Fun On this date in history...

I remember him when I watched wrestling back when I was a kid. That was back in the days of Ivan Putski and Haystacks Calhoun.

 

If I may...

ON APRIL 19th:

In 1775, the American Revolutionary War began with the battles of Lexington and Concord.

Also in 1775, post rider Israel Bissell began a trip to spread word to the Colonists about the battles. The ride started from Watertown, MA and reportedly lasted four ¼ days, though accounts differ on whether he reached Connecticut or Philadelphia, PA. (And I freely admit that I’d never heard of this man before I saw Robert Wuhl’s “Assume the Position” live show.)

In 1782, John Adams secured the Dutch Republic’s recognition of the United States as an independent government. The house which he had purchased in The Hague, Netherlands became the first American embassy.

In 1839, The Treaty of London established Belgium as a kingdom and guarantees its neutrality.

In 1861, the Baltimore riot of 1861 began when a pro-Secession mob attacked U.S. Army troops marching through the city.

In 1865, a funeral was held at the White House for President Abraham Lincoln, assassinated five days earlier; his coffin was then taken to the U.S. Capitol for a private memorial service in the Rotunda.

In 1897, the first annual Boston Marathon was held. It was the first of its type in the U.S.

In 1912, a special subcommittee of the Senate Commerce Committee opened hearings in New York into the Titanic disaster.

In 1930, actor Dick Sargent, best-known as Darrin 2.0, was born in Carmel-By-The-Sea, CA.

In 1935, the Universal Pictures horror film "Bride of Frankenstein," starring Boris Karloff with Elsa Lanchester in the title role, had its world premiere in San Francisco.

Also in 1935, actor/comedian/musician/composer Dudley Moore was born in Hammersmith, London.

In 1943, during World War II, tens of thousands of Jews in the Warsaw Ghetto began a valiant but ultimately futile battle against Nazi forces.

In 1945, the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical "Carousel" opened on Broadway at the Majestic Theater.

In 1951, Gen. Douglas MacArthur, relieved of his Far East command by President Harry S. Truman, bade farewell in an address to Congress in which he quoted a line from a ballad: "Old soldiers never die; they just fade away."

In 1956, actress Grace Kelly married Prince Rainier of Monaco.

In 1958, The San Francisco Giants and the Los Angeles Dodgers played the first major league baseball game on the West Coast. This was the Dodgers’ first official game in the Los Angeles Coliseum.

In 1960, South Korean students began an uprising that toppled the government of President Syngman Rhee a week later.

In 1965, New York City radio station WINS-AM launched its all-news format, which continues to this day, making it America's oldest all-news broadcaster.

In 1968, George Harrison, John Lennon and their wives left the religious retreat run by the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi before their studies were completed. Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr had left earlier. Later, all four renounced their association with the Maharishi.

In 1971, the Soviet Union launched Salyut 1, the first space station.

Also in 1971, Charles Manson was sentenced to death for conspiracy in the Tate-LaBianca murders. (The sentence was later commuted to life imprisonment.)

In 1973, the dark western “High Plains Drifter”, starring & directed by Clint Eastwood, premiered in New York City.

In 1975, India launched its first satellite atop a Soviet rocket.

In 1981, actor/producer Hayden Christensen was born in Vancouver, British Colombia. Years later, one of his characters would have some rather extreme views on how to deal with political differences among colleagues.

In 1984, “Advance Australia Fair” was proclaimed as Australia's national anthem, and green and gold as the national colors.

In 1987, “The Simpsons” premiered as a short cartoon on “The Tracey Ullman Show” on the Fox Network.

In 1989, 47 sailors were killed when a gun turret exploded aboard the USS Iowa in the Caribbean. (The Navy initially suspected that a dead crew member had deliberately sparked the blast, but later said there was no proof of that.)

In 1993, the 51-day FBI siege of the Branch Davidian complex outside Waco, TX ended when a fire broke out during an attempted assault by FBI agents. Seventy-six people, including group leader David Koresh, died.

In 1995, a truck bomb destroyed the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, killing 168 people. (Bomber Timothy McVeigh was later convicted of federal murder charges and executed.)

In 1996, “Mystery Science Theater 3000” went into general release from Grammercy Pictures in the U.S. Unfortunately for many MSTies, Grammercy booked it into a very limited number of theaters, preferring to back “Barb Wire”, instead.

In 2005, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger of Germany was elected pope in the first conclave of the new millennium; he took the name Benedict XVI.

