Today in History
 

1936 FRESH TORNADOES LEAVES 200 DEAD
1814: Napoleon abdicates his throne
1951: Rosenberg spy team receives death sentence
1992: Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton dies

Are you going to post these everyday? That would be a good idea! Very interesting facts!

I will do my best!

Great idea, I'll be watching!!

Attachment 2830

I love this kind of stuff Michelle. It's so fun to see what has happened on the date in the past.

That's pretty cool!

Today In History April 6
 

1930: Gandhi ends Salt March

Mahatma Gandhi and his followers, in protest of the salt tax levied by the British Empire, ended their Salt March today at the coastal village of Dandi, Gujarat, some 240 miles from their starting point in Sabarmati.

"Mahatma Gandhi manufactured salt from sea water here this morning, thereby breaking the British law establishing a monopoly on salt manufacture," reported the Syracuse Herald on April 6, 1930. "At Dandi last night they prepared for the first definite act of civil disobedience. As the first step, they waded into the waters of the tidal marshes and filled pots with salt water. These were placed in the sun for evaporation of the water, and the residue of salt will be removed for sale."

NOTE: Gandhi is said to have stood in the water with a handful of mud and salt and declared, "With this, I am shaking the foundations of the British Empire." The march led to other acts of civil disobedience across India; however, Indian independence was not achieved until 17 years later.

1993: Blast occurs at Russian nuclear plant

Today, an explosion rocked a Russian nuclear weapons complex in the Siberian town of Tomsk-7. The explosion was blamed on a rise in pressure in an underground tank, which began when nitric acid was added as a cleanser. "Troops scooped up contaminated Siberian soil today after a tank holding radioactive waste exploded in what the government is calling the worst nuclear accident since the 1986 Chernobyl disaster," informed The Capital on April 7, 1993.

1970: California patrol officers are killed

Four California Highway Patrol officers were killed today in what is considered one of the worst officer killings in CHP history. "The four highway patrolmen were killed after they stopped a car whose occupants were reported to have brandished guns at motorists on a freeway. After the shootout, the two gunmen fled separately on foot," explained the Progress-Bulletin on April 6, 1970. NOTE: One gunman was captured and later convicted on four counts of murder, while the other committed suicide before police could arrest him.

1917: U.S. declares war on Germany

U.S. President Woodrow Wilson signed a declaration of war against Imperial Germany today, signaling the beginning of American involvement in World War I. On April 2, Wilson had called a special session of Congress asking them to approve the war. The vote in the Senate was 82 to 6, and the House of Representatives voted 373 to 50 in favor of war. "Some pacifism developed, but there was no question as to the ultimate outcome -- a hearty support of President Wilson's passage of the resolution," The Frederick Post reported on April 6, 1917. NOTE: The declaration of war came after Germany resumed unrestricted submarine warfare, attacking and sinking several American ships.

1909: Explorer first to reach North Pole

Robert Peary, an Arctic explorer, became the first recorded person to reach the North Pole today. "From the bleak coast of Labrador Commander Peary today flashed the news that he has attained his goal in the Far North, while at the same moment, in Denmark, Dr. Frederick Cook was being dined and lionized by royalty for the same achievement," reported The Modesto Herald on September 9, 1909. NOTE: Although Peary was later credited with being the first to reach the pole, some still doubt his accomplishment.

1896: First modern Olympics open

The Olympic Games were revived today, opening in Athens, Greece after being banned for more than 1,500 years by Roman Emperor Theodosius I. "The exhibition and recognition of physical excellence in action is the one permanent characteristic common to the old athletics and the new. The essential influence of the purely physical part may be much the same, but the conditions and associations are all changed," explained The New York Times on April 26, 1896.

** I added the news paper byline. Let me know if you think its too much..

Thank You Michelle,
I like it, a litte education never hurt anybody.:D
Looking forward to more like these.

I agree. I like little tidbits of information. This will be interesting to read!

Today April 7th
 

1933: Beer is sold once again in US

"Brewery horses galloped once again in 19 of the 48 states and the District of Columbia early today as 3.2 per cent beer was placed on sale at 12:01 a.m.," reported The Charleston Gazette today in 1933.

Most of the larger breweries sent their first case of legal beer to President Roosevelt, while cities like St. Louis, Chicago and Los Angeles held midnight celebrations to mark the return of the legal brew.

In Ohio, The Circleville Herald reported today that the one place busier than the restaurants and hotels selling beer was the state beer commission that issues the permits to sell alcohol.

1970: Stalin's daughter marries architect in Phoenix

Svetlana Alliluyeva, daughter of Joseph Stalin, married William Wesley Peters, chief architect of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, today during a simple Quaker ceremony in Phoenix. “The couple will reside at Taliesin West in the winter months and at the original Taliesin in Spring Green, Wis., the rest of the year,” reported the Sheboygan Journal on April 8, 1970

1945: Infantrymen find Hitler's treasure

General George S. Patton's soldiers found Germany's hidden stash of gold, currency and works of art valued in the billions of dollars in a salt mine 140 miles southwest of Berlin today. According to the Nazi officials taken in the mine, it took five weeks for Hitler's collapsing Reich to move all the treasure from Berlin.

