Today in History

[goofywife]

When I drink soda, I am a Pepsi person as well. Coke just seems to have more carmel flavor to me

[Janet]

I haven't had a soda since January 3rd of this year. I can tell the difference between Coke and Pepsi no problem, but it's been a long time since I had Royal Crown.

[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.

[goofywife]

1945: United Nations is organized
Delegates from nations that had joined forces against the Axis powers met in San Francisco today to "make the post-war world safe for peace-loving peoples."

"They call this the United Nations Conference on International Organization. The first session will be brief," reported The Charleroi Mail on April 25, 1945. "The goal of conference is to prepare 'a charter for a general international organization for the maintenance of international peace and security.'"

NOTE: While representatives came to the conference for collective action to safeguard peace, President Truman reminded the delegates that obtaining world collaboration would not be easy. In a broadcast from Washington at the opening of the conference, Truman said, "We who have lived through the torture and the tragedy of two world conflicts must realize the magnitude of the problem before us. We do not need farsighted vision to understand the trend of recent history. Its significance is all too clear."


1995: Ginger Rogers dies at 83
Oscar award winning actress and dancer Ginger Rogers died today at the age of 83. The Chronicle Telegram noted on April 26, 1995, "She matched Fred Astaire step for step, dancing backwards and in high heels through glamorous musicals that provided an escape for Americans mired in the Depression."

1983: 10-year-old receives letter from Soviet leader
Samantha Smith, a 10-year-old girl from Maine, received a letter from Soviet leader Yuri V. Andropov today after she sent him a hand-written message asking to end the arms race. "In the one-page letter, Andropov assured Samantha the Soviet Union was doing everything possible to avoid a nuclear war and invited her to visit the Soviet Union this summer," informed Daily Herald on April 26, 1983. NOTE: Samantha and her parents did go to the Soviet Union for two weeks as guests of Andropov. She was then invited to Japan as “America’s Youngest Ambassador.” Smith died in 1985 when her airplane crashed attempting to land at the Lewiston-Auburn Regional Airport.

1967: Johnson attends Konrad Adenauer's funeral
U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson, French President Charles de Gaulle and other Western leaders today attended the funeral mass for West Germany's former Chancellor Konrad Adenauer at the Gothic cathedral of Cologne. "Adenauer, a veteran figure in German politics who had served as mayor of Cologne long before World War II, came out of self-imposed retirement after the war to serve as West Germany's first chancellor when the occupation government yielded to the Federal Republic in 1949. He served until 1963," reported the Syracuse Herald-Journal on April 25, 1967.

1959: St. Lawrence Seaway opens
The St. Lawrence Seaway opened today to ocean vessels seeking passage from Montreal to the Great Lakes ports. "The 475-million-dollar project had been debated by the U.S. and Canadian governments for 50 years, then was completed by 15,000 workers in five years," explained The Odessa American on April 26, 1959.


1935: Fire destroys Oregon's capitol
An immense fire ruined Oregon's state capitol in Salem today. "Theoretically the state carries its own insurance in a 'restoration fund,' but it contained only $140,000. The 60-year-old capitol which contained the main departmental offices, the executive offices and the senate and house chambers, cost $700,000," reported The Fresno Bee Republican. "The value of the equipment, records and historical relics was expected to bring the actual investment loss around at least $1,500,000." It was believed that the fire began in the basement and spread through the elevator shaft. One fireman was killed when a crumbling chimney crushed him.

[DianaB]

I know that you don't get many posts on here, but I really enjoy reading them everyday. Thanks, Michelle!!!!

[goofywife]

Thanks, I seem to learn something, everytime I post one of them.

Originally Posted by DianaB

I know that you don't get many posts on here, but I really enjoy reading them everyday. Thanks, Michelle!!!!

[katcarasella]

I was shopping for my Senior Prom dress around this time in 1967.