Today in History

[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."

[katcarasella]

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

[goofywife]

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.

[katcarasella]

2005: Cardinal Ratzinger is elected pope

Now he's NYC going to say Mass tomorrow morning, he's a wonderful man.


1995: Oklahoma bombing kills 168 people

I remember this one so well, a very sad time!

[goofywife]

1999: Columbine shootings shock nation

Two students shot and killed 13 people and wounded 24 others today before committing suicide at Columbine High School outside of Littleton, Colorado. The students, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, had previously made death threats against students and teachers online.

"The attackers marched into the library of Columbine High School with guns and pipe bombs, demanding that 'all jocks stand up. We're going to kill every one of you,' said student Aaron Cohn," reported the Syracuse Herald Journal on April 21, 1999. "Bombs were found in and around the school, including in two cars in the school parking lot. More than 11 hours after the shootings, a bomb on a timer blew up, but no one was injured. Meantime, frantic parents awaited word of their children into the night, watching as tearful students were reunited with their families."

NOTE: 2007’s Virginia Tech shooting reminded many of the 1999 Columbine massacre. With 33 people killed, including the gunman, Virginia Tech became the deadliest U.S. school shooting, making Columbine the third deadliest, just behind the 15 people killed by Charles Whitman at the University of Texas in 1966.

1985: FBI surrounds cult compound

The FBI began a three-day standoff today with a religious cult in northern Arkansas. The negotiations with the cult, The Covenant, The Sword, and the Arm of the Lord, started when federal agents tried to serve the group's leader, James Ellison, with a warrant for "conspiracy to manufacture, possess and transfer automatic weapons," according to an article in The Chronicle Telegram on April 20, 1985. "Up to 80 heavily-armed federal, state and local officers, faces blackened and wearing camouflage clothing, laid siege Friday to the 224-acre compound, which contains scattered stone buildings with flat roofs and a radio tower." explained the article. NOTE: The standoff ended peacefully on the morning of the 4th day of the siege, with Ellison and his militia surrendering.

1945: U.S. troops capture Leipzig

"The German army surrendered this fifth largest city of the reich [Leipzig] to the U.S. First army at 11 a.m. today after fighting raged fiercely throughout the night and morning," informed the Joplin Globe on April 20, 1945. "After firing ceased today, after a six-day siege, thousands of the city's inhabitants emerged from their hiding places, some of them waving and cheering in delight that the war was over for them. A white flag waved from each building still standing in the wreckage." NOTE: As the surrender took place in Leipzig, the U.S. army also captured most of Nuremberg and moved tanks south to Munich.

1914: Strikers slaughtered in Ludlow

Dozens of men, women and children were killed today when violence broke out between militiamen and striking coal miners in Ludlow, Colorado. "The Ludlow tent colony presented a scene of death and desolation today, only four or five of the tents remaining standing. Soldiers declare that quantities of ammunition were exploded by the blaze that swept the tent colony during the night," reported The Lincoln Daily Star on April 21, 1914.

1902: Marie Curie isolates radium

Polish scientist Marie Curie isolated the element of radium today. "In July, 1898, they announced their joint discovery of a new element – polonium, named for Mme. Curie's native country. A few months later they announced the discovery of radium. But not until 1902 did their researches permit them to establish its existence and character," explained The Chronicle Telegram on July 5, 1934. NOTE: In 1903, the husband and wife team shared a Nobel Prize in physics with French scientist Henri Becquerel. In 1911, Marie was awarded a second Nobel Prize, this time in chemistry, for her work with radium.

[goofywife]

Kat, I had you pegged for a funny comment on Mae West.

Originally Posted by katcarasella

2005: Cardinal Ratzinger is elected pope

Now he's NYC going to say Mass tomorrow morning, he's a wonderful man.


1995: Oklahoma bombing kills 168 people

I remember this one so well, a very sad time!

[katcarasella]

Originally Posted by goofywife

Kat, I had you pegged for a funny comment on Mae West.

Believe me I was tempted, "Come up and See Me Sometime!"

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Don't want to disappoint you!!

[goofywife]