Today in History

1805
explorers, Lewis&Clark leave Fort Mandan on the Missouri River to begin their journey to the Pacific Ocean
1827
English chemist, John Walker invents wooden matches
1933
The Cullen-Hanson Act goes into effect where the sale of 'low alcohol beer' becomes legal known as 'National Beer Day'
1949
the original Broadway production of Rodgers/Hammerstein's musical' South Pacific at the Majestic Theatre in NYC runs for 1,928 performances to rave reviews. Its based on James Mitcher's 'Tales of the Pacific." The story is about a U.S. nurse in WWII station in the South Pacific who falls in love with a middle aged French plantation owner. It starred Mary Martin, Ezio Pinza, William Talbert. The show won 10 Tony awards,won all its acting categories,also won a Pulitizer Prize
1983
the oldest human skeleton aged 80,000 yrs found in Egypt

1983
the oldest human skeleton age 80,000 yrs old is found in Egypt
 

April 7th Birthdays:
1770
William Wordsworth- British poet lauerate
1897
Walter Winchell- U.S. newscaster/columnist
1908
Percy Faith-Canadian pop&easy listening composer'Theme to Summer Place'
1928
James Garner- actor' Murphy's Romance, Victor/ Victoria, Bret Maverick, his best known TV role 'Jim Rockford' in NBC detective show' The Rockford Files'
1939
Francis Ford Coppola- film director "Apocalypse Now, The Godfather. He won Best Director Oscar for Godfather II
1964
Russell Crowe- actor' Gladiators, A Beautiful Mind
Deaths:
1891
PT Barnum- businessman/circus showman' Barnum&Bailey Circus' 80
1947
Henry Ford- industrialist/ founder of Ford Motor Company 83
2009
Dave Arnsen- game designer' Dungeons&Dragons 61
2012
Mike Wallace- journalist/reporter on CBS magazine' 60 Minutes' 93, His son is journalist, Chris Wallace
2017
Tim Pigott- Smith- British actor' Jewel in the Crown, King Charles III 70
 
This day in History April 8th

2005 Over 4 million people pay their last respects to Pope John Paul II

Karol Józef Wojtyła from Poland was an immensely popular Pope. He was succeeded by German Pope Benedict XVI, born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger.

1977 The Clash release their debut album of the same name

The British combo around lead vocalist Joe Strummer is considered one of the most influential early punk rock bands.

1959 One of the first modern programming languages is created

The Common Business-Oriented Language or COBOL was primarily designed by a woman, Grace Hopper. Also known as Amazing Grace, she is regarded as one of the pioneers in the field.

1953 Jomo Kenyatta is sentenced to 7 years of hard labor

Kenyatta led the Mau Mau movement against the British colonialists. He is considered to be Kenya's founding father and became the country's first President in 1964.

1904 France and the United Kingdom sign the Entente cordiale

The treaty, which was initially designed to regulate the countries' colonial interests in Africa, later evolved into the Triple Entente to fight Germany in World War I.
 

Births On This Day, April 8th 🎂

1938 Kofi Annan
Ghanaian diplomat, 7th Secretary-General of the United Nations

1929 Jacques Brel
Belgian singer-songwriter, actor

1918 Betty Ford
American wife of Gerald R. Ford, 40th First Lady of the United States

1859 Edmund Husserl
Austrian mathematician, philosopher

1827 Ramón Emeterio Betances
Puerto Rican doctor, politician

Deaths On This Day, April 8th 🪦

2013 Margaret Thatcher
English politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

1981 Omar Bradley
American general

1973 Pablo Picasso
Spanish painter, sculptor

1950 Vaslav Nijinsky
Russian dancer, choreographer

1857 Mangal Pandey
Indian freedom fighter
 
8th April

1093 The new Winchester Cathedral in Hampshire was dedicated. The Grade 1 listed cathedral is one of the largest cathedrals in England, with the longest nave and overall length of any Gothic cathedral in Europe.

1740 Naval battle during the War of Jenkins' Ear between the Spanish ship Princesa and a squadron of three British ships; HMS Kent, HMS Lenox and HMS Orford. The Spanish ship is chased down, captured and taken into service as HMS Princess. Robert Jenkins, owner of said ‘ear’, was a British Sea Captain whose ear was said to have been cut-off by Spanish Coast Guards who boarded and searched his ship ‘Rebecca’.

1838 The day before his 32nd birthday, Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s 236 ft steamship Great Western sailed from Bristol on her maiden voyage to New York. The journey took 15 days, half the time of the fastest sailing ship. She became the first steamship to make regular Atlantic crossings.

