[goofywife]

1956: Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier marry

American actress Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier III of Monaco exchanged Roman Catholic wedding vows in the Monaco cathedral today. The couple had also married in a civil service on the day before the religious ceremony.

"The exchange of vows and blessing took only 10 minutes, but attendant ceremonials and processions stretched out for more than three hours," reported the Winnipeg Free Press read on April 19, 1956. "Trailing her ivory lace wedding train in the bright Mediterranean sun, the bride walked with measured strides into the white stone cathedral just before 11 a.m. as bugles blared."

NOTE: Hours after they were considered married in the eyes of the Roman Catholic Church and according to civil law, they left on a Mediterranean cruise for their honeymoon. Grace Kelly died in a car crash in 1982 and the Prince never remarried.

2005: Cardinal Ratzinger is elected pope

Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger of Germany was named the new pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church today, succeeding John Paul II. "White smoke poured from a chimney at the Vatican and bells tolled, announcing to the world that a new pope was elected in the first papal conclave of the new millennium," informed The Capital on April 19, 2005. NOTE: Ratzinger chose the name Pope Benedict XVI.

1995: Oklahoma bombing kills 168 people

A truck full of explosives destroyed the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, today, killing 168 people. "The blast occurred at the start of a work day, as parents dropped off their youngsters at the day-care center in the federal building. Before the smoke cleared, emergency worker Heather Taylor had to put tags on the toes of at least 12 children," The Post Standard reported on April 20, 1995. "Assistant Fire Chief Jon Hansen described the first 30 minutes after the bombing as 'pure mayhem.' Streets were choked with walking wounded, emergency crews and well-meaning citizens." NOTE: In 1997, Timothy McVeigh was convicted of the bombing and on June 11, 2001, he was executed by lethal injection

1967: Former West German Chancellor Adenauer dies

Konrad Adenauer of West Germany, chancellor from 1949 to 1963, died today at the age of 91. "Adenauer was respected and consulted by all the Western world leaders even after his retirement in 1963. He commanded the attention of the Communists and his passing was reported by the Soviet news agency Tass without comment moments after his death," explained the Syracuse Herald Journal on April 19, 1967. "As the architect of postwar West Germany policy the Russians had blamed him more than any other European statesman for opposing Soviet policy in Europe."

1927: Mae West sentenced for 'obscene performance'

Actress Mae West was sentenced to ten days in a work house and fined $500 for participating in an "obscene stage performance" today. On March 19, the Broadway play Sex, which West was the star and co-author of, voluntarily closed after warrants were served on the cast and owners for staging an obscene show. NOTE: West would later be known for her Hollywood movies and is remembered today as one of the first blonde bombshells.

1904: Toronto devastated by fire

A fire swept through the city of Toronto in Ontario, Canada today. The blaze destroyed more than 150 buildings and caused $10 million to $15 million in damage, according to 1904 reports. "The fire started in a factory in Wellington street, about 9 o'clock last night. In less than an hour the flames had spread from building to building on both sides of the street until the whole block was a mass of flames and the fire was utterly beyond control of the local fire department," reported The Newark Advocate on April 20, 1904.