On August 29, 1882, pioneering physician Connie Guion was born near Lincolnton.
Educated at Wellesley College and Cornell Medical School, Guion interned at New York City’s Bellevue Hospital during the flu epidemic of 1918 after earning her medical degree. Her success in a time of crises there gained her a national reputation in medicine at a time when few women entered the field.
On August 29, 1969, the News and Observer published the first issue of the “Mini Page.”
From its first appearance in the Raleigh newspaper in 1969 to its final publication in 2007, the “Mini Page” engaged children through fun and educational activities. Through the paper, kids could be like adults, reading their own page in the newspaper and learning at the same time.
On August 28, 1974, workers at the J. P. Stevens plant in Roanoke Rapids voted to unionize. The vote to affiliate with the Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers Union was the culmination of efforts by Crystal Lee Sutton, who worked for $2.65 per hour folding towels in the plant. The vote was an important one in North Carolina, which was the least unionized state in the nation at the time. The story of Crystal Sutton is depicted in the 1979 film, Norma Rae.
On August 28, 1942, the U.S. Army activated Laurinburg-Maxton air base in Scotland County. The facility, where glider pilots trained, played a little known role in the Allied victory in World War II.
Germany had pioneered the use of gliders, demonstrating their effectiveness in Holland and on Crete.
The individual most responsible for incorporating gliders into the U.S. military was Maj. Gen. William C. Lee, who had initiated the use of airborne forces at Fort Bragg and Camp Mackall.
On August 28, 1898, “Pepsi-Cola” got its name.
Beginning in 1893, New Bern pharmacist Caleb Bradham developed and began serving a carbonated drink he called “Brad’s Drink.” He served the beverage from the soda fountain in his pharmacy at the corner of Pollock and Middle Streets.
On August 27, 1891, one of the worst train wrecks in North Carolina occurred at the Bostian Bridge, two miles west of Statesville.
On August 27, 1868, David Lowry Swain, president of the University of North Carolina and former governor, died at age 67. His death was the result of a buggy accident on August 11. Initially buried at his Chapel Hill home, he was later reinterred in Raleigh’s Oakwood Cemetery.
A native of Buncombe County, Swain became recognized as an advocate for western interests, internal improvements and progressive government. The General Assembly elected him to his first term as governor in 1832.
On August 26, 1902, David Schenck, the “father” of Guilford Courthouse National Military Park, died.