Today In History – July 14

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NASSAU, BAHAMAS – On this day in Bahamian history – In 1971 Clarence A. Bain died at the age of 66. Bain was a politician, member of parliament, cabinet minister and civil rights activist.

Born on July 16 1904, Bain received his early education at calabash bay public school.

He then moved to the United States where he lived and experienced racial segregation and the civil rights movement. This sparked an interest to fight for civil rights in him, and once he returned to The Bahamas in 1954, he would join the civil rights struggle.

Bain would run in the general election as a member of the Progressive Liberal Party and won the Andros and Berry Islands constituency seat. He represented the area from 1956 to 1971.

In his honor, two buildings were named after him including the Clarence A. Bain Airport in Mangrove Cay and the Clarence A. Bain building on University Drive.

Then in 1972, while speaking on the dock in Marsh Harbour, former Prime Minister Lynden Pindling was interrupted by several loud explosions.

Previous Central and South Abaco MP Edison Key recalls the moment as an unexpected interruption. As the meeting was going on a loud explosion which sounded like a case of dynamite was discharged a short distance from the dock.

At the time Pindling was aware that many of Abaco’s citizens favored separation from The Bahamas rather than becoming a part of an independent nation.

The prime minister finished his speech and moved quickly off the dock to the safety of dry land.

Then in 1987, Bahamian born American tennis player Ryan Sweeting was born in Nassau, Bahamas.

He started playing competitive tennis as a teenager and made an impressive start in the junior circuit becoming the number two in the world junior rankings.

Sweeting played tennis professionally from his debut 2007 to 2015 achieving his highest ranking in 2011 at the U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship. After winning the ATP World Tour Singles title, his ranking rose to an all time high of 64.

Then in 2017, Dr. Bernard Nottage funeral was held at Saint Agnes Anglican Church. It was a fitting send-off held in the heart of the community that the former member of parliament represented for the last decade of his life.

Dr. Nottage was a doctor, politician, athlete, social and political activist. He was a medical practitioner, specializing in gynecology at Princess Margaret Hospital and St. Luke’s Medical Centre.

As an athlete he represented the country at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City in the 100 meters, 200 meters and the 400 meter relay. He would later serve as president of The Bahamas amateur athletic association from 1976 – 1982.

In his political career he would represent the Progressive Liberal Party as a member of parliament for the constituencies of Kennedy, Garden Hills and Bain & Grant’s Town.

On 20th June 2017, Nottage was admitted to the intensive care unit at doctors hospital for treatment. He would later be airlifted to Florida, United States for further medical treatment where he passed away on 28th June, 2017.

And finally in 2020, A monument memorializing Grand Bahama residents killed during hurricane Dorian in 2019 was unveiled during a somber ceremony in East End Grand Bahama, the grief was evident as many family members remembered those who lost their lives.