Topics Related to This Day in North Carolina History

Edward Hyde and Turmoil in Early Carolina

On September 8, 1712, Governor Edward Hyde died of yellow fever at his home on the Albemarle Sound.

Colington Island, a Reminder of the Proprietary Era

On September 8, 1663, the first transfer of land under the Lords Proprietors in Carolina took place. The grant was made to Sir John Colleton, himself one of the Lords Proprietors of Carolina.

Two Major Inlets on the Outer Banks Date to 1846

On September 7, 1846, a violent hurricane hit the Outer Banks and opened Hatteras and Oregon Inlets.

John Merrick of Durham, Founder of North Carolina Mutual

On September 7, 1859, John Merrick was born into slavery in Sampson County. When he was 12-years-old, Merrick and his mother moved to Chapel Hill, where he worked in a brickyard and  she was a house servant.

Georgia Poet Sidney Lanier Died in Polk County

On September 7, 1881, Sidney Lanier, widely-acclaimed poet, author and musician, died at his home in Polk County.

Charles McIver and Female Education as a Public Investment

On September 7, 1860, educator and founding president of UNC-Greensboro Charles McIver was born in what’s now Lee County.

German-Born Curator Launched N.C. Museum of Art

A holiday greeting card that i

State’s On-Campus Nuclear Reactor

On September 5, 1953, a nuclear reactor went online at North Carolina State College (now North Carolina State University) in Raleigh, making it the world’s first nuclear research reactor to be designed, built, and operated by an academic institution.

Spaight-Stanly Duel

On September 5, 1802, political rivals John Stanly and Richard Dobbs Spaight, both armed with smooth-bore flintlock pistols, took deliberate aim at each other and fired. It was 5:30 p.m., and the pair were positioned behind the Masonic Lodge in New Bern.

Pamlico Pacesetter in School Transportation

On September 5, 1917, the Pamlico County Schools inaugurated the first motorized school bus service in North Carolina.