Also in 2005, a Spanish court convicted a former Argentine naval officer, Adolfo Scilingo, of crimes against humanity and sentenced him to 640 years in prison for throwing 30 prisoners from planes during his country's "dirty war."

In 2011, actress Elisabeth Sladen died in Southall, London at age 65.

Also in 2011, Fidel Castro resigned as First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba after holding the title since July 1961.

In 2013, Boston Marathon bombing suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev was killed in a shootout with police. His brother Dzhokhar was later captured hiding in a boat inside a backyard in the suburb of Watertown.

In 2017, 21st Century Fox announced that Fox News commentator Bill O’Reilly had been fired, following allegations of sexual misconduct.

In 2018, following a parliamentary election, Miguel Diaz-Canel was named the new President of Cuba, the first time in six decades that a Castro family member was not leading the country.

 

If I may...

ON APRIL 20th:

In 1775, the Siege of Boston began, following the battles at Lexington and Concord.

In 1792, France declared war on Austria, marking the start of the French Revolutionary Wars.

In 1861, Col. Robert E. Lee resigned his commission in the United States Army. (Lee went on to command the Army of Northern Virginia, and eventually became general-in-chief of the Confederate forces.)

In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln signed a proclamation admitting West Virginia to the Union, effective in 60 days (on June 20, 1863).

In 1893, actor/comedian/filmmaker Harold Lloyd was born in Burchard, NE.

In 1898, President William McKinley signed a joint resolution to Congress for declaration of War against Spain, beginning the Spanish-American War.

In 1912, Boston's Fenway Park hosted its first professional baseball game while Navin Field (Tiger Stadium) opened in Detroit. (The Red Sox defeated the New York Highlanders 7-6 in 11 innings; the Tigers beat the Cleveland Naps 6-5 in 11 innings.)

In 1914, the Ludlow Massacre took place when the Colorado National Guard opened fire on a tent colony of striking miners; about 20 (accounts vary) strikers, women and children died.

In 1916, the Chicago Cubs played their first game at Weeghman Park, later known as Wrigley Field.

In 1937, actor/author/activist George Takei was born in Los Angeles. He’s well-known for his role as Hikaru Sulu on the original series “Star Trek”, and for his ongoing dispute with his co-star William Shatner.

In 1945, during World War II, allied forces took control of the German cities of Nuremberg and Stuttgart.

In 1945, the fantasy movie “The Horn Blows at Midnight”, starring Jack Benny, premiered in New York City. It was not financially successful, but Benny got years of movie-related jokes out of it.

In 1951, actress Louise Jameson was born. Years later, one of her characters would prefer to solve problems with a knife, a zap gun or a Janus thorn.

In 1955, the science fiction movie “Conquest of Space”, produced by George Pal, was released in the U.S.

In 1959, "Desilu Playhouse" on CBS-TV presented a two-part show titled "The Untouchables", based on the book by Eliot Ness, played onscreen by Robert Stack. It was the basis for a weekly TV series, again starring Robert Stack.

In 1960, Elvis Presley returned to Hollywood following his Army duty. He began work on the film "G.I. Blues."

In 1964, actor/director/author/voice artist Andy Serkis was born in Ruislip, Middlesex, England. He was recently seen as the Supreme Leader of the First Order, and I still don’t believe we’ve seen the last of that character.

In 1967, “OK Connery”, a James Bond spoof starring Neil Connery (Sean’s brother) was released in Italy, where it was made. Later retitled “Operation Double 007”, it would be memorably MSTed.

In 1968, on “Doctor Who” part six of “Fury from the Deep” was broadcast on BBC 1. It featured the last regular appearance of Deborah Watling as Victoria Waterfield.

In 1972, during the Apollo 16 mission, the LM Orion, crewed by John Young and Charles Duke, landed on the Moon at the Descartes Highlands.

In 1977, the Woody Allen comedy “Annie Hall” was released in the U.S. And there are “Star Wars” fans who still haven’t forgiven the MPAAS for giving Allen’s movie the Best Picture Oscar, rather than George Lucas’ movie.

In 1979, the horror movie “Dawn of the Dead” directed by George A. Romero, had its U.S. premiere in New York City.

In 1988, gunmen who'd hijacked a Kuwait Airways jumbo jet were allowed safe passage out of Algeria under an agreement that freed the remaining 31 hostages and ended a 15-day siege in which two passengers were slain.

In 1999, the Columbine High School massacre took place in Colorado as two students shot and killed 12 classmates and one teacher before taking their own lives.

