Today in History

[katcarasella]

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

[Janet]

I love reading them too Michelle. Every one of them has been so interesting.

[goofywife]

1989: Lucille Ball dies

Actress Lucille Ball, star of the sitcom I Love Lucy, died of a ruptured aorta today, only eight days after she underwent emergency heart surgery. The four-time Emmy Award winner was 77-years-old.

"An outpouring of sympathy from presidents to childhood neighbors followed the death of Lucille Ball, but many said the queen mother of comedy will live on through television reruns and her influence on comedy," reported The Valley Independent on April 27, 1989. "Miss Ball maintained her sense of humor even when she was critically ill. Following her operation last week, her first words to her daughter, Lucie, were 'Wouldn't you know – this is the day I was going to get my hair done.'"

NOTE: Although Ball was known as "the queen of television comedy," her talents went well beyond acting. With her husband Desi Arnaz, Ball created and led Desilu, one of Hollywood's major production companies.

1991: Tornado outbreak hits Kansas

A series of strong tornadoes struck parts of Kansas today, with the most devastating hitting the town of Andover with wind speeds of more than 260 mph. The Andover tornado injured hundreds and completely destroyed the Golden Spur Mobile Home Park. "Bulldozers on Saturday cut through twisted wreckage in a trailer park hardest hit by tornadoes that killed 29 people, and authorities feared the death toll could rise," explained the Daily Herald on April 28, 1991. "Hundreds of homes were destroyed as at least 30 twisters ripped across Kansas and 18 through Oklahoma Friday night."

1986: Explosion at Chernobyl releases radiation

An explosion at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine caused a fire today that resulted in a nuclear meltdown. "The first indications of a nuclear mishap came this morning when unusual concentrations of radioactivity were registered in the vicinity of a nuclear power plant in Forsmark, Sweden. Six hundred workers were evacuated," the Syracuse Herald Journal explained on April 28, 1986. Radiation from the Chernobyl plant contaminated large areas, with the governments of Sweden, Finland and Denmark reporting large clouds of radioactive material. NOTE: The Chernobyl disaster is still considered the largest nuclear accident in history.

1954: Polio vaccine tests begin

The National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis gave its approval to begin distributing a new polio vaccine today. "Sandy-haired Randy Kerr claimed the first shot today in a nation-wide polio vaccine test, but what worried him most was the poison ivy 'which I've had since a week ago Sunday,'" reported the Oakland Tribune on April 26, 1954. "But Dr. Richard Mulvaney assured him he had nothing to worry about on that score and proceeded to make Randy the first of some 2,400 children in Fairfax County who will take their first shots this week."

1925: Germany elects Von Hindenburg

German field marshal Paul Von Hindenburg was elected president of Germany today. "Running as the choice of the nationalist-conservative bloc, consisting of the parties of United Right, von Hindenburg received 14,639,399 votes or 48.3 per cent, of the total valid ballots cast in yesterday's polling. His principal opponent, former Chancellor Dr. Wilhelm Marx, candidate of the Republican bloc, received 13,752,649 votes. Ernest Thaelmann, the Communist, trailed with 1,931,591," explained The Bee on April 27, 1925. NOTE: Hindenburg remained in office until his death on August 2, 1934, upon which Adolf Hitler became Germany's Head of State.

1865: John Wilkes Booth is shot

Assassin John Wilkes Booth was shot today in a burning barn after a desperate search by the Union army. Booth had fatally shot President Abraham Lincoln just 12 days earlier. "Sergeant Boston Corbett fired upon him and he fell. The ball passed through his neck. He was pulled out of the barn…the wretch lived about two hours, whispering blasphemes against the government, and messages to his mother, desiring her to be informed that he died for his country," reported The New York Times on April 28, 1865. "At the time Booth was shot, he was leaning upon one crutch and preparing to shoot his captors. Only one shot was fired in the entire affair – that which killed the assassin."