1925 The Australian Government and the British Colonial Office offered low interest loans to encourage Britons to borrow the money to emigrate to Australia.

1946 The League of Nations held its last meeting in Geneva before dissolution. It was replaced by the United Nations (UN).
 
1862
John D. Lynde patents aerosal dispenser
1869
American Museum of Natural History opens in NYC
1969
The 1st Major League Baseball game debut of a Canadian team,the Montreal Expos defeated NYMets 11-10 at Shea Stadium in NYC
1974
slugger, Hank Aaron of Atlanta Braves hits his 715th HR breaking Babe Ruth's record in Atlanta
2019
a record 17ft invasive Burmese python pregnant with 73 eggs is finally captured in Fla's Big Cypress National Preserve
 
April 8th Birthdays:
1850
William H.Welch- patologist, founder of Johns Hopkins Hosptial in Baltimore,MD
1896
Yip Harburg- lyricist' Over the Rainbow, Its Only a Paper Moon'
1912
Sonja Henie- Norweigan Olympic gold medal figure skater '28,'32','36
1923
Edward Mulhare- Irish actor of stage/ TV ,he was Rex Harrison's understudy in original production of' My Fair Lady',took over in 1957-1960. His best known TV roles' Capt Daniel Gregg' in NBC sitcom'The Ghost and Mrs. Muir co starred with Hope Lange. 'Devon Miles' in NBC show'KNight Rider,co starred with David Hasselhoff, he played David's boss
1938
Kofi Annan- Ghanian diplomat,7th Sec General at United Nations '97-'06
1955
Barbara Kingslover- author' The Poisonwood Bible'
1966
Robin Wright- actress 'Princess Bride' TV show' House of Cards'
Deaths:
1861
Elisha Otis- U.S. founder of Otis Elevator Company 50
1973
Pablo Picasso- Spanish painter 91
1981
Omar Bradley- U.S. WWII General,1st Chairman of Joint Chief of Staff '49-'53 88
1990
Ryan White- hemophillac AIDS sufferer 18
2013
Margaret Thatcher- Britian's Prime Minister '79-'90 87{stroke}
 
This day in History, April 9th

2005 Prince Charles marries Camilla Parker Bowles

Charles was formerly married to Diana, Princess of Wales. His second marriage to Camilla made him the first member of the British Royal Family to have a civil wedding.

1967 The first Boeing 737 takes off on its maiden flight

The short-to-medium range plane is the best-selling airplane in history.

1952 The Bolivian National Revolution overthrows Hugo Ballivián's government
The nationalist movement initiated radical reforms, including universal suffrage, the nationalization of tin mines, and the inclusion of previously marginalized ethnicities into national life.

1940 Germany invades Denmark and Norway
The rationale of Operation Weserübung was to secure access to Swedish iron ore. In Norway, a resistance group around Max Manus and Gunnar Sønsteby successfully sabotaged the German war effort.

1860 The world's first recording of the human voice is created
French inventor Édouard-Léon Scott de Martinville used his phonautograph, the earliest known sound recording device, to capture himself singing the French folk song “Au Clair de la lune”.
 
Births On This Day, April 9th 🎂

1975 Robbie Fowler
English footballer, manager

1971 Jacques Villeneuve
Canadian race car driver

1954 Iain Duncan Smith
Scottish captain, politician

1945 Steve Gadd
American drummer

1898 Paul Robeson
American singer, actor, activist

Deaths On This Day, April 9th 🪦

2011 Sidney Lumet
American director

2005 Andrea Dworkin
American activist, author

1976 Phil Ochs
American singer-songwriter, guitarist

1959 Frank Lloyd Wright
American architect, designed the Price Tower, Fallingwater

1945 Dietrich Bonhoeffer
German pastor, theologian
 
9th April

1511 St John's College, Cambridge, founded by Lady Margaret Beaufort (mother of King Henry VII and paternal grandmother of King Henry VIII), received its charter.

1585 The expedition organised by Sir Walter Raleigh departed England for Roanoke Island (now in North Carolina) to establish a permanent English settlement.

1747 The Scottish Jacobite Lord Lovat was beheaded on Tower Hill, London, for high treason. He was the last man to be executed in this way in Britain, in a form of execution which had been reserved for the nobility.