Also in 1999, filming was completed on “What You Leave Behind”, the final episode of “Star Trek: Deep Space 9”.

In 2005, the movie version of “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” premiered in London.

In 2006, “Daily Variety” first reported that a new “Star Trek” movie was being developed by writer/producer/director J.J. Abrams. The result would be the “Star Trek” reboot movie, released in 2009.

In 2008, Danica Patrick won the Indy Japan 300, becoming the first female driver in history to win an Indy car race.

In 2010, an explosion on the Deepwater Horizon oil platform, leased by BP, killed 11 workers and caused a blow-out that began spewing an estimated 200 million gallons of crude into the Gulf of Mexico. (The well was finally capped nearly three months later, on July 15.)

In 2013, a 6.6-magnitude earthquake struck Lushan County, Ya’an, in China's Sichuan province, killing more than 150 people and injuring thousands more.

 

If I may...

ON APRIL 21st:

In 1509, Henry VIII ascended the throne of England on the death of his father, Henry VII.

In 1649, the Maryland Toleration Act, providing for freedom of worship for all Christians, was passed by the Maryland assembly.

In 1789, John Adams was sworn in as the first Vice-President of the United States, a job he utterly hated.

In 1836, an army of Texans led by Sam Houston defeated the Mexican troops under Gen. Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna at San Jacinto, assuring Texas independence.

In 1898, the United States Navy began a blockade of Cuban ports. When the U.S. Congress issued a declaration of war on April 25, it declared that a state of war had existed from this date.

In 1918, during World War I, Baron Manfred von Richthofen, the German ace known as the "Red Baron," was killed in action near Vaux-sur-Sommes, France.

In 1923, author/lawyer John Mortimer, creator of Rumpole of the Bailey, was born in Hampstead, London.

In 1926, H.M. Elizabeth II, current Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the British Commonwealth of Nations, was born in London.

In 1930, a fire broke out inside the overcrowded Ohio Penitentiary in Columbus, killing 332 inmates.

In 1930, the film “All Quiet on the Western Front”, starring Lew Ayres and directed by Lewis Milestone, premiered in Los Angeles.

In 1936, psychologist/author Dr. James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family, was born in Shreveport, LA. Your humble correspondent, during his radio announcing days, put a whole bunch of his programs on the air.

In 1940, the quiz show that asked the "$64 question," ''Take It or Leave It," premiered on CBS Radio.

In 1955, the Jerome Lawrence-Robert Lee play "Inherit the Wind," inspired by the Scopes trial of 1925, opened at the National Theatre in New York.

In 1960, Brazil inaugurated its new capital, Brasilia, transferring the seat of national government from Rio de Janeiro.

In 1962, the Seattle World’s Fair (Century 21 Exposition) opened. It was the first World’s Fair in the United States since World War II.

In 1967, at EMI Studios in London, the Beatles completed the last recording session for “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”.

In 1971, actress Michelle Gomez, who recently Missy on “Doctor Who”, was born in Ayr, Scotland.

In 1975, with Communist forces closing in, South Vietnamese President Nguyen Van Thieu resigned after nearly ten years in office and fled the country.

In 1977, the musical play "Annie" opened on Broadway at the Alvin Theater with Andrea McArdle in the title role. The show ran for more than 2,300 performances.

In 1980, Rosie Ruiz won the Boston Marathon when she crossed the finish line in a record time of 2 hours, 31 minutes and 56 seconds. After an investigation, she was stripped of the honor when evidence showed that she had not run the entire race.

In 1985, in a highly-publicized TV special, Geraldo Rivera opened up Al Capone’s vault, speculating about what sort of treasures it would contain. It was pretty much empty.

In 1992, Robert Alton Harris became the first person executed by the state of California in 25 years as he was put to death in the gas chamber for the 1978 murders of two teen-age boys, John Mayeski and Michael Baker.

In 1999, the novelization of “Star Wars: Episode I- The Phantom Menace”, written by Terry Brooks, was published by Del-Rey.

In 2005, “Star Wars Celebration III” began in Indianapolis, IN. Your humble correspondent was there to experience the huge crowd, the improved lines at the Celebration store, and the lousy weather.

Also in 2005, David Tennant filmed his first scenes as the Tenth Doctor, which would later be added to the episode “The Parting of the Ways”.

In 2016, singer/songwriter/musician/producer Prince (born Prince Rogers Nelson) died in Chanhassen, MN at age 57.

 

If I may...

