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1963–John Lennon's first son, John Charles Julian Lennon, is born to Cynthia Lennon at Sefton General Hospital in Liverpool, England. John is in London during the birth, with the rest of The Beatles. Cynthia must deal not only with the fact that John was not with her for the birth, but that she must keep her marriage to him a secret in order not to hurt the popularity of the group. John eventually sneaks into the hospital in disguise to see Cyn and his newborn son on April 10th. Julian is the first child born to any of The Beatles.



BC 563–Buddha, the Enlightened One, is born Siddhartha Gautama. He received Perfect Enlightenment at the age of 35. He is thought to have lived in India from BC 563 to BC 483. Modern era scholars have determined that he was more likely born in the sixth century BC, and possibly in May rather than April.

217–Roman Emperor, Caracalla, dies from assassination while urinating on the road between Edessa and Carrhae (present-day Harran, Turkey), at age 29. He is remembered as one of the most notorious and unpleasant of Emperors, due the massacres and persecutions he authorized and instigated throughout the Empire.

622–Prince Shotoku of Japan dies at age 50.

632–Frankish King Charibert II is assassinated at Blaye (Gironde), along with his infant son, Chilperic.

876–The Battle of Dayr al-'Aqul saves Baghdad from the Saffarids.

944–Chinese Emperor, Wang Yanxi, dies in Fuzhou, China. Formally Emperor Jingzong of Min, he was an emperor of the Chinese Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period state Min.

1093–The new Winchester Cathedral is dedicated by Bishop Walkelin in England.

1139–Roger II of Sicily is excommunicated.

1143–Byzantine Emperor, John II Komnenos, dies from a cut on his hand from a poison arrow in Cilicia, Asia Monor, at age 55.

1149–Pope Eugene III takes refuge in the castle of Ptolemy II of Tusculum.

1232–The Mongols begin their siege on Kaifeng, the capital of the Jin Dynasty.

1271–In Syria, sultan Baibars conquers the Krak des Chevaliers.

1320–Peter I of Portugal is born in Coimbra, Kingdom of Portugal.

1364–John II of France dies at Savoy Palace in London, England, at age 44. He was known as John the Good.

1450–Korean King, Sejong the Great, dies from complications of diabetes in Hansung, Joseon (present-day Seoul, South Korea), at age 52.

1460–Ponce de León is born in San Tervas de Campos, Spain. The Spanish conqueror-explorer, searched for the Fountain of Youth and found what is now the state of Florida.

1498–Charles VIII, King of France (1483-1498), is beheaded at age 27.

1605–Philip IV of Spain is born in Valladolid, Spain.

1605–Princess Mary Stuart is born at Greenwich Palace, Greenwich, England. She died 17 months later. Her father was Jame VI and I, and her mother was Anne of Denmark.

1665–English colonial patents are granted for the establishment of the Monmouth Tract, for what would eventually become Monmouth County in northeastern New Jersey.

1726–Farmer, Lewis Morris, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, is born in Morrisania, New York.

1730–Shearith Israel, the first synagogue in New York City, is dedicated.

1731–Merchant, William Williams, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, is born in Lebanon, Connecticut.

1735–Hungarian Prince, Francis Rákóczi II, dies in exile in Tekirdag, Ottoman Empire, at age 59. He was also Prince of Transylvania, an Imperial Prince, and a member of the Order of the Golden Fleece. Today he is considered a national hero in Hungary.

1740–Three British ships capture the Spanish third-rate Princesa, taken into service as HMS Princess.

1778–Future U.S. President, John Adams, arrives in Paris, France, to replace former Continental Congress member, Silas Deane, as a member of the American commission representing the interests of the United States. Years later, he would fail in his appeals to save the life of Marie Antoinette.

1808–The Roman Catholic Diocese of Baltimore is promoted to an archdiocese, with the founding of the dioceses of New York, Philadelphia, Boston, and Bardstown (present-day Louisville) by Pope Pius VII.

1818–Christian IX of Denmark is born at Gottorp Castle, Schleswig, Duchy of Schleswig.