[DianaB]

Originally Posted by goofywife

1991: Tornado outbreak hits Kansas

A series of strong tornadoes struck parts of Kansas today, with the most devastating hitting the town of Andover with wind speeds of more than 260 mph. The Andover tornado injured hundreds and completely destroyed the Golden Spur Mobile Home Park. "Bulldozers on Saturday cut through twisted wreckage in a trailer park hardest hit by tornadoes that killed 29 people, and authorities feared the death toll could rise," explained the Daily Herald on April 28, 1991. "Hundreds of homes were destroyed as at least 30 twisters ripped across Kansas and 18 through Oklahoma Friday night."

I can't believe that it's been that long since Andover was hit by that tornado!! We drive through there on our way to Wichita. You can still see some evidence, if you know where to look, of that tornado. It was really bad!!!

[goofywife]

I know exactly how you feel. May 3rd is the big one around here.

Originally Posted by DianaB

I can't believe that it's been that long since Andover was hit by that tornado!! We drive through there on our way to Wichita. You can still see some evidence, if you know where to look, of that tornado. It was really bad!!!

[DianaB]

Originally Posted by goofywife

I know exactly how you feel. May 3rd is the big one around here.

My cousin was living in Moore, Ok, when that one hit. She had just moved there and didn't know where to go to so she took her girls and hid under the stairs. She called her mother and told her good-bye. It ended up that the tornado came within 2 blocks of where she lived. Scary!!!

[goofywife]

It is very sad that she didn't know where to go. It was like the movie Twister had actually come to life. I remember the weather men saying "folks, you are going to have to get under ground for this one, it will not do to be above ground"

For a while it looked like it was coming right for us. I remember my DH and I sitting down and saying well what do we do? We decided to sit in front of the TV and watch it. I know stupid. But it hit the river and turned to Moore (they almost always do that). We live about 1.4 mile from the river. We went outside and watched it pass. I think we had 88 tornado's that day.

My DH works for OG&E. He worked for 6 months to get the power back on. There was one F4 that rode the transmisson lines feeding into the city 88 of the big metal towers were crumbled. He said that they knew there where dead bodies where they were working, they could smell them.

Originally Posted by DianaB

My cousin was living in Moore, Ok, when that one hit. She had just moved there and didn't know where to go to so she took her girls and hid under the stairs. She called her mother and told her good-bye. It ended up that the tornado came within 2 blocks of where she lived. Scary!!!

[Janet]

I've never seen one quite that close or really felt I was in immediate danger of a tornado. Oh we've packed us and the doggies and headed for a safer place, but most of the time we just stay home.

The Palm Sunday tornado in 1964 went right over our property and took everything with it. Of course I was only 9 years old, but I do remember my parents taking us through Russiaville, it was pretty much destroyed.

We do have a storm cellar we can get to, but we have to go outside and then under the house through a small opening. It would be hard getting all the dogs down there. Wish there was a way to get there from inside the house. ...hmmmm, now I'm thinking....

[goofywife]

1947: Babe Ruth Day is celebrated

Babe Ruth was honored today at baseball parks across the United States. Ruth appeared at a special ceremony held at Yankee Stadium, "the house that Ruth built." Fans from all over the world heard Ruth's speech over their own stadium's loudspeakers, as his words were piped into other major and minor league parks.

"Walking slowly up the steps of the New York Yankee dugout Sunday afternoon in full view of the 58,339 'Babe Ruth day' fans, the 52-year-old Bambino was greeted by a thunderous roar. The greatest home run hitter the game ever produced stood a few feet away from the batters' box from which he used to bombard the bleachers surrounded by dignitaries," reported the Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune on April 28, 1947. "It was still the same old Babe, putting in a plug for 'the kids,' his ever-faithful public, and boosting baseball as 'the only real game in the world.'"

NOTE: When Ruth spoke before his fans, he was still recovering from a serious neck operation to remove a cancerous tumor. He died from his battle with cancer on August 16, 1948, at the age of 53.

1974: Thousands march to impeach Nixon

"Thousands of persons, accompanied by rock music, streakers and the fragrance of marijuana, marched on the Capitol Saturday seeking speedy removal of Richard Nixon as President," explained The Times Standard on April 28, 1974. "The impeachment march was the first major protest in Washington since Nixon's second inauguration in January 1973. Chants of 'Throw the Bum Out' and 'No More Years' bounced against the walls of the Capitol. Signs read 'Pick out your drapes, Mrs. Ford' and 'Jail to the Chief.'" NOTE: Expecting to be impeached, Nixon announced his resignation on August 8, 1974.

