his home) after one of Mercer’s biggest hits--Moon River. Mercer died June 25, 1976 in Bel Aire, Calif., but his ashes were buried in Bonaventure Cemetery in Savannah. President Gerald Ford eulogized him as a man whose "mellow voice revealed that he was a child of the South; but his phrases were full of affection for people everywhere." The following are some of Mercer’s famous works:

"On the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe" (Academy Award winner)
"I’m an Old Cowhand from the Rio Grande"
"Too Marvelous for Words"
"You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby"
"I’m Old Fashioned"
"Accentuate the Positive"
"In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening" (Academy Award winner)
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (film score)
"Moon River" (Academy Award winner)
"Days of Wine and Roses" (Academy Award winner)
Star Spangled Rhythm (film score)
"That Old Black Magic"
"Blues in the Night"
"One for My Baby"
"My Shining Hour"
"G.I. Jive"
"Something’s Gotta Give"
"Goody, Goody"
"Jeepers, Creepers"
"P.S. I Love You"

November 18, 1933

1933 President Franklin D. Roosevelt delivered a speech in Savannah commemorating Georgia’s bicentennial.

November 18, 1949

1949 Cairo, Ga.-born Jackie Robinson of the Brooklyn Dodgers was named the National League’s Most Valuable Player.

November 18, 1964

1964 A host of Georgia Congressman Carl Vinson’s friends gathered in Milledgeville to honor him on his 81st birthday. Vinson was retiring after fifty years in the U.S. House of Representatives. Speaking at the occasion were Georgia senators Richard B. Russell, Jr. and Herman Talmadge, and Govenor Carl Sanders. Additionally, president Lyndon Johnson sent a congratulatory telegram.

November 18, 1973

1973 President and Mrs. Richard M. Nixon and party arrived in the Spirit of ’76 at Warner Robins Air Force Base for a three-hour visit at Mercer University in Macon to honor the 90th birthday of former Georgia Congressman Carl Vinson and to pay tribute to the 100th anniversary of Mercer’s Walter F. George School of Law. At the ceremonies, President Richard Nixon announced that the next American nuclear-powered aircraft carrier would be named the USS Carl Vinson.

November 18, 1976

1976 The Atlanta Braves signed free agent outfielder Gary Matthews.

November 18, 1978

1978 The NAACP presented its Spingarn Medal to United Nations Ambassador Andrew J. Young "in recognition of the deftness with which he has handled relations between this nation and other countries" and "for his major role in raising the consciousness of American citizens to the significance in world affairs of the massive African continent." Instituted in 1914, the Spingarn Medal is awarded annually "for the highest or noblest achievement by an American Negro during the preceding year or years."

November 18, 1997

1997 The Atlanta Braves allowed shortstop Jeff Blauser to become a free agent, instead signing Colorado Rockies shortstop Walt Weiss to a three-year contract. Blauser’s departure came on the same day as the Braves lost pitcher Terrell Wade and two lesser-known players to the new Tampa Bay Devil Rays baseball team.

November 18, 1997

1997 The Atlanta Hawks beat the Washington Wizards in overtime 98-89 winning their 11th consecutive game since the opening of the season. The win was a club record for consecutive wins to open a season--and the 6th best start in the history of professional basketball. The all-time record is 15 straight wins to open a seasion--a mark held by the Houston Rockets (1993) and the Washington Capitols (1948)