1820–The “Venus de Milo” is discovered on the Aegean island of Melos.

1832–Around 300 U.S. 6th Infantry troops leave St. Louis, Missouri, to fight the Sauk Indians.

1834–In New York City, Cornelius Lawrence becomes the first mayor to be elected by popular vote in a city election.

1842–Elizabeth Bacon Custer is born in Monroe, Michigan. She was the wife of George Custer and a significant chronicler of the American West.

1859–Philosopher, Edmund Husserl, is born Edmund Gustav Albrecht Husserl in Prostejov, Margraviate of Moravia, Austrian Empire (present-day Czech Republic). He founded Phenomenology. Husserl's thought profoundly influenced the landscape of 20th-century philosophy and he remains a notable figure in contemporary in the field.

1861–Elevator builder, Elisha Otis, dies of diphtheria in Yonkers, New York, at age 49.

1862–John D. Lynde, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, patents the aerosol dispenser.

1864–During the American Civil War, Union forces are thwarted by the Confederate army at Mansfield, Louisiana.

1866–Italy and Prussia ally against the Austrian Empire.

1867–The first World's Fair takes place in Paris, France.

1869–The American Museum of Natural History opens in New York City.

1875–Albert I of Belgium is born Albert Leopold Clemens Maria Meinrad in Brussels, Belgium.

1879–Milk is sold in glass bottles for the first time.

1886–William Ewart Gladstone introduces the first Irish Home Rule Bill into the British House of Commons.

1889–Adrian (Cedric) Boult is born in Chester, Cheshire, England. He was a conductor for the BBC Symphony Orchestra.

1892–Actress, Mary Pickford, is born Gladys Louise Smith in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Known in her prime as "America's Sweetheart" and the "girl with the curls," Pickford was one of the Canadian pioneers in early Hollywood and a significant figure in the development of film acting. She was one of the original team who formed the film company United Artists Corporation in 1919, along with her husband Douglas Fairbanks, D.W. Griffith, and Charlie Chaplin. She appeared in the films Coquette, Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm, Stella Maris, The Taming of the Shrew, Pollyanna, and A Poor Little Rich Girl.

1895–The U.S. Supreme Court declares income tax to be unconstitutional in the case of Pollock v. Farmers' Loan & Trust Co.

1896–Songwriter, Yip Harburg, is born Isidore Hochberg in Manhattan, New York. He wrote the lyrics for Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?, April in Paris, and all the songs for The Wizard of Oz, including Somewhere Over the Rainbow.

1897–Architect, Louis Skidmore, is born. He is the founder of the Chicago architectural firm, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. Skidmore and his brother-in-law, Nathaniel Owings, won the contract to design the 1939 New York World's Fair, and at that time, engineer John O. Merrill joined their firm. Skidmore, Owings & Merrill would go on to become one of the leading firms in skyscraper architecture, and one of the largest architectural firms in the world. The firm is best known for the John Hancock Center and the Willis Tower (formerly the Sears Tower) in Chicago, One World Trade Center (formerly Freedom Tower) in New York, and the world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa Dubai, UAE.

1899–Martha Place becomes the first woman to be executed in the electric chair.

1902–Josef Krips is born in Vienna, Austria. He was the conductor of The London Symphony (1954-1963).

1904–Longacre Square in Midtown Manhattan is renamed Times Square after The New York Times.

1904–Occultist, Aleister Crowley, transcribes the first chapter of the Book of the Law.

1906–Auguste Deter dies in Frankfurt, Germany, at age 55. She was the first person to be diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.

1908–Harvard University votes to establish the Harvard Business School.

1911–Dutch physicist, Heike Kamerlingh Onnes, discovers superconductivity.

1912–Olympic ice skater and actress, Sonja Henie, is born in Oslo, Norway. She was a three-time Olympic Champion (1928, 1932, and 1936) in Ladies' Singles, a 10-time World Champion (1927-1936) and a six-time European Champion (1931-1936). Henie won more Olympic and World titles than any other ladies' figure skater. At the height of her acting career she was one of the highest paid stars in Hollywood.