1965: Edward R. Murrow dies

American journalist and CBS news anchor Edward R. Murrow died today of lung cancer. "Murrow gained fame during World War II when his broadcasts from London described in vivid detail the courage and tenacity of the British people under the Nazi blitz," informed The Sheboygan Press on April 27, 1965. "The war made him one of radio's legends. His vivid pictures of Londoners under fire, prefaced by his, 'This is London,' carried what Winston Churchill later called 'their finest hour' into millions of American homes and hearts."

1941: Nazis take Athens

Nazi forces marched on Athens, Greece today. "The citizens of Athens waited silently this morning, behind locked doors and shuttered windows, for the first sounds of German troops moving into the capital of Greece," reported The Port Arthur News just hours before the Nazis arrived. "No longer are there gay British soldiers in Athens. No more does one see the friendly uniforms of Greece's allies. As the Athenians walked to their homes Saturday night, driven indoors by the early curfew, they saw only a few British soldiers."

1897: Grant's Tomb is dedicated

Today, on the 75th anniversary of the birth of General Ulysses S. Grant, almost one million people gathered in New York City for the dedication of Grant's tomb. "It was an occasion more of triumphant eulogy and national pride than of funeral rite, for in these 12 years since first the nation mourned for Grant the keenness of grief has worn away and in its place there lives in the hearts of men that hero-worship which found such tumultuous vent yesterday. The greatest of our citizens, our soldiers and our sailors stood side by side with men of fame from almost every nation of the earth and paid without regard to race, or creed, or party prejudice, the last and long delayed honor of the living to the dead," explained The Fort Wayne News on April 28, 1897. NOTE: The answer to the famous Groucho Marx riddle “Who is buried in Grant’s Tomb?” is nobody, as both Grant and his wife are entombed and not buried there.

[katcarasella]

1897: Grant's Tomb is dedicated

I remember this day well, I was kneehigh to a grasshopper.

[DianaB]

Originally Posted by katcarasella

1897: Grant's Tomb is dedicated

I remember this day well, I was kneehigh to a grasshopper.

More likely you were a twinkle in some great-great-grandmother's eye!!!! LOL

[goofywife]

1945: Mussolini is executed
Italian partisans killed deposed dictator Benito Mussolini and his mistress, Clara Petacci today. Mussolini, who ruled Italy from 1922 to 1943, had been removed from office following the defeat of the Italian army. After his execution, his body was brought to Milan, where he was hung upside down.

On April 30, 1945, The Oakland Tribune reported, "The body of Benito Mussolini swung from its heels against the rusty steel framework of a half-completed gasoline station in the heart of Milan, the object of the vengeful wrath of the Italian people whom he had promised a place in the sun but instead had led to defeat and misery."

NOTE: Following the execution, Mussolini’s body was hung upside down from meathooks at a petrol station, and he was stoned by civilians. His body was then buried in an unmarked grave. Later he was interred at the town of Predappio, his birthplace.

2001: Dennis Tito becomes first space tourist
U.S. millionaire Dennis Tito blasted into space on the Russian Soyuz craft today, making him the world’s first “space tourist.” “Never mind NASA’s stern admonition that space is no place for amateurs. Tito hopes his weekend launch aboard a Russian rocket and six day stay on the international space station will prove anyone can – and should – experience space,” explained the Tyrone Daily Herald on April 28, 2001. NOTE: Despite controversy from NASA, Tito’s trip went well. He stayed in space for a total of 7 days and 22 hours in space, and orbited the earth 128 times. He has since testified in Congress in favor of commercial human spaceflight.


1994: Former CIA spy pleads guilty
Former CIA spy Aldrich Ames was sentenced to life in prison today after he pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit espionage. "Ames, 52, pleaded guilty without a trial and admitted being paid $2.5 million by the Soviet Union and then Russia since April 1985 for U.S. secrets. Once head of counterintelligence in the CIA's Soviet East Europe section, Ames admitted disclosing the identities of 10 Russian officials and one East European who were spying for the United States or Great Britain," informed The Intelligencer on April 29, 1994.