ON APRIL 22nd:

In 1864, Congress authorized the use of the phrase "In God We Trust" on U.S. coins.

In 1876, eight baseball teams began the inaugural season of the National League. In the first game Boston beat Philadelphia 6-5.

In 1889, the Oklahoma Land Rush began at noon as thousands of homesteaders staked claims.

In 1906, the 1906 Summer Olympics, not currently recognized as part of the official Olympic Games, opened in Athens.

Also in 1906, actor/singer Eddie Albert was born in Rock Island, IL. He’d later find himself living in the weird state of reality that was Hooterville, U.S.A.

In 1915, the first full-scale use of deadly chemicals in warfare took place as German forces unleashed chlorine gas against Allied troops at the start of the Second Battle of Ypres in Belgium during World War I; thousands of soldiers are believed to have died.

In 1930, the United States, Britain and Japan signed the London Naval Treaty, which regulated submarine warfare and limited shipbuilding.

In 1936, actor/singer/musician/songwriter Glen Campbell was born in Billstown, AR.

In 1939, actor/playwright Jason Miller was born in Queens, NY. He’d later write the play “That Championship Season”, set in Scranton, PA, and later partially filmed in my Dad’s hometown of Taylor, PA.

In 1944, during World War II, U.S. forces began invading Japanese-held New Guinea with amphibious landings at Hollandia and Aitape.

In 1945, prisoners at the Jasenovac concentration camp revolted. Five hundred twenty were killed and 80 escape.

In 1950, singer/songwriter/musician/producer Peter Frampton was born in Bromley, South London.

In 1952, an atomic test in Nevada became the first nuclear explosion shown on live network television as a 31-kiloton bomb was dropped from a B-50 Superfortress.

In 1954, the publicly televised sessions of the Senate Army-McCarthy hearings began.

In 1957, the sci-fi movie “The Incredible Shrinking Man” premiered in New York City.

In 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson opened the 1964-1965 New York World's Fair at Flushing Meadows.

In 1970, millions of Americans concerned about the environment observed the first "Earth Day."

In 1974, the Amicus horror/mystery movie “The Beast Must Die”, starring Calvin Lockhart and Peter Cushing, was released in the UK.

In 1976, actress/writer Rebecca Hanson was born in Iowa. She’s currently the voice of Gypsy on some cow town puppet show that’s on Netflix now.

In 1977, filming for “Star Wars: Episode IV- A New Hope” concluded at ILM with a shot of a Star Destroyer.

In 1978, the Blues Brothers -- John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd -- made their network debut on "Saturday Night Live." On the same show, host Steve Martin performed his novelty hit "King Tut."

In 1983, the West German news magazine Stern announced the discovery of 60 volumes of personal diaries purportedly written by Adolf Hitler; however, the diaries turned out to be a hoax.

In 1990, pro-Iranian kidnappers in Lebanon freed American hostage Robert Polhill after nearly 39 months of captivity.

In 1994, Richard M. Nixon, the 37th president of the U.S., died at a New York hospital four days after suffering a stroke at age 81.

In 2000, in a dramatic pre-dawn raid, armed immigration agents seized Elian Gonzalez, the Cuban boy at the center of a custody dispute, from his relatives' home in Miami; Elian was reunited with his father at Andrews Air Force Base near Washington.

In 2005, Zacarias Moussaoui pleaded guilty in a federal courtroom outside Washington D.C. to conspiring with the September 11 hijackers to kill Americans. (Moussaoui is serving a life prison sentence.)

In 2010, the Deepwater Horizon oil platform, operated by BP, sank into the Gulf of Mexico two days after a massive explosion that killed 11 workers.

In 2018, a gunman killed four people at a Waffle House restaurant in Antioch, TN.

 

In 2018, actor Verne Troyer, best known as Mini-Me in the Austin Powers movies, passed away at age 49.

 

And on the 22nd:

 

If I may...

ON APRIL 23rd:

In 1616, English poet and dramatist William Shakespeare, age 52, died on what has been traditionally regarded as the anniversary of his birth in 1564.

In 1661, King Charles II of England, Scotland and Ireland was crowned in Westminster Abbey.

In 1789, President-elect George Washington and his wife, Martha, moved into the first executive mansion, the Franklin House, in New York.

In 1791, James Buchanan, 15th President of the U.S., was born in Lancaster, PA.

In 1813, politician Stephen A. Douglas, best-known for his 1858 debates with fellow Illinois senatorial candidate Abraham Lincoln, was born in Brandon, VT.