1913–The 17th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution is ratified, requiring direct election of Senators.

1913–China's first meeting of Parliament takes place in Peking (present-day Beijing).

1916–Racecar driver, Bob Burman, crashes his car, killing three people and badly injuring five spectators in Corona, California.

1918–Actors, Douglas Fairbanks and Charlie Chaplin, sell war bonds on the streets of New York City's financial district. Thousands of people turn out to see the stars.

1918–Betty Ford, wife of President Gerald Ford and the 40th First Lady of the United States, is born Elizabeth Ann Bloomer in Chicago, Illinois. In 1982, after her recovery from substance abuse, she established the Betty Ford Center (initially called the Betty Ford Clinic) in Rancho Mirage, California, for the treatment of chemical dependency.

1919–Retail pioneer, F.W. Woolworth, dies in Glen Cove, New York, at age 66. He was the founder of F. W. Woolworth Company and the operator of variety stores known as "Five-and-Dimes," which featured a low-priced selection of merchandise. In 1911, the F.W. Woolworth Company was incorporated with 586 stores. In 1913, Woolworth built the Woolworth Building in New York City at a cost of $13.5 million in cash: at the time, it was the tallest building in the world, measuring 792 feet.

1922–Jazz singer, Carmen (Mercedes) McRae, is born in Harlem, New York. At 19, she won an amateur contest at the Apollo Theater in Harlem. She was noticed by the wife of pianist, Teddy Wilson, who played for Billie Holiday, which led to her success. She went on to record more than 60 albums.

1923–Actor, Edward Mulhare, is born in Cork, County Cork, Ireland. He is best known for his starring roles in two television series: The Ghost & Mrs. Muir and Knight Rider. He appeared in the films Von Ryan’s Express, Our Man Flint, and Caprice.

1924–Sharia courts are abolished in Turkey, as part of Atatürk's Reforms.

1925–Comedian, Shecky Greene, is born Fred Sheldon Greenfield in Chicago, Illinois. Aside from his cmedy perfromances, he appeared in the films Tony Rome, The Love Machine, History of the World Part I, Splash, Lovelines, and The Last Producer.

1926–A lightning-set oil depot fire near San Luis Obispo, California, boils over, engulfing 900 acres. Many tornados resulted from the intense heat of the fire. One traveled 1,000 yards, picked up a house and carried it 150 feet, killing the two people inside.

1929–At the Delhi Central Assembly, Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwar Dutt throw handouts and bombs to court arrest.

1929–Singer-songwriter, Jacques Brel, is born Jacques Romain Georges Brel in Schaerbeek, Brussels, Belgium. He composed and performed literate, thoughtful, and theatrical songs that generated a large, devoted following, initially in Belgium and France, and later throughout the world. He was widely considered a master of the modern chanson. He became a major influence on English-speaking songwriters and performers such as David Bowie, Alex Harvey, Leonard Cohen, Marc Almond, and Rod McKuen. His songs include If You Go Away, Amsterdam, If We Only Have Love, Old Folks, and Seasons of the Sun.

1931–Actor, John Gavin, is born Juan Vincent Apablasa in Los Angeles, California. He appeared in the films Four Girls in Town, Imitation of Life, A Breath of Scandal, Psycho, Spartacus, Midnight Lace, Romanoff and Juliet, Tammy Tell Me True, Back Street, Thoroughly Modern Millie, The Madwoman of Chaillot, Pussycat Pussycat I Love You, and History of the World, Part I. A Republican, Gavin was appointed U.S. Ambassador to Mexico in June 1981, by President Ronald Reagan. He served until June 12, 1986. He was married to actress, Constance Towers.