2002 The funeral of the Queen Mother was held at Westminster Abbey.

2021 The death was announced of Prince Philip (aged 99), husband of Queen Elizabeth II for more than 70 years. He officially retired from royal duties in May 2020 after 22,219 solo engagements. The Duke was the longest-reigning consort in British history and had recently been treated at King Edward VII Hospital for a pre-existing heart condition and at St. Bartholomew’s Hospital for an infection.
 
1872
Samuel R. Percy patents dried milk
1939
Marian Andersen,African American singer sang at the Lincoln Memorial in front of 75,000 people and live radio audience of millions The Daughters of the American Revolution refused to let her sing at Constitution Hall because of her skin color She was invited by Sec of Interior,Harold Ickes who said'genius draws no color line'
1973
movie' Paper Moon' directed by Peter Bogdanovich is released. The movie stars Ryan O'Neal, his daughter Tatum,Madeline Kahn, John Hillerman. The story of a 30's con man who joins forces with 10 yr old 'Addie'. Tatum won Best supp actress Oscar,the youngest ever age 10
1976
movie' All The President's Men' directed by Alan Pakula is released. Its stars Robert Redford,Dustin Hoffman {playing Washington Post reporters, Bob Woodward, Carl Bernstein} Jason Robards, Hal Holbrook,Jane Alexander The story is how the WSP reporters broke the 'Watergate scandal' wide open. Robards won best supp actor Oscar
1992
Panama general/dictator,Manuel Noreiga is found guilty 8/10 drug &racketeering charges in U.S. Federal court
 
April 9th Birthdays:
1889
Efrem Zimbalist-Russian composer/ violinist
1898
Paul Robson- U.S. bass/baritone singer'Old Man River'/actor/civil rights activist
1926
Hugh Hefner- magazine publisher'Playboy
1939
Michael Learned- actress best known TV role 'Olivia Walton on show'The Waltons'
1954
Dennis Quaid- actor' The Right Stuff, Big Easy'
Deaths:
1959
Frank Lloyd Wright- U.S. architect 89
1976
Phil Ochs- anti war folk singer 35{suicide}
1988
Brook Benton -soul singer' A Rainy Night in Georgia,Its Just a Matter of Time' 56
2011
Sidney Lumet- film director The Pawnbroker, Dog Day Afternoon,Fail Safe He won an honorary Oscar for Life time Achievement in'05 86
2021
Prince Phillip/Duke of Edinburgh,Queen Eliz II's husband 99
 
This day in History, April 10th

2010 The President of Poland, Lech Kaczyński, dies in a plane crash

Several high-ranking officials, senior members of the Polish clergy, as well as relatives of the Katyn massacre victims were killed. The accident was blamed on pilot error and bad weather.

2001 Mercy killings become legal in the Netherlands

In a controversial decision, the Dutch senate approved a bill legalizing euthanasia for patients with an unbearable, terminal illness.

1998 Negotiators in Northern Ireland reach a historic peace deal
The Good Friday Agreement ended 30 years of violent conflict about Northern Ireland's constitutional status (“The Troubles”).

1970 The Beatles break up as Paul McCartney leaves the band
In their ten years of existence, the British rock group became one of the most successful bands of all time, selling over a billion albums, according to EMI. McCartney's announcement came a week before the release of his debut solo album, the starting point of a successful solo career.

1815 Mount Tambora explodes in one of the largest volcanic eruptions in recorded history
At least 71,000 people were killed by the eruption. The explosion was heard up to 2000 km (1200 mi) away.
 
Births On This Day, April 10th 🎂

1987 Hayley Westenra
New Zealand soprano

1951 David Helvarg
American journalist, activist

1932 Omar Sharif
Egyptian actor

1847 Joseph Pulitzer
Hungarian/American politician, journalist, publisher, founded Pulitzer, Inc.

1778 William Hazlitt
English critic, painter

Deaths On This Day, April 10th 🪦

1966 Evelyn Waugh
English author, journalist

1965 Linda Darnell
American actress

1955 Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
French/American priest, paleontologist, philosopher

1931 Kahlil Gibran
Lebanese/American poet

1919 Emiliano Zapata
Mexican general
 
10th April

1606 The Charter of the Virginia Company of London with the purpose of establishing colonial settlements in North America. Such a venture allowed the Crown to reap the benefits of colonization—natural resources, new markets for English goods, leverage against the Spanish—without bearing the costs.

1633 Bananas went on display in Thomas Johnson's shop window in London. This was the first time the fruit had been seen in Britain.

1710 The Copyright Act, known as The Statute of Anne, came into effect in Britain. It allowed authors to hold exclusive rights to their work for up to 50 years after their death. The restrictions were enforced by the Stationers' Company, a guild of printers given the exclusive power to print and the responsibility to censor literary works.

