Topics Related to This Day in North Carolina History

Home for Durham Bulls Dedicated, 1926

On July 26, 1926, the Durham Bulls’ El Toro Park was dedicated. Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis, the first Commissioner of Baseball, stole the show that day by riding onto the field on the team mascot, a real bull.

Hang Glider Adapted for Water Use, 1962

On July 26, 1962, Thomas Purcell Jr. demonstrated FlightSail at Lake Waccamaw.

Civil War Skirmish at Potecasi Creek

On July 26, 1863, a skirmish took place between local Confederate forces and a Union expedition led by Major General John G. Foster at Potecasi Creek in Hertford County.

Sit-in Victory in Greensboro, 1960

On July 25, 1960, Greensboro lunch counters opened to sitting customers of all races for the first time. The event was the culmination of a brief and intense desegregation campaign by black activists that sparked similar actions throughout the country.

North Carolina Became a Royal Colony

On July 25, 1729, North Carolina became a royal colony when the Lords Proprietors sold the colony to King George II.

Horatio Gates’s Brief Revolutionary Command

On July 25, 1780, Major General Horatio Gates assumed direct command of the American forces in the Southern Military Department at their campsite on the Deep River in Randolph County.

Truman Adviser Kenneth Royall of Goldsboro

On July 24, 1894, Kenneth Royall, the last United States Secretary of War and the first Secretary of the Army, was born in Goldsboro.

Politician and Prize-Winning Poet John Charles McNeill

On July 24, 1874, poet John Charles McNeill was born in Wagram. In October 1905, McNeill won first place in the competition for the inaugural Patterson Cup, the first literary contest held in North Carolina, earning him the unofficial title of North Carolina's Poet Laureate. McNeill died at age 33.

Leo Haid and a Firm Footing for Roman Catholicism in North Carolina

On July 24, 1924, Leo Haid, abbot and founder of Belmont Abbey, died.

Universalists and Inman Chapel Near Canton

On July 23, 1868, western North Carolina’s first Universalist congregation was organized in Haywood County after traveling preacher Benjamin F. Strain converted a handful of citizens.