1935–The U.S. Congress votes to approve the Works Progress Administration (WPA), In his inaugural address on March 4, 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt outlined his “New Deal,” an expansion of the federal government as an instrument of employment opportunity and welfare. The WPA was established under the Emergency Relief Appropriation Act, as a means of creating government jobs for the nation's many unemployed. Under the direction of Harry L. Hopkins, the WPA employed more than 8.5 million people on 1.4 million public projects, before it was disbanded in 1943. The program was set up to provide work which would not interfere with private enterprise. The projects included: health and safety programs, cultural programs (including art exhibitions and theatrical and musical performances), travel and tourism, educational programs, and community activities. The WPA was responsible for America’s massive highways system, and much of the great art, photography, and literature of the time. It was instrumental in establishing the careers of Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning, Berenice Abbott (who photographed the construction of the Empire State Building), Dorothea Lange (whose photographs of migrant farm workers documented one of the most heartbreaking periods in U.S. history), and thousands more.

1935–The 2nd Golf Masters Championship: Gene Sarazen wins, shooting a 282.

1937–Journalist, Seymour Hersh, is born in Chicago, Illinois. Hirsch broke the story of the My Lai massacre in Vietnam.

1941–Joe Louis defeats Tony Musto in Round 9 for the Heavyweight Boxing Championship.

1941–Child actress, Darlene (Faye) Gillespie, is born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. She is best known as one of the original Mouseketeers on The Mickey Mouse Club TV series from 1955 to 1958.

1941–Peggy Lennon, of The Lennon Sisters, is born Margaret Ann Lennon in Los Angeles, California. For 13 years, from 1955 to 1968, the vocal group appeared regularly on the TV series The Lawrence Welk Show.

1941–Fashion designer, Vivienne Westwood, is born Vivienne Isabel Swire in Tintwistle, Cheshire (present-day Derbyshire), England. She is largely responsible for bringing modern punk and new wave fashions into the mainstream.

1942–In the Siege of Leningrad, Soviet forces open a much-needed railway link to the city.

1942–The Japanese overtake Bataan in the Philippines.

1942–Film director and special effects supervisor, Douglas (Huntley) Trumbull, is born in Los Angeles, California. His films include 2001: A Space Odyssey, Silent Running, Blade Runner, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Star Trek: The Motion Picture, and Brainstorm.

1943–President Franklin D. Roosevelt, in an attempt to check inflation, freezes wages and prices, prohibits workers from changing jobs unless the war effort would be aided thereby, and bars rate increases to common carriers and public utilities.

1943–Otto and Elise Hampel are executed in Berlin, Germany, for their anti-Nazi activities.

1943–The Stanley Cup: The Detroit Red Wings beats the Boston Bruins, in 4 games.

1943–Choreographer and dancer, Michael Bennett, is born Michael Bennett DiFiglia in Buffalo, New York. He choreographed Promises Promises, Follies, Company, A Chorus Line, and Dreamgirls.

1944–Actor, Hywel (Thomas) Bennett, is born in Garnant, Carmarthenshire, Wales. He appeared in the films The Family Way, Twisted Nerve, The Virgin Soldiers, Loot, The Buttercup Chain, Endless Night, and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. He was married to TV personality, Cathy McGowan.

1945–After an air raid accidentally destroys a train carrying about 4,000 Nazi concentration camp internees in Prussian Hanover, the survivors are massacred by Nazis.

1946–The League of Nations assembles for last time.

1946–Electricité de France, the world's largest utility company, is formed as a result of the nationalisation of a number of electricity producers, transporters, and distributors.

1946–Baseball pitcher, Catfish Hunter, is born James Augustus Hunter in Hertford, North Carolina. From 1965 to 1979, he pitched for the Kansas City Athletics, Oakland Athletics, and New York Yankees.

1946–Comedian-actor, Stuart Pankin, is born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He appeared in the films Scavenger Hunt, The Hollywood Knights, Irreconcilable Differences, Fatal Attraction, Second Sight, Arachnophobia, Life Stinks, and Striptease.

1947–Guitarist for the progressive rock group Yes, Steve Howe, is born Stephen James Howe in Holloway, London, England.

1948–Ampex delivers the first audio tape recorder, the Model 200, to Bing Crosby Enterprises.

1950–India and Pakistan sign the Liaquat-Nehru Pact.