In 1910, former President Theodore Roosevelt delivered his famous "Man in the Arena" speech at the Sorbonne in Paris.

In 1914, Chicago's Wrigley Field, then called Weeghman Park, hosted its first major league game as the Chicago Federals defeated the Kansas City Packers 9-1.

In 1927, Cardiff City defeated Arsenal in the FA Cup Final, the only time (to date) it has been won by a team not based in England.

In 1928, actress/singer/diplomat Shirley Temple was born in Santa Monica, CA.

In 1931, the gangster movie “The Public Enemy”, starring James Cagney and Jean Harlow, was released in the U.S.

In 1936, singer/songwriter Roy Orbison was born in Vernon, TX.

In 1939, actor Lee Majors was born in Wyandotte, MI. The bionics would come later.

In 1953, the western “Shane”, starring Alan Ladd, premiered in New York City.

In 1954, Hank Aaron of the Milwaukee Braves hit the first of his 755 major-league home runs in a game against the St. Louis Cardinals. (The Braves won, 7-5.)

In 1956, Elvis Presley made his Las Vegas debut, opening for comedian Shecky Greene. Presley's engagement was canceled after a week because of poor ticket sales, and he didn't return to Vegas for 13 years.

In 1958, the crime drama “Touch of Evil”, starring Charlton Heston and Janet Leigh, and co-starring and directed by Orson Welles, premiered in Los Angeles.

In 1967, the Soviet Union launched the spacecraft Soyuz 1, manned by Col. Vladimir Komarov, into orbit.

In 1968, student protesters at Columbia University in New York City took over administration buildings and shut down the university.

In 1975, actor William Hartnell, well-known as the First Doctor on “Doctor Who”, died in Marden, Kent, England.

In 1976, the horror movie “Rattlers” was released in the U.S. Years later, Cinematic Titanic would memorably riff on the movie, and DVDs of their version would be, at first, very tough to come by.

In 1985, the Coca-Cola Co. announced it was changing the secret flavor formula for Coke (negative public reaction forced the company to resume selling the original version).

In 2002, the novelization of “Star Wars: Episode II- Attack of the Clones”, written by R.A. Salvatore, was published by Ballantine Books.

In 2005, the recently created video-sharing website YouTube uploaded its first clip, titled "Me at the Zoo”.

In 2013, the book “Vader’s Little Princess” by Jeffrey Brown was published by Chronicle Books.

In 2018, a driver rammed a moving van onto Yonge Street in Toronto, killing 10 pedestrians and injuring 15 others.

Also in 2018, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, gave birth to her and Prince William’s third child. A boy, the child is fifth in line to the British throne.

In addition in 2018, singer/songwriter/musician Bob Dorough, best-known for his work for the "Schoolhouse Rock" series, died in Mt. Bethel, PA at age 94.

 

If I may...

ON APRIL 24th:

In 1704, the first regular newspaper in British Colonial America, “The Boston News-Letter”, was published.

In 1800, Congress approved a bill establishing the Library of Congress.

In 1898, Spain declared war on the United States. (The United States responded in kind the next day.)

In 1914, producer/director/screenwriter/showman William Castle was born in New York City.

In 1915, what's regarded as the start of the Armenian genocide began as the Ottoman Empire rounded up Armenian political and cultural leaders in Constantinople.

In 1916, some 1,600 Irish nationalists launched the Easter Rising by seizing several key sites in Dublin. (The rising was put down by British forces almost a week later.)

In 1932, in the Free State of Prussia, the Nazi Party gained a plurality of seats in parliamentary elections.

In 1944, the film noir “Double Indemnity”, starring Fred MacMurray, Barbara Stanwyck and Edward G. Robinson, was released in the U.S.

In 1953, British statesman Winston Churchill was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II.

In 1955, the science fiction radio series “X Minus One” premiered over NBC.

Also in 1955, the kaiju movie “Gojira no gyakushu” (a.k.a. “Godzilla Raids Again”) was released by Toho in Japan. It was the first of many sequels to the original “Godzilla”. (Re-edited and retitled “Gigantis, the Fire Monster”, it would be released in the U.S. in 1959.)

In 1962, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology achieved the first satellite relay of a television signal, using NASA's Echo 1 balloon satellite to bounce a video image from Camp Parks, California, to Westford, Massachusetts.

In 1964, principal photography for “A Hard Day’s Night” was completed in West Ealing, London.

In 1967, Cosmonaut Vladimir Komarov was killed at age 40 when Soyuz 1, following an aborted mission plagued by malfunctions, crashed in Orenburg Oblast, Russia due to parachute failure. He was the first human to die during a space mission.

