[goofywife]

1967: Mission results in first space death
Vladimir Komarov, the only cosmonaut on board the Soyuz 1 spacecraft, died today after experiencing a problem with his parachute. Komarov was the first Russian to travel into space twice.

"Cosmonaut Vladimir Komarov plummeted to death from a height of more than four miles when his spacecraft Soyuz 1 tried to land today, the government announced. It was the first time either of the two space powers has reported the death of an astronaut on an operation. Moscow radio said ropes of the parachute meant to ease the landing twisted, and the ship hit with great force, killing the 40-year-old veteran cosmonaut," reported The Lowell Sun on April 24, 1967.

NOTE: Komarov's death came just three months after three American astronauts were killed in a fire during a ground test at Cape Kennedy. Despite this American tragedy, the Independent reported that Komarov's death "may have wiped out any chance Russia had to beat the U.S. to the moon."

1990: Hubble Space Telescope is launched
The space shuttle Discovery launched the Hubble Space Telescope into orbit today. "The 1.5 billion telescope is expected to provide astronomers with a vastly sharper, clearer view of the most distant reaches of the universe than could ever be obtained by ground-based telescopes looking through the atmosphere," informed The Post Standard on April 25, 1990. "On hand to watch the Discovery launching was a contingent of scientists who have hailed the Hubble as the greatest advance in astronomy since Galileo raised a small telescope to his eyes nearly 400 years ago."


1984: Apple portable computer is released
Apple Computer, Inc. released its Apple IIc portable computer today. "Priced at a suggested $1,295, the IIc weighs 7.5 pounds and is what industry officials call lap-sized – 12 inches long, 11½ inches wide and 2½ inches high. The Apple IIc computer has a single built-in disc drive and can use about 90 percent of the more than 10,000 computer programs written for the Apple II series," explained The Post Standard on April 25, 1984.

1980: Hostage rescue fails
Eight American servicemen died today in a helicopter crash after an aborted attempt to rescue hostages from the U.S. embassy in Tehran. The attempt was a failure and had severe political repercussions for President Jimmy Carter's administration. "U.S. military forces undertook a dramatic raid to rescue American hostages in Tehran, but the mission collapsed in 'equipment failures' and was aborted on a desert airstrip far from its target, President Carter reported today," informed The Capital on April 25, 1980. "Iranian radio said the militants holding 50 Americans in the U.S. embassy in Tehran were meeting to discuss their response to the rescue mission, which Iranian Foreign Minister Sadegh Ghotbzadeh compared to Hitler's invasion of Austria at the start of World War II." NOTE: The U.S. hostages were released within minutes of Ronald Reagan taking the office of President of the United States of America on January 20, 1981.

1953: Winston Churchill is knighted
Winston Churchill, often called the greatest statesman of the 20th century, was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II today. "The British Prime Minister, 78, knelt before his young Queen in the drawing room at Windsor Castle to receive - for his decades of service to the empire and the throne - the accolade he declined from her father, King George VI," explained The Oneonta Star on April 25, 1953. "As a knight, he gains nothing substantial except the title 'Sir' and the right to walk ahead of plain misters and knights of lesser rank on formal occasions."

1916: Easter Rising begins
In an attempt to force Ireland's independence from the United Kingdom, militant Irish republicans staged a rebellion today in Dublin. "Irish rebels are in possession of four or five parts of the city of Dublin after twenty-four hours of most serious rioting, Augustine Birrell, chief secretary for Ireland, announced in the house of commons today," reported The Fort Wayne News on April 25, 1916. "Twelve persons were killed in the first fight, but because of the interpretation in communication, there is no estimate of the total number of casualties." NOTE: Because the rioting took place during Easter week, the rebellion is now commonly referred to as the Easter Rising. The Rising was stopped after six days of fighting, and the leaders were court-martialled and executed. The rising, however, what somewhat of a success; elected members of Sinn Fein established the Irish Republic in 1919 due to the attention brought by the Easter Rising.