[goofywife]

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."