1906: Liquid fire spews from Mount Vesuvius

Effluvia from Mount Vesuvius razed homesteads today as gray ash and liquid fire erupted from the volcano. "The streams of lava were resistless. They snapped like pipestems the trunks of chestnut trees hundreds of years old and blighted with their torrid breath the blooms on the peach trees before the trees themselves had been reached. They razed the homes of the peasants, filled up the wells, and then continued their course down the mountainside," informed The New York Times on April 8, 1906. NOTE: The eruption killed over 100 people.

So interesting...Stalin's daughter...all of it really!

These are cool facts Michelle. Thanks for taking the time to post them for us. :)

Love it!! Thanks Michelle:thumbup:

Pretty cool stuff.:thumbup:

and.... I love Walmart.:(

yes Michelle pretty good stuff. I always loved Social Studies class.. Now if we can only find Sister Agatha...lol <wink>

It was one of my favorite subjects too. I had a great professor in college, he could tell it like you were actually there experiencing it for your self.

Todat April 8th
 

1974: Hank Aaron breaks home run record

Atlanta Braves player Hank Aaron broke Babe Ruth's record today when he hit his 715th home run. With a crowd of 53,775 watching, a record attendance at the Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, Aaron's famous hit was made in the fourth inning of the Braves' 7-4 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers.

"The great chase is over for Hank Aaron. Aaron's pursuit of Babe Ruth's once seemingly unbeatable career home run record, a pursuit that took 20 years and nearly 3,000 major league baseball games, ended Monday night when 'The Hammer' hit his 715th," reported the Bucks County Courier Times on April 9, 1974. "Hank Aaron hit 40 home runs last season, most ever by a 39-year-old player, and was only one behind Babe Ruth when this season began."

NOTE: The Braves traded Aaron to the Milwaukee Brewers after the 1974 season, and Aaron hit his 755th and final home run on July 20, 1976.



1895: Court announces income tax decision

"As forecasted by the newspapers for several days, the supreme court has decided that the income tax law is unconstitutional so far as it affects incomes derived from rents and real estate or from state, county and municipal bonds. The court was divided as to the remainder of the law," reported The Waukesha Freeman on April 11, 1895. "The chief justice proceeded to a consideration of the constitutional requirements with respect to the imposition of taxation, direct and indirect, and said that the framers of the constitution intended to make the consent of those who were expected to pay essential to the validity of the tax." NOTE: The Sixteenth Amendment overruled this supreme court decision, allowing Congress to levy an income tax without regard to the State.

1973: Artist Pablo Picasso dies

Spanish artist Pablo Picasso died in France today. "Art lovers around the world today saluted the genius of Pablo Picasso, dead at 91 after one of the most notable and influential careers in the history of painting," wrote The Lawton Constitution on April 9, 1973. "The Spanish-born revolutionary who changed the course of 20th century art died Sunday at his walled estate overlooking the Mediterranean. Death was attributed to a heart attack brought on by collection of fluid in the lungs."

1943: Roosevelt checks inflation

President Franklin Delano Roosevelt declared that a wages would be frozen, a price ceiling would be implemented on all food commodities, and workers would not be permitted to change jobs unless the change would aid the war effort, all in an attempt to check out-of-control inflation. “Mr. Roosevelt said he thought everyone should avoid over-playing either scarcity or plenty because that is not good for public morale. We will have trouble, he said, if the public stops buying all at one time or tries all to buy at the same time,” informed The Delta Democrat-Times on April 9, 1943.

1904: New York chooses name 'Times Square'

Long Acre Square in Manhattan, New York, was renamed Times Square today. "By the action of the Board of Aldermen, made effective yesterday by the signature of the Mayor, the open space formed by the intersection of Broadway and Seventh Avenue, and extending from Forty-second to Forty-seventh Street, hitherto popularly known as 'Long Acre Square,' received the name of Times Square," explained The New York Times on April 9, 1904. "The choice of this name grew naturally out of the necessity of having a distinctive title for the subway station in the basement of The Times Building at the corner of Forty-second Street and Broadway."

You know, I may not be the brightest bulb in the pack, but I didn't know much about Picasso, I just thought he was way back in history. I had no idea he was still living until 1973. That is the year I graduated.

I thought the very same thing. I guess we were thinking about different things in life at the time.

You missed a very important one - 1974: My brother David was born.

You are right. Brothers are very important. 1974!!! I was in high school already.

Today April 9
 

1959: Mercury Seven introduced
Seven test pilots were introduced to the public today as the Americans best qualified for space flight. The group consisted of M. Scott Carpenter, L. Gordon Cooper, Jr, John H. Glenn, Jr, Virgil I. Grissom, Walter M. Schirra, Alan B. Shepard, Jr and Donald K. Slayton.