1951–Mexican singer-songwriter, Joan Sebastian, is born José Manuel Figueroa, Sr. in Juliantla, Guerrero, Mexico. He began composing at age 7. He wrote over 1,000 songs, including compositions for Vicente Fernández, Lucero, Pepe Aguilar, and Rocío Dúrcal. His music is a mixture of Latin pop, ranchera, and grupera music. He won seven Latin Grammy Awards and five Grammy Awards, making him the most awarded Mexican performer in Grammy history.

1952–President Harry S. Truman calls for the seizure of all domestic steel mills to prevent a nationwide strike.

1953–Mau Mau leader, Jomo Kenyatta, is convicted by the rulers of British Kenya. He was indicted with five others on the charges of "managing and being a member" of the Mau Mau Society, a radical anti-colonial movement engaged in rebellion against Kenya's British rulers.

1953–The bones of Sitting Bull are moved from North Dakota to South Dakota.

1954–A Royal Canadian Air Force Canadair Harvard collides with a Trans-Canada Airlines Canadair North Star over Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, killing 37 people.

1954–South African Airways Flight 201 A de Havilland DH.106 Comet 1 crashes into the sea during the night, killing 21 people.

1954–Princess Lalla Amina of Morocco is born in Antsirabe, Madagascar.

1955–Musician, Glen Burtnik, is born in Irvington, New Jersey. He was a cast member of the Broadway musical, Beatlemania, playing the role of Paul McCartney.

1955–Novelist, Barbara Kingsolver, is born in Annapolis, Maryland. After graduating from DePauw University in 1977, Kingsolver worked in Europe, then returned to America, where she worked as a biologist and freelance journalist. Her first novel, The Bean Trees, was published in 1988, followed by Animal Dreams, and Pigs in Heaven. All three explore social and political issues such as feminism, environmentalism, and Indian tribal rights, through stories about struggling women in the American Southwest.

1956–The 20th Golf Masters Championship: Jack Burke, Jr. wins, shooting a 289.

1957–The Suez Canal in Egypt is reopened.

1959–A team of computer manufacturers, users, and university people, led by Grace Hopper, meets to discuss the creation of a new programming language that would be called COBOL.

1959–The Organization of American States drafts an agreement to create the Inter-American Development Bank.

1960–The Netherlands and West Germany sign an agreement to negotiate the return of German land annexed by the Dutch in return for 280 million German marks.

1960–Actor, John (Richard) Schneider, is born in Mount Kisco, New York. He is best known for the role of Bo Duke in the TV series The Dukes of Hazzard. He appearef in the films Eddie Macon’s Run, Cocaine Wars, Exit to Eden, Night of the Twisters, Snow Day, The Rebound, and What Would Jesus Do? He was married to Miss America, Tawny Little.

1961–A large explosion on board the MV Dara in the Persian Gulf kills 238 people.

1962–Izzy Stradlin, of Guns N' Roses, is born Jeff Isabelle in Lafayette, Indiana.

1963–The 35th Annual Academy Awards announces its winners. Best Picture: Lawrence of Arabia; Best Actor: Gregory Peck for To Kill a Mockingbird; Best Actress: Anne Bancroft for The Miracle Worker; Best Director: David Lean for Lawrence of Arabia; Best Foreign Film: Sundays and Cybele (France). The ceremonies are held at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium in Santa Monica, California. The host is Frank Sinatra.

1963–John Lennon's first son, John Charles Julian Lennon, is born to Cynthia Lennon at Sefton General Hospital in Liverpool, England. John is in London during the birth, with the rest of The Beatles. Cynthia must deal not only with the fact that John was not with her for the birth, but that she must keep her marriage to him a secret in order not to hurt the popularity of the group. John eventually sneaks into the hospital in disguise to see Cyn and his newborn son on April 10th. Julian is the first child born to any of The Beatles. His brother is musician, Sean Lennon.

1964–The Gemini 1 test flight is conducted.

1965–A chart topper: I'm Telling You Now by Freddie and the Dreamers.

1966–Leonid Brezhnev is elected Secretary-General of the Communist Party.

