“Medgar Ever’s Assassination Solved” and “Hammerin' Hank is born” - This Day in History – Feb 5th

Medgar Evers killer convicted 30 years after the crime

Back in 1994, white supremacist Byron De La Beckwith was convicted of killing African-American civil rights leader, Medgar Evers – back in 1963.

According to history.com, “Beckwith, a fertilizer salesman and Ku Klux Klan member widely believed to be the killer, was prosecuted for murder in 1964. However, two all-white (and all-male) juries deadlocked and refused to convict him. A second trial held in the same year resulted in a hung jury. The matter was dropped when it appeared that a conviction would be impossible. Myrlie Evers, who later became the first woman to chair the NAACP, refused to give up, pressing authorities to re-open the case. In 1989, documents came to light showing that jurors in the case were illegally screened.” 

Mrs. Evers would continue to work with Prosecutor Bobby DeLaughter get a conviction from Beckwith. A riflescope would later be produced with Beckwith’s fingerprints along with new witnesses who testified against Beckwith’s bragging of the crime.  This would be enough to convict Beckwith with a racially diverse jury for a life sentence in 1994.  He would die in prison in 2001 at the age of 80.

Baseball Legend, "Hammerin' Hank" is born 

Back in 1934, Mobile AL welcomed the future baseball slugger who would hit homers, 755 homers, "Hammerin' Hank" Aaron.  Mr. Aaron began his career in 1952 with the Negro League and in 1954 with the Milwaukee Braves eight years after Jackie Robinson’s historic integration of baseball. He would in the future win several National League Batting titles and a 1959 World Series with his team the Atlantic Braves. 

History.com states that, “Aaron, who played for the Milwaukee Braves from 1954 to 1965 and the Atlanta Braves from 1966 to 1974, spent the final two seasons of his 23 years in the majors with the Milwaukee Brewers. When he retired in 1976, he left the game with 755 career home runs, a record that stood until August 7, 2007, when it was broken by Barry Bonds of the San Francisco Giants. Aaron still holds the records for most career runs batted in (2,297), most career total bases (6,856) and most career extra base hits (1,477). After retiring as a player, Aaron became one of baseball's first black executives, with the Atlanta Braves. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1982.”

All History facts provided from the link below:

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/roger-williams-arrives-in-america?catId=6