"Which one actually will be the first American in space won't be known until sometime in 1961 when NASA launches its first manned satellite. All, however, will be thoroughly trained in the next two years to take on the hazardous and historic job," reported the Eureka Humboldt Standard on April 9, 1959.

NOTE: Because of the small space in the space capsule, candidates had to be shorter than 6 feet and weigh no more than 180 pounds. On May 5, 1961, Alan B. Shepard Jr. became the first American in space.

2005: Prince Charles marries Camilla
Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles were married in a civil ceremony today. Their marriage was blessed by the Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams in St. George's Chapel. "Despite years of public and media criticism, even ridicule, Charles and Camilla's shared affection appeared to finally to have won them a measure of acceptance from the British public, many of whom blamed their relationship for poisoning Charles' marriage to Princess Diana," explained The Post-Standard on April 10, 2005.

1963: Churchill becomes honorary U.S. citizen
Winston Churchill of Great Britain became an honorary U.S. citizen today. "Never before in history has this country, by congressional action, made anyone an honorary citizen," informed the Oshkosh Daily Northwestern on April 9, 1963. "Only the scrawl of presidential signatures on a bill enacted by Congress and on the proclamation the bill authorized was needed today to make Churchill an honorary American citizen."

1959: Frank Lloyd Wright dies
Architecture genius Frank Lloyd Wright died today in Phoenix, Arizona, at the age of 89. "A giant on the national and international architectural scene, Wright underwent an operation Monday for removal of an intestinal obstruction. He had been stricken Saturday at his winter home near Scottsdale," reported The Sheboygan Press on April 9, 1959. NOTE: Throughout his life, Wright designed more than 1,000 buildings, resulting in more than 500 completed structures around the world. In 1991, the American Institute of Architects recognized Wright as the “greatest American architect of all time.”

1957: Large ships use Suez Canal again
The Suez Canal was open to ships up to 20,000 tons today after U.N. salvage crews cleared the water of the last obstacle left from the Suez Crisis. "While whistles shrilled and hundreds of persons watched from the banks, U.N. salvage crews raised and towed away the sunken Egyptian frigate Abukir yesterday. That cleared the channel for all shipping adapted to its 34-foot depth. The Egyptian Suez Canal Authority gave no indication when capacity operation would be resumed. Before the canal was blocked, ships of about 40,000 tons could go through," explained The Times on April 9, 1957.

1939: 75,000 attend concert at Lincoln Memorial
After African-American contralto Marian Anderson was denied use of Constitution Hall in Washington D.C. by the Daughters of the American Revolution, she held an outdoor Easter concert at the Lincoln Memorial in front of 75,000 people today. "Secretary Ickes, introducing her made no direct reference to the controversy over the D.A.R. auditorium which was credited with causing Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt's resignation from the organization. But he said: 'There are those, even in this great capital of our Democratic republic, who are either too timid or too indifferent to lift up the light that Jefferson and Lincoln carried aloft,'" reported The Kingsport Times on April 10, 1939.

Today April 10
 

1979: 'Terrible Tuesday' tornadoes hit
Thirteen tornadoes ripped through Texas and Oklahoma today in a deadly outbreak that meteorologists later referred to as "Terrible Tuesday." The twisters destroyed thousands of homes, and one Texas resident compared the storm’s effect to bomb damage.

"Tornadoes smashed into four communities in North Texas and Oklahoma, sucking up people and property, tossing cars about and leveling homes and businesses. Authorities said at least 57 persons were killed and more than 800 were injured," reported the Syracuse Herald Journal on April 11, 1979. "Gov. Bill Clements toured the north Texas city of Wichita Falls, site of the worst damage, as National Guard troops patrolled debris-strewn streets today to ward off any looters who might want to take advantage of the disaster that struck yesterday afternoon."

NOTE: Wichita Falls, Texas, was hit the hardest, with at least 42 people reported dead and more than $200 million in property damage. The tornado that hit the city was estimated to have traveled 47 miles, remaining on the ground for at least an hour.

(We had one worse than this a few years ago)

1998: Belfast Agreement is signed
The Belfast Agreement was signed today by the British and Irish governments. The accord raised hopes for an end to the violence that ravaged Northern Ireland. On April 11, 1998, the Daily Herald commented on the agreement, explaining, "In a sweeping accord that reduced many hard-bitten politicians to tears, negotiators cleared the way Friday for a 'new beginning' for Northern Ireland after 30 years of bitter rivalries and bloody attacks. Exhilarated and exhausted, the eight participating parties approved a settlement presented by the talks chairman, former U.S. Sen. George Mitchell, after a 32-hour negotiating marathon."

1970: Beatles split
Paul McCartney announced today that he has split from the Beatles. "Paul, 27-year-old song writer, lead guitar and singer, blamed the break on 'personal differences, business differences, musical differences - but most of all because I have a better time with my family,'" informed The Port Arthur News on April 10, 1970. NOTE: The announcement coincided with the release of his first solo album. After the split, McCartney’s album spent three weeks at the top of the American charts.

