Today in History

[Janet]

I love reading them too Michelle. Every one of them has been so interesting.

[goofywife]

1989: Lucille Ball dies

Actress Lucille Ball, star of the sitcom I Love Lucy, died of a ruptured aorta today, only eight days after she underwent emergency heart surgery. The four-time Emmy Award winner was 77-years-old.

"An outpouring of sympathy from presidents to childhood neighbors followed the death of Lucille Ball, but many said the queen mother of comedy will live on through television reruns and her influence on comedy," reported The Valley Independent on April 27, 1989. "Miss Ball maintained her sense of humor even when she was critically ill. Following her operation last week, her first words to her daughter, Lucie, were 'Wouldn't you know – this is the day I was going to get my hair done.'"

NOTE: Although Ball was known as "the queen of television comedy," her talents went well beyond acting. With her husband Desi Arnaz, Ball created and led Desilu, one of Hollywood's major production companies.

1991: Tornado outbreak hits Kansas

A series of strong tornadoes struck parts of Kansas today, with the most devastating hitting the town of Andover with wind speeds of more than 260 mph. The Andover tornado injured hundreds and completely destroyed the Golden Spur Mobile Home Park. "Bulldozers on Saturday cut through twisted wreckage in a trailer park hardest hit by tornadoes that killed 29 people, and authorities feared the death toll could rise," explained the Daily Herald on April 28, 1991. "Hundreds of homes were destroyed as at least 30 twisters ripped across Kansas and 18 through Oklahoma Friday night."

1986: Explosion at Chernobyl releases radiation

An explosion at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine caused a fire today that resulted in a nuclear meltdown. "The first indications of a nuclear mishap came this morning when unusual concentrations of radioactivity were registered in the vicinity of a nuclear power plant in Forsmark, Sweden. Six hundred workers were evacuated," the Syracuse Herald Journal explained on April 28, 1986. Radiation from the Chernobyl plant contaminated large areas, with the governments of Sweden, Finland and Denmark reporting large clouds of radioactive material. NOTE: The Chernobyl disaster is still considered the largest nuclear accident in history.

1954: Polio vaccine tests begin

The National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis gave its approval to begin distributing a new polio vaccine today. "Sandy-haired Randy Kerr claimed the first shot today in a nation-wide polio vaccine test, but what worried him most was the poison ivy 'which I've had since a week ago Sunday,'" reported the Oakland Tribune on April 26, 1954. "But Dr. Richard Mulvaney assured him he had nothing to worry about on that score and proceeded to make Randy the first of some 2,400 children in Fairfax County who will take their first shots this week."

1925: Germany elects Von Hindenburg

German field marshal Paul Von Hindenburg was elected president of Germany today. "Running as the choice of the nationalist-conservative bloc, consisting of the parties of United Right, von Hindenburg received 14,639,399 votes or 48.3 per cent, of the total valid ballots cast in yesterday's polling. His principal opponent, former Chancellor Dr. Wilhelm Marx, candidate of the Republican bloc, received 13,752,649 votes. Ernest Thaelmann, the Communist, trailed with 1,931,591," explained The Bee on April 27, 1925. NOTE: Hindenburg remained in office until his death on August 2, 1934, upon which Adolf Hitler became Germany's Head of State.

1865: John Wilkes Booth is shot

Assassin John Wilkes Booth was shot today in a burning barn after a desperate search by the Union army. Booth had fatally shot President Abraham Lincoln just 12 days earlier. "Sergeant Boston Corbett fired upon him and he fell. The ball passed through his neck. He was pulled out of the barn…the wretch lived about two hours, whispering blasphemes against the government, and messages to his mother, desiring her to be informed that he died for his country," reported The New York Times on April 28, 1865. "At the time Booth was shot, he was leaning upon one crutch and preparing to shoot his captors. Only one shot was fired in the entire affair – that which killed the assassin."

[DianaB]

Originally Posted by goofywife

1991: Tornado outbreak hits Kansas

A series of strong tornadoes struck parts of Kansas today, with the most devastating hitting the town of Andover with wind speeds of more than 260 mph. The Andover tornado injured hundreds and completely destroyed the Golden Spur Mobile Home Park. "Bulldozers on Saturday cut through twisted wreckage in a trailer park hardest hit by tornadoes that killed 29 people, and authorities feared the death toll could rise," explained the Daily Herald on April 28, 1991. "Hundreds of homes were destroyed as at least 30 twisters ripped across Kansas and 18 through Oklahoma Friday night."

I can't believe that it's been that long since Andover was hit by that tornado!! We drive through there on our way to Wichita. You can still see some evidence, if you know where to look, of that tornado. It was really bad!!!

[goofywife]

I know exactly how you feel. May 3rd is the big one around here.

Originally Posted by DianaB

I can't believe that it's been that long since Andover was hit by that tornado!! We drive through there on our way to Wichita. You can still see some evidence, if you know where to look, of that tornado. It was really bad!!!

[DianaB]

Originally Posted by goofywife

I know exactly how you feel. May 3rd is the big one around here.

My cousin was living in Moore, Ok, when that one hit. She had just moved there and didn't know where to go to so she took her girls and hid under the stairs. She called her mother and told her good-bye. It ended up that the tornado came within 2 blocks of where she lived. Scary!!!

[goofywife]

It is very sad that she didn't know where to go. It was like the movie Twister had actually come to life. I remember the weather men saying "folks, you are going to have to get under ground for this one, it will not do to be above ground"

For a while it looked like it was coming right for us. I remember my DH and I sitting down and saying well what do we do? We decided to sit in front of the TV and watch it. I know stupid. But it hit the river and turned to Moore (they almost always do that). We live about 1.4 mile from the river. We went outside and watched it pass. I think we had 88 tornado's that day.

My DH works for OG&E. He worked for 6 months to get the power back on. There was one F4 that rode the transmisson lines feeding into the city 88 of the big metal towers were crumbled. He said that they knew there where dead bodies where they were working, they could smell them.

Originally Posted by DianaB

My cousin was living in Moore, Ok, when that one hit. She had just moved there and didn't know where to go to so she took her girls and hid under the stairs. She called her mother and told her good-bye. It ended up that the tornado came within 2 blocks of where she lived. Scary!!!

[Janet]

I've never seen one quite that close or really felt I was in immediate danger of a tornado. Oh we've packed us and the doggies and headed for a safer place, but most of the time we just stay home.

The Palm Sunday tornado in 1964 went right over our property and took everything with it. Of course I was only 9 years old, but I do remember my parents taking us through Russiaville, it was pretty much destroyed.

We do have a storm cellar we can get to, but we have to go outside and then under the house through a small opening. It would be hard getting all the dogs down there. Wish there was a way to get there from inside the house. ...hmmmm, now I'm thinking....