On December 20, 1820, Washington Duke, patriarch of the Duke tobacco empire, was born on a farm in Orange County.
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On December 11, 1924, James B. Duke established the Duke Endowment with an initial gift of $40 million. The Endowment received an additional $67 million at Duke’s death the following year.
On October 6, 1967, three students graduated from Duke’s Physician Assistant (PA) Program and became the first PAs in the country.
On August 23, 1934, legendary quarterback Christian Jurgensen, was born in Wilmington. Known to the world as Sonny, the spirited and redheaded Jurgensen is considered one of the all-time best passers in pro football history.
On July 21, 1930, Duke University Hospital opened to patients after three years of construction.
On June 22, 1905, the Southern Power Company was incorporated in New Jersey by Benjamin and
On May 6, 1944, the Journal of the American Medical Association cited a study on the effect of what would become known as the “Rice Diet” on treating heart disease. Walter Kempner of Duke University presented the results at an AMA conference later that year.
On April 27, 1855, Benjamin N. Duke was born on the Duke family farm north of Durham.
On February 20, 1980, Joseph Banks Rhine of Durham, a controversial investigator into the paranormal, died.
Rhine, with his pioneering work in parapsychology, gained national notoriety for himself and Duke University, where he worked.