In 1970, the People's Republic of China launched its first satellite, which kept transmitting a song, "The East Is Red."

In 1974, actor/comedian Bud Abbott died in Woodland Hills, CA at age 78.

In 1980, the United States launched an unsuccessful attempt to free the American hostages in Iran, a mission that resulted in the deaths of eight U.S. servicemen.

In 1986, Wallis, Duchess of Windsor, for whom King Edward VIII had given up the British throne, died in Paris at age 89.

In 1990, the space shuttle Discovery blasted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, carrying the $1.5 billion Hubble Space Telescope. (Reports that the telescope was later damaged by a hapless temp worker are under review.)

In 1993, an IRA bomb caused heavy damage to the Bishopsgate area of London.

In 1995, the final bomb linked to the Unabomber exploded inside the Sacramento, California, offices of a lobbying group for the wood products industry, killing chief lobbyist Gilbert B. Murray. (Theodore Kaczynski was later sentenced to four lifetimes in prison for a series of bombings that killed three men and injured 29 others.)

In 2004, The U.S. lifted economic sanctions imposed on Libya 18 years previously, as a reward for its cooperation in eliminating weapons of mass destruction.

In 2005, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was inaugurated as the 265th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church taking the name Pope Benedict XVI.

In 2007, the book “The Making of ‘Star Wars’”, written by J.W. Rinzler, was published by LucasBooks. At that year’s Star Wars Celebration, your humble correspondent bought a copy of the book, had it autographed by the author, and later donated the book to the South Plainfield Public Library.

In 2018, in Washington, D.C., President Donald Trump met with French President Emmanuel Macron to discuss the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, along with economics and trading.

Also in 2018, it was announced that scientists using infrared spectroscopy data from the Gemini North telescope had established the presence of hydrogen sulfide, a gaseous chemical compound that smells like rotten eggs, in the clouds of the planet Uranus. The jokes followed soon after.

 

Lest we forget...

 

If I may...

ON APRIL 25th:

In 1507, a world map produced by German cartographer Martin Waldseemueller contained the first recorded use of the term "America," in honor of Italian navigator Amerigo Vespucci.

In 1599, Oliver Cromwell, Lord Protector of England from 1653-1658, was born in Huntingdon, Huntingdonshire, England.

In 1792, the national anthem of France, "La Marseillaise", was composed by Captain Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle.

Also in 1792, highwayman Nicolas Jacques Pelletier became the first person under French law to be executed by the guillotine.

In 1859, British and French engineers broke ground for the Suez Canal.

In 1862, during the Civil War, a Union fleet commanded by Flag Officer David G. Farragut captured the city of New Orleans.

In 1908, journalist Edward R. Murrow was born in Guilford County, NC.

In 1915, during World War I, Allied soldiers invaded the Gallipoli Peninsula in an unsuccessful attempt to take the Ottoman Empire out of the war.

In 1916, Anzac Day was commemorated in Australia and New Zealand for the first time on the first anniversary of the landing at Anzac Cove.

In 1917, singer Ella Fitzgerald was born in Newport News, WV.

In 1944, the United Negro College Fund was founded.

In 1945, during World War II, U.S. and Soviet forces linked up on the Elbe River, a meeting that dramatized the collapse of Nazi Germany's defenses.

Also in 1945, delegates from some 50 countries gathered in San Francisco to organize the United Nations.

In addition in 1945, the Nazi occupation army surrendered and left Northern Italy after a general partisan insurrection by the Italian resistance movement; the puppet fascist regime dissolved and Benito Mussolini was captured after trying to escape.

In 1950, actor Peter Jurasik, well-known for playing Londo Mollari on “Babylon 5”, was born in Queens, NY.

In 1953, Francis Crick and James D. Watson published “Molecular Structure of Nucleic Acids: A Structure for Deoxyribose Nucleic Acid”, describing the double helix structure of DNA.

In 1954, the first practical solar cell was publicly demonstrated by Bell Telephone Laboratories.

In 1956, Rocky Marciano retired as the undefeated heavyweight champion of the world. He had 43 knockouts and 3 decisions to his credit.

In 1959, the St. Lawrence Seaway opened to shipping.

In 1968, The Beatles refused to perform for the Queen Elizabeth II, saying regardless of the cause, they don't do benefits.

In 1974, the "Carnation Revolution" took place in Portugal as a bloodless military coup toppled the Estado Novo regime.