1966–Actress, Robin (Gayle) Wright, is born in Dallas, Texas. She appeared in the films The Princess Bride, State of Grace, The Playboys, Toys, Forrest Gump, The Crossing Guard, Moll Flanders, She’s So Lovely, Hurlyburly, Message in a Bottle, A Home at the End of the World, Empire Falls, and Moneyball. She was married to actors, Dane Witherspoon and Sean Penn.

1968–BOAC Flight 712 catches fire shortly after take off. As a result of her actions in the accident, Barbara Jane Harrison is awarded a posthumous George Cross, the only GC awarded to a woman in peacetime. Her heroic action to save dozens of lives, led to her own death inside the plane.

1968–Actress, Patricia Arquette, is born in Chicago, Illinois. She appeared in the films A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, Far North, The Indian Runner, True Romance, Ed Wood, Infinity, Lost Highway, Bringing Out the Dead, and Boyhood. Her paternal grandfather was comedian, Cliff Arquette. Her sister is actress, Rosanna Arquette and her brother is actor, David Arquette. She was married to actor, Nicholas Cage.

1970–Bahr El-Baqar primary school bombing: Israeli bombers strike the Bahr El-Baqar primary school in Egypt, killing 46 children.

1973–Neil Young's docu-autobiography, Journey Through the Past, premieres at the U.S. Film Festival in Dallas, Texas.

1973–Artist, Pablo Picasso, dies while entertaining guests for dinner in Mougins, France, at age 91. Picasso was interred at his property, the Chateau of Vauvenargues near Aix-en-Provence, with his wife Jacqueline in attendance. She prohibited his children Claude and Paloma from attending the funeral. As a painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist, and poet, Picasso is perhaps the most influential artist of the 20th century.

1974–At Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, Hank Aaron hits his 715th career home run, surpassing Babe Ruth's 39-year-old record.

1974–U.S. Navy SEAL, Chris Kyle, is born Christopher Scott Kyle in Odessa, Texas. Kyle was the most lethal sniper in U.S. military history, with 160 confirmed kills. He served four tours in the Iraq War and was awarded several commendations for acts of heroism and meritorious service in combat: he received two Silver Star Medals, five Bronze Star Medals, one Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, and two Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals. Kyle was honorably discharged from the U.S. Navy in 2009, and wrote a bestselling autobiography, American Sniper, which was published in January 2012.

1975–Frank Robinson manages the Cleveland Indians in his first game as Major League Baseball's first African-American manager.

1975–The 47th Annual Academy Awards announces its winners. Best Picture: The Godfather Part II; Best Actor: Art Carney for Harry and Tonto; Best Actress: Ellen Burstyn for Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore; Best Director: Francis Ford Coppola for The Godfather Part II; Best Foreign Film: Amarcord (Italy). The ceremonies are held at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles, California. The hosts are Sammy Davis, Jr., Bob Hope, Shirley MacLaine, and Frank Sinatra.

1980–Actress, Katee Sackhoff, is born Kathryn Ann Sackhoff in Portland, Oregon. She is best known for her work on the TV shows The Education of Max Bickford, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, and Longmire. She appeared in the films Halloween: Resurrection, Sexy Evil Genius, Riccick, Oculus, and Tell.

1981–General Omar Bradley, the last U.S. five-star General, dies of a cardiac arrhythmia in New York, New York, at age 88.

1985–Singer, Julian Lennon, makes his first live concert appearance. It is the first of three nights at the Beacon Theater in New York City.

1986–Actor, Clint Eastwood, is elected Mayor of Carmel, California. He would serve as Mayor until 1988.

1987–Los Angeles Dodgers executive, Al Campanis, resigns amid controversy over racially-charged remarks he had made while on the late night TV show Nightline.

1989–TV host, Mary Hart, marries TV producer, Burt Sugarman.

1990–Freezing temperatures severely damage peach and apple orchards in West Virginia, where prolonged mild weather since January had caused an early blooming of spring vegetation. There is an estimated 50% loss of the fruit.

1990–The 54th Golf Masters Championship: Nick Faldo wins, shooting a 278.

