Aug. 17, 1923
• A St. Louis mother makes history in the medical world today for the sake of her son. The story states 4-year-old Raymond fell into a bonfire he was playing near, and severely burned his right leg. The boy’s mother gave away a record 11 pieces of her own skin to be grafted onto the burns.
Hill, a St Louis Surgeon, stated this was the first time in the history of surgery that so large a number had been taken for an operation on an injury of such length. The boy was sent to the road to recovery on crutches.
Aug. 17, 1948
• Babe Ruth is announced dead today at age 53 as a result of throat cancer. He was laid in the rotunda of the Yankee Stadium. The public could view Ruth’s body today and the next day from 4-9 p.m. He was to be buried at the Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Westchester county.
Aug. 17, 1973
• An ad for a color TV set in 1973. The cost of $399 would be $2,745 today.
Editor’s note: This is part of a regular series looking at today in Poplar Bluff’s history through the pages of the Daily American Republic and its early predecessors.