1963: Submarine lost at sea
The nuclear-powered attack submarine USS Thresher was lost at sea today during a deep-diving routine. Admiral George W. Anderson, chief of naval operations, determined that the vessel and her crew of 129 had sunk. "The Navy said an oil slick had been sighted – the traditional sign that a submarine has met disaster," reported The Post Standard on April 11, 1963. "The craft was missing some 220 miles east of Boston – in an area where the ocean is 8,400 feet deep. Underwater pressure at the depth makes rescue impossible, the Navy said, even if a submarine could survive the hydraulic force."

1919: Emiliano Zapata is shot
Mexican rebel and revolutionary leader Emiliano Zapata was shot today by government soldiers. The former sharecropper had joined forces with Pancho Villa to oppose the Mexican government, fighting for agrarian reform and land redistribution. "The rebel chief is said to have been killed in an unnamed part of the mountains of southern Morelos by troops under command of Colonel Guajardo. The war department has promoted the colonel to a generalship for his feat," explained The Van Wert Daily Bulletin on April 12, 1919.

1912: Titanic sets sail
The RMS Titanic set sail on its maiden voyage today from Southampton, London to New York. "The Titanic is a sister ship to the Olympic, placed in commission last year. She is 840 feet in length and has a displacement of 60,000 tons," explained The Evening News on April 10, 1912. "She is literally a floating hotel, provided with dancing rooms, smoking rooms, cafes, a library and even a garden of Oriental palms and beds of roses and carnations. A swimming tank and a skating rink are among her other features." NOTE: The Titanic's passengers spent just five days on the ship before it collided with an iceberg and sank.

I love these Michelle. Thank you so much sweetie for posting them everyday, I really appreciate it.

There is a building in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, that was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. It's been turned into a museum and it's very interesting! They also have some furniture that was designed by him too! I was with a Girl Scout troop that went to see it otherwise I'd have never known that we had one of his buildings so close.

When I first got married I lived 4 blocks from this house in Oak Park. (15 min. away now.)

Attachment 2842
This extraordinary building in Oak Park, Illinois was the Wright family residence from 1889 to 1909. Wright began the construction of this house in 1889 shortly after his marriage to Catherine Tobin, using $5,000 borrowed from Louis Sullivan. The Wright family - Frank and Catherine, and their six children - lived here while he developed his architectural practice, creating what became the "Prairie Style" of architecture.

That is too cool. I didn't know it was there.

That house is beautiful.

It's called Price Tower. It's suppose to be the only skyscraper that he built. Here's some pictures--

http://www.merryweatherphoto.com/web/price.html#

http://www.bluffton.edu/~sullivanm/o...ice/price.html

1970: Apollo 13 blasts off

NASA today launched Apollo 13, America's third manned moon-landing mission, from Cape Kennedy, Florida. NASA officials had almost postponed the mission when crew member Thomas Mattingly was exposed to the German measles. Instead, Mattingly was replaced less than 24 hours before lift-off by backup astronaut John Swigert, Jr.

"The target for man's third lunar mission is the mountainous Fra Mauro region where the astronauts hope to find rocks dating perhaps five billion years to the beginning of the moon. In the most difficult space maneuver ever attempted, [James] Lovell and [Fred] Haise are to steer their lunar lander toward a precision touchdown in a narrow valley surrounded by high hills, ridges, craters and rocks as big as automobiles," reported The News on April 12, 1970.

NOTE: Two days after the launch, an oxygen tank on the spacecraft exploded, forcing the astronauts to abandon their mission. Although they had only a small supply of oxygen, water and power, the Apollo 13 crew managed to safely return to Earth in the spaceship's lunar module.

1968: Johnson signs Civil Rights Act

President Lyndon Baines Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1968 today, which prohibited housing discrimination and provided protection for civil rights workers. "President Johnson, voicing outrage at the slaying of Dr. Martin Luther King and the violence that followed it, has signed an historic open-housing bill," informed The Daily Times-News on April 12, 1968. "The new law will prohibit discrimination in 80 per cent of all housing sales and rentals by 1970, but much of it takes effect next Jan. 1. The law also makes it a federal crime to use threats or violence to interfere with anyone seeking to exercise his civil rights and prohibits the crossing of state lines with intent to incite rioting."

1961: Nazi war crime trial begins

Adolf Eichmann, a high-ranking Nazi accused of playing a central role in the Holocaust, went on trial in an Israeli courthouse today. "After 16 years in hiding and in jail, Eichmann walked into public view when he entered the bullet proof glass defendant's box in the court room at 8:58 a.m.," reported the Middlesboro Daily News on April 11, 1961. "Except for a moment of apparent nervousness as he first looked about the court room through heavy horn-rimmed glasses, the accused mass murderer was still very much the Nazi colonel." NOTE: Eichmann was later convicted on all charges and was hanged in a prison near Tel Aviv.

1947: Dodgers sign Jackie Robinson

Jackie Robinson made history today when the president of the Brooklyn Dodgers, Branch Rickey, announced the purchase of his contract from the Montreal Royals. The purchase made Robinson the first African American to play baseball in the major leagues, breaking baseball's color barrier. "He is confident he can make good in the majors, thus opening the door for others of his race to compete on equal footing as they do in boxing, college and professional football, college and professional basketball and as jockeys," explained The Fresno Bee on April 11, 1947. NOTE: Robinson went on to appear in six World Series with the Dodgers and was named Rookie of the Year in 1947.

