On August 6, 1993, an armed Fort Bragg soldier, Sgt. Kenneth Junior French, aged 22, walked into Luigi’s restaurant, 528 McPherson Church Road, around 10 p.m. in Fayetteville, North Carolina, with two shotguns and a rifle. French began to yell about politics, Bill Clinton, and homosexuality when he opened fire during the drunken killing spree….
The Worst Tornado Outbreak in North Carolina’s History
The worst tornado outbreak in North Carolina history occurred on March 28, 1984, resulting in 57 deaths and 1,248 injuries. On that day, 14 tornadoes were confirmed in the state, affecting mainly Eastern North Carolina, including two that measured over a mile wide. The outbreak also produced the state’s deadliest tornado, an F4 in Greene…
Blackbeard and The Golden Age of Piracy November 22, 1718
On November 22, 1718, Edward Teach met his fate in Ocracoke, North Carolina, during a bloody battle with Lieutenant Robert Maynard, 307 years ago, today. Some of you may know him better by his infamous nickname, Blackbeard. Teach had a long relationship with the Outer Banks, as it served as a base for his operations….
The Yogi Bear Graveyard
Some may remember the unintentional tourist attraction, dubbed the Yogi Bear Graveyard, that was located off I-95 in North Carolina. When Yogi Bear Honey Fried Chicken locations began closing across the Southeast, the fiberglass statues that once occupied those restaurants were purchased by the Jellystone Park Campground in Halifax. The statues welcomed travelers to the…
The Shelton Laurel Massacre in North Carolina
In January 1863, during the height of the Civil War, thirteen men and boys were killed by Confederates when they were suspected of Unionism. The historical marker stands at NC 208, at NC 212, west of Shelton Laurel in Madison County, North Carolina. It constitutes one of the most tragic events in North Carolina history….
Remembering the Ric Flair Plane Crash
On October 4, 1975, a twin-engine Cessna 310 carrying Ric Flair, David Crockett, Bob Bruggers, Tim Woods, and Johnny Valentine crashed while approaching Wilmington Airport. The plane was on its way from Charlotte at the time, Flair suffered a broken back in three places and was told that his wrestling days were over. All survived…
Remembering the 2000 Charlotte Motor Speedway Pedestrian Bridge Collapse
On May 20, 2000, as the crowd was leaving the NASCAR All-Star Race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina, an 8-foot section of the walkway fell 25 feet onto U.S. 29. One hundred seven fans were hurt in the collapse, but miraculously, no one died. The failure was blamed on the bridge…
Remembering the Deadly 1975 Siloam Bridge Disaster
On Sunday night, February 23, 1975, a vehicle hit a supporting beam of the steel-truss structure spanning the Yadkin River in North Carolina, on the border of Yadkin and Surry counties. The bridge broke and crashed into the river below. People began to drive off the side of the road due to the thick fog,…
Ghosts in the Stadium: The 1913 Lynching of Joe McNeely
Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, sits on top of where a 1913 lynching took place. The area where the stadium now stands was once a thriving African-American community called the Brooklyn community. On the same site where the Panthers play professional football, the Good Samaritan Hospital served black Americans during that time….
The Deadly Loray Mill Strike of 1929
Demands for higher pay and a 40-hour workweek ignited the Loray Mill Strike in Gastonia, North Carolina, in 1929. We often like to think that we have come a long way with better working conditions, higher wages, and even a work-life balance, but have we? Despite what is currently taught in our educational systems across…