1990–Pop star, Jonghyun, is born Kim Jong-hyun in Jung District, Seoul, South Korea. He was a vocalist for the South Korean group Shinee. The five member boy group debuted on May 25, 2008, on SBS's Inkigayo.

1990–Ryan White, hemophiliac AIDS sufferer, dies in Indianapolis, Indiana, at age 18. The U.S. Congress passed a major piece of AIDS legislation, the Ryan White Care Act, shortly after White's death.

1991–Jockey, Bill Shoemaker, is paralyzed in a car accident.

1991–Actor, Michael Landon, announces that he has inoperable cancer of the pancreas.

1992–Retired tennis great, Arthur Ashe, announces that he has AIDS. He acquired the disease from blood transfusions during one of his two heart surgeries.

1993–The Republic of Macedonia joins the United Nations.

1994–Smoking is banned in the Pentagon and on all U.S. Military Bases.

1994–Nirvana lead singer, Kurt Cobain, is found dead three days after an apparent suicide at his home in Seattle, Washington.

1995–Oliver McCall defeats Larry Holmes in 12 rounds for the Heavyweight Boxing Championship.

1996–Benjamin Eisenstadt dies at age 89. He invented the artificial sweetener, Sweet ‘n Low.

1996–Actor, Ben Johnson, dies of a heart attack in Mesa, Arizona, at age 77. He appeared in the films The Outlaw, Tall in the Saddle, Angel and the Badman, Fort Apache, 3 Godfathers, Red River, Mighty Joe Young, She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, Wagon Master, Rio Grande, Shane, Oklahoma!, One-Eyed Jacks, Cheyenne Autumn, Will Penny, Hang ‘Em High, The Wild Bunch, Chisum, The Last Picture Show, Junior Bonner, The Sugarland Express, Breakheart Pass, The Hunter, Tex, Red Dawn, Cherry 2000, Radio Flyer, and The Evening Star.

1997–Microsoft releases Internet Explorer 4.0.

1997–Songwriter, Laura Nyro, dies of ovarian cancer in Danbury, Connecticut, at age 49. Her songs include Stoned Soul Picnic, And When I Die, Stoney End, Sweet Blindness, Wedding Bell Blues, and Eli's Comin'.

1998–The widow of Martin Luther King, Jr. presents new evidence in an appeal for a new federal investigation of the assassination of her husband.

1999–Haryana Gana Parishad, a political party in the Indian state of Haryana, merges with the Indian National Congress.

2000–Actress, Claire Trevor, dies of respiratory failure in Newport Beach, California, at age 90. She appeared in the films Dante’s Inferno, Dead End, Stage Coach, Texas, Honky Tonk, Crossroads, Murder, My Sweet, Crack-Up, The Babe Ruth Story, Key Largo, The High and the Mighty, Marjorie Morningstar, Two Weeks in Another Town, The Stripper, How to Murder Your Wife, and Kiss Me Goodbye.

2001–The 65th Golf Masters Championship: Tiger Woods wins, shooting a 272.

2004–The Humanitarian Ceasefire Agreement is signed by the Sudanese government and two rebel groups.

2005–Over four million people attend the funeral of Pope John Paul II.

2006–The bodies of eight men, all shot to death, are found in a field in Shedden, Elgin County, Ontario. The murders are soon linked to the Bandidos Motorcycle Club.

2007–The 71st Golf Masters Championship: Zach Johnson wins, shooting a 289.

2008–The construction of the world's first building to integrate wind turbines is completed in Bahrain.

2010–Malcolm McLaren, British music manager and impresario, dies of peritoneal mesothelioma in Bellinzona, Ticino, Switzerland, at age 64.

2012–The 76th Golf Masters Championship: Bubba Watson wins, shooting a 278.

2012–Newsman, Mike Wallace, dies at age 93. One of the original correspondents when the news program, 60 Minutes, launched in 1968, Wallace became known for his ambush interviews of criminals and liars. During his years with the show, Wallace interviewed such notables as Martin Luther King, Jr., John F. Kennedy, Salvador Dali, Malcolm X, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Ronald Reagan.