In 1977, Elvis Presley made what would be the last recordings of his life, at a concert in Saginaw, MI. Three songs appeared in the posthumously released album "Moody Blue."

In 1983, 10-year-old Samantha Smith of Manchester, ME, received a reply from Soviet leader Yuri V. Andropov to a letter she'd written expressing concern about possible nuclear war; Andropov reassured Samantha that the Soviet Union did not want war, and he invited her to visit his country, a trip Samantha made in July.

Also in 1983, Pioneer 10 traveled beyond the orbit of the PLANET Pluto.

In 1988, in Israel, John Demjanjuk was sentenced to death for war crimes committed in World War II.

In 1988, on “Star Trek: The Next Generation”, the episode “Skin of Evil” was broadcast in syndication. It featured the last regular appearance of Denise Crosby as Tasha Yar.

In 1990, the Hubble Space Telescope was deployed in orbit from the space shuttle Discovery. (It was discovered that the telescope's primary mirror was flawed, requiring the installation of corrective components to achieve optimal focus.)

In 2014, it was announced that the Lucasfilm Story Group was effectively discontinuing the Star Wars Expanded Universe, in preparation for new stories inspired by the upcoming film, “Star Wars: Episode VII- The Force Awakens”. However, elements of the EU would be included in future works, and stories would remain available under the new “Legends” banner. There has been some controversy over this decision.

In 2015, riots broke out in Baltimore, MD following the death in police custody of suspect Freddie Gray.

 

I like this thread. It's like time travel.

 

If I may...

ON APRIL 27th:

In 1865, John Wilkes Booth, the assassin of President Abraham Lincoln, was surrounded by federal troops near Port Royal, VA, and killed. (As he lay dying, Booth looked at his hands and supposedly gasped, "Useless, useless.")

Also in 1865, Confederate Gen. Joseph E. Johnston surrendered his army to Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman at the Bennett Place near Durham, NC.

There is nothing wrong with your computer. In 1916, actor Vic Perrin, best-known for his long career as a voice actor on radio & TV, was born in Menomonee Falls, WI.

In 1923, Britain's Prince Albert, Duke of York (the future King George VI), married Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon at Westminster Abbey.

In 1933, actress/comedienne/singer Carol Burnett was born in San Antonio, TX.

In 1935, the horror/mystery movie “Mark of the Vampire” was released in the U.S. A remake of the now-lost silent Lon Chaney movie “London After Midnight”, it starred Bela Lugosi, Lionel Barrymore, Lionel Atwill and Carroll Borland.

In 1937, German and Italian warplanes raided the Basque town of Guernica during the Spanish Civil War; estimates of the number of people killed vary from the hundreds to the thousands.

In 1941, an organ was played at a baseball stadium for the first time in Chicago, IL.

In 1945, Marshal Henri Philippe Petain, the head of France's Vichy government during World War II, was arrested.

In 1952, the destroyer-minesweeper USS Hobson sank in the central Atlantic after colliding with the aircraft carrier USS Wasp with the loss of 176 crew members.

In 1954, “Shichinin no Samurai” (English title: “The Seven Samurai”), directed by Akira Kurosawa and starring Toshiro Mifune, was released in Japan.

In 1956, actress Koo Stark was born in New York City. “Star Wars” fans may know her for playing Camie, one of Luke’s “friends” on Tatooine in deleted scenes from “Star Wars: Episode IV- A New Hope”.

In 1964, the African nations of Tanganyika and Zanzibar merged to form Tanzania.

In 1972, the first Lockheed L-1011 TriStar went into commercial service with Eastern Airlines.

In 1977, the New York disco Studio 54 opened. It soon became the "in" place to be among the glitterati.

In 1977, "The Last Waltz," the film of The Band's final concert with its classic lineup, premiered in New York.



In 1981, Dr. Michael R. Harrison of the University of California, San Francisco Medical Center performed the world's first human open fetal surgery.

In 1984, composer/conductor Barry Gray best-known for his work with producers Gerry & Sylvia Anderson, died on Guernsey, Channel Islands at age 75.

In 1986, a major nuclear accident occurred at the Chernobyl plant in Ukraine (then part of the Soviet Union).

In 1989, actress-comedian Lucille Ball died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles at age 77.

In 1994, voting began in South Africa's first all-race elections, resulting in victory for the African National Congress and the inauguration of Nelson Mandela as president.

Also in 1994, China Airlines Flight 140, a Taiwanese Airbus A-300, crashed while landing in Nagoya, Japan, killing 264 people (there were seven survivors).