1945: U.S. forces liberate Buchenwald

United States forces liberated a concentration camp in Buchenwald, Germany today. "Twenty thousand inmates of one of the most dreaded of German concentration camps were free today after its capture by Berlin-bound American troops unfolded a story of horror dating from the inception of the Nazi regime in 1933," reported The Lowell Sun on April 14, 1945. "In those years approximately 200,000 persons doomed to sadistic death or a living hell passed through the gates of the electrically-charged barbed-wire enclosure as infamous as the camps at Dachau and Oranienburg."

1899: Treaty ends Spanish-American war

"The final ceremony in the re-establishment of peaceful relations between the United States and Spain took place at the White House at 2 o'clock this afternoon, when the president and Ambassador Cambon, the latter acting for Spain, exchanged ratifications of the treaty of peace," informed The News on April 11, 1899. NOTE: The treaty marked the formal end to the Spanish-American war, and in conjunction with the peace agreement, Spain ceded several of its colonies to the United States, including the island of Puerto Rico.

1970: Apollo 13 blasts off

I remember watching this while I was holding Jenny, she was only 2 weeks old.
Good Grief :eek: I really feel old now.:p

Today April 12th
 

1961: Russia sends man into space

The Soviet Union successfully launched the first man into space today. Yuri Gagarin, a 27-year-old air force major, endured intense physical and psychological examinations before making the historic trip.

"By the Soviet account, Maj. Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin rode a five-ton spaceship once around the earth in an orbit taking an hour and 20 minutes. He was in the air a total of an hour and 48 minutes," reported The Appleton Post Crescent on April 13, 1961. According to the article, Soviet Premier Khrushchev sent "a message of congratulations telling Gagarin the 'entire Soviet people acclaim your valiant feat which will be remembered down the centuries as an example of courage, gallantry and heroism in the name of service to mankind.'"

While U.S. President Kennedy congratulated the Soviets on "a most impressive scientific accomplishment," he told Americans that he hoped the U.S. would achieve other scientific firsts, because "the Soviet Union will remain ahead of the United States for some time in the space race," according to the Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune.

2002: Hugo Chavez forced out of office

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez was forced out of office today by a military coup. "The development stunned a nation that had seen one of the biggest civilian demonstrations against the 47-year-old Chavez's three-year rule. It came only three days after Chavez, a fiery populist and former army paratrooper who had led a failed 1992 coup, had vowed to crush a general strike organized by Venezuela's largest business and labor groups," reported the Sentinel & Enterprise on April 12, 2002. NOTE: Chavez resumed the presidency the following day after thousands of Venezuelans took to the streets in protest.

1981: First space shuttle is launched

The United States launched its first space shuttle mission today, exactly 20 years after Yuri Gagarin became the first human to travel into space. "Launched into a clear, still morning, the trim, milk-white space plane lifted from the launch pad on the largest solid rocket engines ever flown, nearly 6-million pounds of thrust beginning the 54-hour journey," informed the Winnipeg Free Press on April 13, 1981. "Shaking the earth and rapidly gathering speed, Columbia climbed straight up, leaving behind a white vapor trail as it climbed to an altitude of 50 kilometres and separated from its expended boosters."

1955: Polio vaccine cleared for use

The University of Michigan School of Public Health declared that the polio vaccine created by Dr. Jonas Salk was safe and effective today. "The mother with a dozen children or the mother with one, could not ask for a better gift today or any other day than a cure against polio. And that cure came today in the form of a long awaited announcement from the University of Michigan, that the Salk vaccine has been proven 80 to 90 percent effective in combating poliomyelitis," explained The Daily Intelligencer on April 12, 1955.

1945: President Franklin D. Roosevelt dies

After serving as U.S. president for 12 years, Franklin D. Roosevelt died today from a massive cerebral hemorrhage at his retreat in Warm Springs, Georgia. Roosevelt's death catapulted Vice President Harry S. Truman to the highest office in the land. "Around the world, the humble and the great paid mournful tribute today to Franklin Delano Roosevelt in words of praise and sorrow," The Evening Tribune reported on April 13, 1945. "The flags of virtually all nations flew at half mast. Many governments decreed a period of mourning. Expressions of sympathy streamed into the White House from world capitals."

1864: Hundreds die in Fort Pillow massacre

Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest captured the Union stronghold at Fort Pillow today. During the attack, Forrest and his men killed many of the Union's African-American defenders. Forrest claimed the soldiers were trying to escape; however, Union sources countered this claim, arguing the soldiers had surrendered and were massacred by Confederate troops. On April 18, 1864, The New York Times reported, "According to Gen. Sherman, loss was fifty-three white troops killed, and one hundred wounded, and three hundred black troops murdered in cold blood after the surrender."