1858 The 14.5 tonne bell, 'Big Ben', was cast in Stockton-on-Tees by Warner's of Cripplegate. However the bell cracked during testing. It was recast into the 13.76 tonne bell by Whitechapel Bell Foundry and is still in use today. It is the largest of the five bells in the clock tower of the Palace of Westminster (Houses of Parliament).

1912 The British built luxury liner Titanic set sail on its maiden and only voyage, from Berth 44, White Star Line dock, Southampton, bound for New York.

2021 Rachael Blackmore made sporting history by becoming the first female jockey to win the Grand National, with victory on Minella Times at Aintree.
 
1790
U.S. patent system forms
1899
inventor, William Hunt in NYC patents safety pin,sold the rights for $400
1866
ASPCA-American Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is established
1953
horror movie' The House of Wax' is released directed byAndre de Toth starred Vincent Price, Phyliss Kirk,Frank Lovejoy. Its the 1st movie to be shot in color and using steroscopic 3-D film process.
1970
Paul McCartney officially announced the split of The Beatles
2018
CEO of Facebook,Mark Zuckenberg begins his testimony in front of U.S. Congress about data use&security
 
April 10th Birthdays:
1915
Harry Morgan- actor TV shows' December Bride, Dragnet, 'M*A*S*H' played 'Col Potter
1921
Chuck Connors- actor TV show' The Rifleman co starred with Johnny Crawford
1929
Max Von Syndow- Swedish character actor"Hawaii,The Exorcist,Dune, Game of Thrones'
1930
Omar Sharif- Egyptian actor' Dr Zhivago,Lawrence of Arabia
1988
Hayley Joel Osmet- actor' The Sixth Sense, Second Hand Lions,Pay It Forward
deaths:
1962
Stuart Sutcliffe- Scottish rocker the orignal bassist for The Beatles- 21{brain hemorrage}
1991
Natalie Schafer- actress, best known TV role' Mrs Lovey Howell" on TV show' Gilligan's Island' 90
1999
Jean Vander Pyl- voice actress in animated cartoons The Jetsons, The Flintstones 79
2010
Dixie Carter- actress soap opera' The Edge of Night' best known TV role 'Julia Sugarbaker' in TV show' Designing Women' 70 married to actor Hal Holbrooke
 
This day in History, April 11th

2006 President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announces that Iran has enriched uranium

The Iranian nuclear program has become a source of great controversy. Several countries, some of them possessing nuclear weapons themselves, accuse Tehran of developing an Iranian atom bomb.

2006 Mafia boss Bernardo Provenzano is arrested
Provenzano was one of Cosa Nostra's central figures. The mafioso was arrested near Corleone, Sicily after 40 years on the run.

1979 Uganda's dictator Idi Amin is overthrown
The despot's 8-year rule was characterized by extensive human rights abuse and repression. According to estimates, hundreds of thousands were killed as a result of his actions.

1972 The first episode of I'm sorry I haven't a clue is aired
The BBC's classic comedy show, which was chaired by Humphrey Lyttelton until his death in 2008, is one of the longest-running British radio shows of all time.

1961 The trial of Adolf Eichmann begins
The ex-Nazi was one of the main organizers of the Holocaust, in which millions of people were slaughtered. He was hanged for war crimes in 1962.
 
Births On This Day, April 11th 🎂

1987 Joss Stone
English singer-songwriter, actress

1960 Jeremy Clarkson
English journalist

1913 Oleg Cassini
French/American fashion designer

1893 Dean Acheson
American lawyer, politician, 51st United States Secretary of State

1722 Christopher Smart
English actor, playwright, poet

Deaths On This Day, April 11th 🪦

2013 Maria Tallchief
American ballerina

2007 Kurt Vonnegut
American author

1987 Primo Levi
Italian chemist, author

1985 Enver Hoxha
Albanian politician, Prime Minister of Albania

1983 Dolores del Río
Mexican actress
 
11th April

1855 Britain's first pillar boxes were put up in London. There were six of them, all painted green.

1951 The Stone of Scone, (the stone upon which Scottish monarchs were traditionally crowned) was found on the site of the altar of Arbroath Abbey in Angus. It had been stolen from Westminster Abbey 107 days earlier by Scottish nationalists who wanted it returned to Scotland. In 1996, in a symbolic response to growing dissatisfaction among Scots, the Conservative Government decided that the Stone should be kept in Edinburgh Castle when not in use at coronations.