2013–The Islamic State of Iraq enters the Syrian Civil War, declaring a merger with the Al-Nusra Front under the name Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham.

2013–Actress, Annette Funicello, dies of multiple sclerosis in Bakersfield, California, at age 70. As a teen idol from her days on The Mickey Mouse Club and a successful singing career, she went on to team up with singer, Frankie Avalon, for a series of “Beach Party” movies. After being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1987, Funicello was forced to go public in 1992, to refute rumors that she had lost the ability to walk because of alcoholism.

2013–Margaret Thatcher, British Prime Minister, dies from a stroke on London, England, at age 87. She served as the leader of Britain's Conservative Party from 1979 to 1990, and was nicknamed "The Iron Lady" for her uncompromising demeanor. During her time in office, Thatcher developed a close relationship with U.S. President, Ronald Reagan.

2015–DirecTV ends its ad campaign with actor, Rob Lowe, and his funny yet creepy alter egos, after complaints indicated the commercials were misleading. Following multiple complaints from cable company Comcast, the Better Business Bureaus' National Advertising Division (NAD) ruled in its favor and issued recommendations to DirecTV based on the claims.

2015–Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is convicted on all 30 counts against him in the Boston Marathon bombing: 17 of the counts are eligible for the death penalty. The verdict, reached after a day and a half of deliberations, was practically a foregone conclusion, given his lawyer's startling admission at the trial's outset that Tsarnaev carried out the terror attack with his now-dead older brother, Tamerlan.

2015–The White House announces that it has opened its first gender-neutral bathroom, located in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, next to the West Wing.

2016–Syria releases American freelance photographer, Kevin Patrick Dawes, who was kidnapped in 2012.

2016–Mohamed Abrini, wanted in connection with the 2015 terrorist attacks in Paris, France, is arrested in Belgium.

2016–At least 50 people are injured following a head-on collision between two commuter trains in San José, Costa Rica.

2017–Russian cosmonaut, Georgy Grechko, dies from several chronic illnesses in Moscow, Russia, at age 85. He flew on several space flights including Soyuz 17, Soyuz 26, and Soyuz T-14.

2017–British TV and radio presenter, Brian Matthew, dies in England, at age 88. He worked for the BBC from 1954 until 2017. He hosted Saturday Club (originally called Saturday Skiffle Club, starting in 1957, and changing to its more familiar name in 1958) and Easy Beat (starting in 1960). At the time, pop music played on BBC Radio was limited, and the demand for it among young people meant the shows attracted large audiences. Virtually all the big names of the era, including The Beatles, appeared on the shows. Matthew's voice is present on The Beatles' Live at the BBC and On Air–Live at the BBC Volume 2 CD compilations. On television, he was the presenter of Thank Your Lucky Stars from 1961 to 1966.

2018–A report commissioned by the U.K. states that terrorists and extremists are increasingly turning to Bitcoin, the dark net, and encrypted communications apps in a bid to evade detection by authorities.

2018–The 82nd Golf Masters Championship: Patrick Reed wins, shooting a 273.

2018–Actor, Chuck McCann, dies of congestive heart failure in Los Angeles, California, at age 83. He appearedin the films The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, The Projectionist, Jennifer on My Mind, Play It As It Lays, The Girl Most Likely to..., Herbie Rides Again, Linda Lovelace for President, Silent Movie, Foul Play, They Went That-a-Way & That-a-Way, C.H.O.M.P.S., Hamburger: The Motion Picture, Ladybugs, Storyville, Robin Hood: Men in Tights, and Dracula: Dead and Loving It.


PHOTOS TOP TO BOTTOM: Buddha; Peter I or Portugal; the “Venus de Milo”; the 1867 World's Fair in Paris, France; Louis Skidmore; Sonja Henie; Carmen McRae; Works Progress Administration (WPA); The Lennon Sisters; Hywel Bennett; Jomo Kenyatta; John Schneider; Patricia Arquette; a poster for Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore; Clint Eastwood; a packet of Sweet ‘n Low; Claire Trevor; Annette Funicello; and Brian Matthew.

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