I remember the nuns having us line up in the hallway for those first polio shots.
(St. Mels-Holy Ghost Catholic school, I haven't seen that name for decades.)
Michelle, you're bringing back such fond memories,:thankyou:

Isn't she the sweetest for doing this everyday? I am enjoying it so much...thanks Michelle.:)

You gals are too kind. I find it all just as interesting.

Today April 13th
 

1997: Tiger Woods youngest to win Masters
Tiger Woods became the youngest golfer to win the Masters Tournament in Augusta, Georgia, today. Woods finished at 18-under-par 270, which was the lowest score ever shot during the Masters.
"When the green jacket was draped over the shoulders of the 21-year-old champion, golf greeted not just the first black to win a major professional championship, but also a player of the talent, intelligence and discipline to achieve his goal of being the best to ever play the game," reported The Intelligencer on April 14, 1997. "What Woods did this week at Augusta means that anything is possible. It was an effort recorded not on a scorecard, but in the record books and pages of history. Nearly every sentence uttered about Woods after his victory included words like lowest, fastest and youngest."
NOTE: As they reported on his victory, newspapers compared Woods and his achievements to Jackie Robinson, who became the first African-American to play major league baseball 50 years earlier. Yet Woods gave credit to other African-American golfers before him, such as Charlie Sifford, Lee Elder and Ted Rhodes.

1984: Pete Rose hits 4,000
While playing for the Montreal Expos, Pete Rose made his 4,000th hit today in a game against the Philadelphia Phillies, becoming only the second player in major league history to reach the 4,000 mark. "Only Ty Cobb, whose major league record of 4,191 hits could be in jeopardy next year, knows just what Pete Rose has accomplished," explained the Syracuse Herald Journal on April 14, 1984. "Shortstop Ivan DeJesus retrieved the relay throw and handed the ball to Rose, who trotted toward the first-base dugout as the Olympic Stadium crowd of 48,060 cheered." NOTE: Rose finished his career with 4,256 hits.

1983: Chicago elects African-American mayor
Harold Washington was elected the city of Chicago's first African-American mayor today. "Harold Washington, beating back the strongest Republican bid for citywide office in a generation, defeated Bernard Epton by barely a dozen votes a precinct Tuesday and called on his supporters to overcome the city's racial strife," informed the Daily Herald on April 13, 1983. "Describing his campaign as 'a pilgrimage,' Washington promised to follow as well as lead. 'I will initiate your reforms,' he told a jubilant crowd of supporters before imploring them to heal the racial sores infecting the city."


1970: Oxygen tank explodes on Apollo 13
An explosion on Apollo 13 forced the astronauts to abandon their mission to the moon and head home today. Apollo 13, launched on April 11, was supposed to be the third mission to bring humans to the moon. However, the mission became the first in the Apollo program requiring an emergency abort after an oxygen tank exploded and damaged other systems on the spaceship. "James A. Lovell Jr., Fred W. Haise Jr. and John L. Swigert Jr. took shortcuts to conserve their precious consumables of water, oxygen and power as they raced farther from earth toward a moon which had been their landing target until a violent eruption of a pressurized fuel tank Monday night," reported the Stevens Point Daily Journal on April 14, 1970. NOTE: The astronauts managed to safely return to Earth in the spaceship's lunar module.

1943: Escape attempt made at Alcatraz
Four convicts attempted to escape from the prison at Alcatraz today. Two drowned in the San Francisco Bay after being shot in the attempt, and the remaining two were recaptured. "The four convicts opened their bid for freedom by jumping and binding Henry Weinhold, captain of the guards, and George Smith, custodial officer, threatening them meanwhile with prison-made knives," explained The Lowell Sun on April 14, 1943. "Weinhold managed to slip his bonds, loosen his gag and blow his whistle. Then, sirens shrieked, shots were fired and the hunt was on."


1883: Man convicted of cannibalism
Alfred Packer was sentenced to death today on charges of cannibalism. Packer confessed to consuming human remains after becoming lost nine years earlier during a winter expedition with five other men in Colorado. The Oshkosh Northwestern published a statement from Packer, who claimed that one of his companions killed the other men while Packer was looking for provisions and then proceeded to attack Packer, who shot him. News reports vilified the Packer: "The men became desperate, and some crazed. While his companions were in this condition Packer deliberately fell upon and butchered the whole party, and for several weeks lived on the flesh cut from their bodies," according to the Decatur Weekly Republican on April 19, 1883. NOTE: Packer's sentence was later overturned, and he was officially pardoned in 1981.

Today April 17th
 

Sorry Ladies, things got crazy at the convention. I missed a few days.

1969: Robert Kennedy assassin found guilty

Sirhan B. Sirhan was found guilty of first degree murder today for assassinating Senator Robert F. Kennedy, the brother of slain President John F. Kennedy. After winning the California Democratic presidential primary, Robert Kennedy was shot at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles in June of 1968.