1957 Britain agreed to Singapore self rule, to come into effect in 1958.

1987 The London Agreement was secretly signed between Israeli Foreign Affairs Minister Shimon Peres and King Hussein of Jordan. The agreement outlined the framework for an international peace conference hosted by the United Nations, and whose purpose was 'the peaceful solution of the Arab-Israeli conflict.'
 
1890
Ellis Island,NY is designated as a immigration station
1900
The 1st modern sybmarine designed&built by John Phillip Holland is bought by U.S. Navy
1950
Prince Rainier III becomes ruler of Monaco until his death in 2005
1955
movie' Marty' directed by Debert Mann is released,story of a lonely Bronx,NY butcher who unexpectedly falls in love. The movie stars Ernest Borgnine,Betsy Blair, Joe Mantell.The movie won 4 Oscars, picture, director, actor{Borgnine}, adapted screenplay
1961
trial of Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann begins in Egypt
1976
Steve Wozniak,co founder of Apple creates Apple 1 computer
2019
Julian Assange, founder of Wikileaks is forcibly removed in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London by police.He is arrested on his failure to appear in court on U.S. extradiction charges
 
April 11th Birthdays:
1913
Oleg Cassini- fashion designer
1932
Joel Grey- actor/singer on Broadway/movies "Caberet,Remo Williams
1947
Peter Reigert- actor' Animal House,Crossing Delancy'
1987
Joss Stone-British singer/songwriter'The Soul Sessions
Deaths:
1906
James Anthony Bailey- businessman/circus ringmaster{Barnum&Bailey Circus} 58
1981
Ernest Caldwell- novelist' Tobacco Road,God's Little Acre' 83
2006
June Pointer- r&b singer in group'Pointer Sisters' "He's So Shy', Jump{For My Love} 52{cancer}
2017
J.Geils- rock guitarist with J.Geils Band "Centerfold' 71
 
This day in History, April 12th

1988 The Last Emperor receives nine Academy Awards

Bernardo Bertolucci's biopic about Puyi, the last Emperor of China, was the first film to be awarded all the Oscars it was nominated for.

1981 The Space Shuttle blasts off into space for the first time
Two astronauts took off for Space Shuttle Columbia's first orbital test flight.

1961 Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
The Soviet Cosmonaut orbited the Earth aboard the Vostok-3KA spacecraft (Vostok 1 mission). The first human spaceflight took 108 minutes from launch to landing.

1937 The first aircraft jet engine is successfully tested

Sir Frank Whittle invented and tested the engine, only a few months before German engineer Hans von Ohain ran his jet engine, which was to power the first-ever all-jet aircraft.

1861 The American Civil War begins

The bombardment of Fort Sumter near Charleston, South Carolina marked the beginning of hostilities. The conflict was sparked by deepening economic, social, and political differences between the southern and northern states, which were most palpably embodied by the dispute about the legitimacy of slavery. The southern (pro-slavery) states, surrendered in 1865, ending the war.
 

Births On This Day, April 12th 🎂


1947 David Letterman
American comedian, talk show host

1947 Tom Clancy
American author

1940 Herbie Hancock
American pianist, composer, bandleader

1871 Ioannis Metaxas
Greek general, politician, 130th Prime Minister of Greece

1823 Alexander Ostrovsky
Russian playwright

Deaths On This Day, April 12th 🪦

1989 Sugar Ray Robinson
American boxer

1981 Joe Louis
American boxer

1975 Josephine Baker
American/French actress, singer, dancer

1945 Franklin D. Roosevelt
American politician, 32nd President of the United States

1555 Joanna of Castile
 
12th April

1606 The Union Flag became the official flag of Britain. It combined the flags of St. George (England) and St. Andrew (Scotland). As Wales was not a Kingdom but a Principality it could not be included on the flag. In 1801 the cross of St. Patrick (Ireland) was incorporated to create the flag that has been flown ever since.

1838 English settlers in South Africa defeated the Zulus at the Battle of Tugela. The settlers had guns whereas the Zulus only had spears

1902 In South Africa, Boer leaders met the British commander Lord Kitchener to discuss peace proposals to end the Boer War.

1935 The first flight of the Bristol Blenheim, a British light bomber aircraft designed and built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company that was used extensively in the early days of the Second World War. BAC went on to become a founding component of the nationalised British Aerospace, now BAE Systems.

1954 American, Bill Haley recorded 'Rock Around The Clock'. It was first record to sell a million copies in Britain.
 


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