In 2000, Vermont Gov. Howard Dean signed the nation's first bill allowing same-sex couples to form civil unions.

In 2005, under international pressure, Syria withdrew the last of its 14,000 troop military garrison in Lebanon, ending its 29-year military domination of that country.

In 2010, the Marvel superhero movie “Iron Man 2”, starring Robert Downey, Jr., premiered in Los Angeles.

In 2014, workers for a documentary film production company recovered "E.T." Atari game cartridges from a heap of garbage buried deep in the New Mexico desert. (The video game had been consigned to the ground after being called the worst ever made.)

In 2017, producer/filmmaker Jonathan Demme died in New York City at age 73.

In 2018, in a retrial, actor/comedian Bill Cosby was found guilty of three counts in regard to an aggravated sexual assault of a woman in 2004.

 

If I may...

ON APRIL 27th:

In 1521, Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan was killed by natives in the Philippines.

In 1749, the first performance of George Frideric Handel’s “Music for the Royal Fireworks” was held in Green Park, London.

In 1777, the only land battle in Connecticut during the Revolutionary War, the Battle of Ridgefield, took place, resulting in a limited British victory.

In 1805, during the First Barbary War, an American-led force of Marines and mercenaries captured the city of Derna, on the shores of Tripoli.

In 1810, Ludwig van Beethoven composed “Fur Elise”.

In 1822, Ulysses S. Grant, 18th President of the U.S., was born in Point Pleasant, OH.

In 1861, during the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln suspended the writ of habeas corpus.

In 1865, in America's worst maritime disaster, the steamer Sultana, carrying freed Union prisoners of war, exploded on the Mississippi River near Memphis, TE; death toll estimates vary from 1,500 to 2,000.

In 1898, author/illustrator Ludwig Bemelmans, creator of the “Madeline” books, was born in Meran, Austria-Hungary.

In 1899, producer/director/animator Walter Lantz, creator of Woody Woodpecker, was born in New Rochelle, NY.

In 1922, actor Jack Klugman was born in Philadelphia, PA. Feel free to fix up some goop mélange in his honor.

Also in 1922, actress/singer/dancer Betty Luster, who played Mr. B Natural, was born.

In 1932, DJ/announcer/actor/voice artist Casey Kasem was born in Detroit, MI. Feel free to reel off the Top 40 reasons for this to be recognized.

In 1935, the movie “The Mystery of the Marie Celeste” (a.k.a. “Phantom Ship”) was released in the UK. It starred Bela Lugosi, and was one of the earlier productions of Hammer Films.

In 1945, Benito Mussolini was arrested by Italian partisans in Dongo, while attempting escape disguised as a German soldier.

In 1956, "Godzilla, King of the Monsters," the re-edited American version of “Gojira”, starring Raymond Burr, premiered in New York.

In 1963, producer/screenwriter Russell T. Davies was born in Swansea, Wales. While Whovians appreciate his role in reviving the series, his tenure as show runner remains the subject of considerable discussion.

In 1967, Expo '67 was officially opened in Montreal by Canadian Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson.

In 1973, acting FBI Director L. Patrick Gray resigned after it was revealed that he'd destroyed files removed from the safe of Watergate conspirator E. Howard Hunt.

In 1982, the trial of John W. Hinckley Jr., who had shot four people, including President Ronald Reagan, began in Washington. (The trial ended with Hinckley's acquittal by reason of insanity.)

In 1986, actress Jenna Coleman was born in Blackpool, Lancashire, England. The aforementioned Whovians know her as Clara Oswald (all of her).

In 1993, all members of the Zambia national football team lost their lives in a plane crash off Libreville, Gambon en route to Dakar, Senegal to play a 1994 FIFA World Cup qualifying match against Senegal.

In 1994, former President Richard M. Nixon was remembered at an outdoor funeral service attended by all five of his successors at the Nixon presidential library in Yorba Linda, CA.

In 2006, construction began on the Freedom Tower for the new World Trade Center in New York City.

In 2011, the April 25-28 tornado outbreak devastated parts of the Southeastern U.S., especially the states of Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia and Tennessee. 205 tornadoes touched down on April 27 alone, killing more than 300 and injuring hundreds more.

In 2014, Popes John XXIII and John Paul II were declared saints in the first papal canonization since 1954.

In 2018, the Panmunjon Declaration was signed by the leaders of both North and South Korea, declaring the end of the Korean conflict, which began in 1945.