1965: U.S. Marines land in Dominican Republic
U.S. Marines landed in the Dominican Republic today in order to evacuate American citizens and protect them from the fighting taking place in Santo Domingo. On April 29, 1965, The Daily Times News reported, "[President] Johnson's order marked the first such use of Marines in Latin America in years. U.S. officials expected criticism from Latin Americans mindful of American 'gunboat diplomacy' of a bygone era. But under international law, they said, a nation can send its forces to another land to protect its nationals when the local government breaks down."


1952: Eisenhower resigns from NATO“President Truman yesterday appointed dynamic Gen. Matthew B. Ridgway to succeed General of the Army Dwight D. Eisenhower as Supreme Allied Commander in Europe to build up defenses against the threat of Soviet aggression,” reported The Troy Record on April 29, 1952. “The appointments are effective June 1, the date Eisenhower is scheduled to doff his uniform and return to the U.S. to press his bid for the Republican presidential nomination.” NOTE: Eisenhower did receive the Republican nomination and was elected to the presidency in 1953, with Richard Nixon as his running mate.

[katcarasella]

1952: Eisenhower
This is not a joke so don't expect one.
When I was 2 or 3, I really don't remember this, but my Mom told me that Eisenhower came to Chicago to campaign and she was running down the street with my sister and I in the buggy so she could see him in his motorcade.
(and that's a fact)

[Janet]

That would be pretty cool Kat. Too bad you don't really remember it.

[goofywife]

1992: Riots break out in L.A.
The city of Los Angeles was a scene of violence today after riots broke out following the acquittal of four white police officers charged with the videotaped beating of Rodney King.

"Gov. Pete Wilson declared a state of emergency and 2,000 National Guardsmen were sent to armories and other gathering points to await orders as the city tried to quell the worst outbreak of violence since the Watts riots of 1965," reported The Capital on April 30, 1992. "Blacks dragged motorists from their cars and beat them, looters – most of them black – emptied a supermarket, and more than 300 fires were reported. At dawn, police with shotguns guarded firefighters as they battled more than 30 blazes, authorities said. Streets were largely deserted."

NOTE: An estimated 55 people were reported dead when the rioting finally ceased several days later. The acquitted police officers faced a second trial one year later, in which two were found guilty of violating King's civil rights.


1993: Buckingham Palace opens to public
Buckingham Palace announced today it will open its doors to the public in order to raise money to repair the fire-damaged Windsor Castle. "Treasures on view will include a raft of Old Master paintings, the world's finest collection of Sevres porcelain and antique French furniture, some from Versailles," informed The Intelligencer on April 30, 1993. "Admission will cost $12.50 for adults, and the palace expects up to 400,000 tourists a year. The government said the tours of Buckingham Palace plus new charges for visiting Windsor Castle are expected to meet 70 per cent of the repair bill."

1967: Muhammad Ali stripped of title
Boxer Cassius Clay, known as Muhammad Ali, was stripped of his heavyweight championship title today after refusing induction into the United States Army on religious grounds. "I had the world heavyweight title, not because it was 'given' to me, not because of my race or religion, but because I won it in the ring through my own boxing ability," said Ali in a statement published in The Lima News on April 29, 1967. "Those who want to 'take' it and hold a series of auction-type bouts not only do me a disservice but actually disgrace themselves," he continued. NOTE: Two months later, Ali was found guilty of draft evasion and was sentenced to prison for five years. He was allowed to box again in 1970, and the Supreme Court reversed his conviction the following year.


1945: Dachau concentration camp is liberated
United States forces freed 32,000 captives at the Dachau concentration camp today. "The political prisoners at Dachau wept with hysteria when troops of the U.S. Seventh Army cleared the enemy guards from the camp where gruesome torture rooms and gas chambers were located," read an article in The Daily Courier on April 30, 1945. Another 27,000 American and British prisoners of war were also freed when the U.S. Third Army found a large prisoner of war camp at Moosburg, just northeast of Munich.