"When the verdict was announced, Sirhan, who had been nervously chewing at his fingers, stared straight ahead and showed no emotion," reported the Syracuse Herald Journal on April 17, 1969. "After a one-day recess, the same jurors will hear arguments as to whether Sirhan's fate should be life in prison or a sentence to the gas chamber at San Quentin."

NOTE: On April 23, 1969, Sirhan was sentenced to death in the gas chamber. His sentence was later commuted to life in prison, a sentence he is still serving.

1990: Civil rights activist Ralph Abernathy dies

Rev. Ralph Abernathy, the man who cradled Martin Luther King Jr.'s head after he was shot to death on the balcony of a Memphis motel in 1968, died today in an Atlanta hospital. "As King's chief lieutenant, Abernathy was at his side almost every key battle of the civil rights movement of the 1950s and '60s and took his place as leader of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference after King's 1968 assassination. But the fame and adulation enjoyed by King never quite extended to Abernathy," an obituary in The Valley Independent read on April 18, 1990. NOTE: In 1989, Abernathy released his autobiography And the Walls Came Tumbling Down, which prompted a firestorm of protest when the book reported on King's extramarital affairs.

1970: Apollo 13 crew returns safely

"Apollo 13's astronauts blazed back to the safety of their home planet today with a pinpoint landing in the Pacific Ocean, bringing a successful conclusion to America's most perilous space adventure," informed The Daily Times News. NOTE: The spacecraft was forced to abandon its mission after an April 13 oxygen tank explosion damaged the craft.

1964: Jerrie Mock completes pioneer flight

Jerrie Mock, 38, of Columbus, Ohio, became the first woman to fly solo around the world today. "She landed her single-engine Cessna at Port Columbus at 9:36 p.m., 29 days after takeoff. She descended into a throng of well-wishers," reported Oshkosh Daily Northwestern on April 18, 1964. NOTE: The following day, Jerrie Mock Day was announced in Columbus, Ohio, in honor of her achievement.

1961: Cuban exiles invade Bay of Pigs

Today, a group of 1,500 Cuban exiles invaded the Bay of Pigs on the southern coast of Cuba in an attempt to overthrow the government of Fidel Castro. "As the government acted to fight off the invaders, Cuba charged in the United Nations that the attack was waged by 'mercenaries' from bases in Florida and Guatemala," explained The Lima News on April 17, 1961. "In Washington, Secretary of State Dean Rusk denied that the invasion came from American soil, but said the United States is sympathetic with the invaders' aims." NOTE: The exiles were easily defeated by the Cuban government. Although the U.S. State Department initially denied any involvement in the attack, President Kennedy later confessed to funding and supplying the exiles and took full responsibility for the invasion.

1861: Virginia State Convention votes to secede

The Virginia State Convention voted to secede from the Union today. "There seems to be no room to doubt that the Virginia Convention have voted to secede, but as the Ordinance was passed in secret session, its exact terms are not yet known," reported The New York Times on April 20, 1861. NOTE: The northwest portion of Virginia subsequently seceded from Virginia, joining the Union as West Virginia on June 20, 1863.

Today April 18th,

1955: Albert Einstein dies
Celebrated physicist and Nobel Laureate Albert Einstein died today at the age of 76. Einstein, who suffered internal bleeding after being hospitalized for a gall bladder inflammation, died at Princeton Hospital in New Jersey.

"Einstein rose from obscurity as a German factory-owner's son, and a childhood marked by a slowness to learn, and astounded the 20th Century with his genius," reported The Coshocton Tribune on April 18, 1955. "He labored for 40 years to find the master key that might explain the physical makeup and operation of the universe. He believed the universe was one continuous field, like an endless stream, and governed by unchangeable laws."

NOTE: Einstein's death especially saddened the scientific world. The president of Princeton University told The Edwardsville Intelligencer that Einstein's understanding of nature was "beyond assessment in our day." Before "the great genius" was cremated, his brain was preserved for scientific research. After a brief period of initial scientific scrutiny the preserved sections of the brain were stored for 20 years in Mason jars in a cider box before being reexamined by scientists.

1983: U.S. Embassy in Beirut is destroyed
A suicide bomber destroyed the United States Embassy in Beirut today. The explosion, which killed 63 people, occurred when a delivery van, packed with more than 2,000 pounds of explosives, detonated. "A group called Moslem Holy War claimed responsibility, telling the newspaper Al Liwa, 'This is part of the Iranian revolution's campaign against imperialist targets throughout the world. We shall keep striking at any imperialist presence in Lebanon, including multinational force.' Moslem Holy War has claimed several previous attacks on multinational force," reported The Syracuse Herald Journal on April 18, 1983.

1958: Poet Ezra Pound goes free
Treason charges were dismissed against poet Ezra Pound today, freeing him from the mental institution where he was held for 12 years after being declared mentally unfit to stand trial. Pound was indicted for treason after delivering anti-American broadcasts from Italy during World War II. "Dr. Winfred Overholser, superintendent of St. Elizabeth's, said in a sworn statement accompanying the motion that 'there is no likelihood…no possibility that the indictment against Ezra Pound can ever be tried because of the permanent and incurable insanity' of the poet. But, Overholser said, Pound 'is not a dangerous person and his release would not endanger' others," explained The Daily Times-News on April 18, 1958.

1946: League of Nations dissolves
"The League of Nations, created to preserve peace after a world cataclysm, expired last night and willed to the United Nations its physical assets in the hope that the new organization might succeed where the league had failed. It had lived 26 years," reported The Post Standard on April 19, 1946. "Quietly, the delegates answered 'yes' to a roll call on a motion providing that 'with effect from the day following the close of the present session of the assembly, the League of Nations shall cease to exist except for the sole purpose of the liquidation of its affairs.'"

1923: Yankee Stadium opens
Yankee Stadium officially opened its doors today to a crowd of 74,000 fans. "Governors, generals, colonels, politicians and baseball officials gathered solemnly yesterday to dedicate the biggest stadium in baseball, but it was a ball player who did the real dedicating. In the third inning, with two teammates on the base lines, Babe Ruth smashed a savage home run into the right field bleachers, and that was the real baptism of the new Yankee stadium," The Davenport Democrat and Leader explained on April 19, 1923. NOTE: Because of Babe Ruth's legendary status as a player for the Yankees, Yankee Stadium is commonly referred to as "the house that Ruth built."

1906: Hundreds die in San Francisco quake
A large earthquake, measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale, shook the town of San Francisco, California early this morning. "This city lies in smoldering ruins and total annihilation seems to be its fate," informed The Oakland Tribune on April 18, 1906. "The magnificent business district lying between the water's edge and Tenth street and even still farther west is destroyed, and there is scarcely any hope of saving but a few of the magnificent skyscrapers that have been erected during the last ten years. Thirty thousand houses were either partially or wholly destroyed by earthquake, and the subsequent fire which started in 100 different places simultaneously has swept the city from one end to the other."

OMG
1906: Hundreds die in San Francisco quake
Is that weird or what, I got goosebumps.............

Today April 19th
 

1956: Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier marry

American actress Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier III of Monaco exchanged Roman Catholic wedding vows in the Monaco cathedral today. The couple had also married in a civil service on the day before the religious ceremony.

"The exchange of vows and blessing took only 10 minutes, but attendant ceremonials and processions stretched out for more than three hours," reported the Winnipeg Free Press read on April 19, 1956. "Trailing her ivory lace wedding train in the bright Mediterranean sun, the bride walked with measured strides into the white stone cathedral just before 11 a.m. as bugles blared."

NOTE: Hours after they were considered married in the eyes of the Roman Catholic Church and according to civil law, they left on a Mediterranean cruise for their honeymoon. Grace Kelly died in a car crash in 1982 and the Prince never remarried.

2005: Cardinal Ratzinger is elected pope

Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger of Germany was named the new pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church today, succeeding John Paul II. "White smoke poured from a chimney at the Vatican and bells tolled, announcing to the world that a new pope was elected in the first papal conclave of the new millennium," informed The Capital on April 19, 2005. NOTE: Ratzinger chose the name Pope Benedict XVI.

1995: Oklahoma bombing kills 168 people

A truck full of explosives destroyed the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, today, killing 168 people. "The blast occurred at the start of a work day, as parents dropped off their youngsters at the day-care center in the federal building. Before the smoke cleared, emergency worker Heather Taylor had to put tags on the toes of at least 12 children," The Post Standard reported on April 20, 1995. "Assistant Fire Chief Jon Hansen described the first 30 minutes after the bombing as 'pure mayhem.' Streets were choked with walking wounded, emergency crews and well-meaning citizens." NOTE: In 1997, Timothy McVeigh was convicted of the bombing and on June 11, 2001, he was executed by lethal injection

1967: Former West German Chancellor Adenauer dies

Konrad Adenauer of West Germany, chancellor from 1949 to 1963, died today at the age of 91. "Adenauer was respected and consulted by all the Western world leaders even after his retirement in 1963. He commanded the attention of the Communists and his passing was reported by the Soviet news agency Tass without comment moments after his death," explained the Syracuse Herald Journal on April 19, 1967. "As the architect of postwar West Germany policy the Russians had blamed him more than any other European statesman for opposing Soviet policy in Europe."

1927: Mae West sentenced for 'obscene performance'

Actress Mae West was sentenced to ten days in a work house and fined $500 for participating in an "obscene stage performance" today. On March 19, the Broadway play Sex, which West was the star and co-author of, voluntarily closed after warrants were served on the cast and owners for staging an obscene show. NOTE: West would later be known for her Hollywood movies and is remembered today as one of the first blonde bombshells.

1904: Toronto devastated by fire

A fire swept through the city of Toronto in Ontario, Canada today. The blaze destroyed more than 150 buildings and caused $10 million to $15 million in damage, according to 1904 reports. "The fire started in a factory in Wellington street, about 9 o'clock last night. In less than an hour the flames had spread from building to building on both sides of the street until the whole block was a mass of flames and the fire was utterly beyond control of the local fire department," reported The Newark Advocate on April 20, 1904.