Today in History

April 19th:
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1775 American Revolution begins
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Lexington, Massachusetts. The "Shot Heard Round the World" takes place later that day in Concord

Shot heard round the world - Wikipedia

 

April 19th:
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1995 Oklahoma City bombing,



Timothy McVeigh sets a truck bomb at Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, killing 168 and injuring 500

Oklahoma City bombing - Wikipedia

 

Adolf Hitler was born 4/20/1889,

Many tragedies happened on this date in History .

 

Columbine Shooting

The Columbine shooting on April 20, 1999 at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado, occurred when two teens went on a shooting spree, killing 13 people and wounding more than 20 others, before turning their guns on themselves and committing suicide.

 

April 20th:
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1968 British politician Enoch Powell
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. . . . makes his controversial "Rivers of Blood" speech

Rivers of Blood speech - Wikipedia

 

April 25th:
1644 Last Ming Emperor Chongzhen


Rather than be captured by forces of Li Zicheng, Emperor Chongzhen hangs himself from a tree/
Place of death: Jingshan Park, Beijing, China

Chongzhen Emperor - Wikipedia

 

April 25th:
x
TESTWATCH:

• 1954 US performs atmospheric nuclear test above Bikini Island
• 1961 France performs nuclear test at Reggane Proving Grounds Algeria
• 1962 US resumes above ground nuclear testing, at Christmas Island
• 1971 USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakh/Semipalitinsk USSR
• 1973 US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
• 1975 USSR performs underground nuclear test
• 1977 USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakh/Semipalitinsk USSR
• 1980 USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakh/Semipalitinsk USSR
• 1982 Great Britain performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
• 1982 USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakh/Semipalitinsk USSR
• 1983 France performs nuclear test at Mururoa atoll
• 1984 USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakh/Semipalitinsk USSR

 

April 26th:
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1954 "Seven Samurai",
Japanese film directed by Akira Kurosawa, starring Toshiro Mifune, is released


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Seven Samurai - Wikipedia

 

April 26th:
x
Testwatch:

• 1968 US underground nuclear test, "Boxcar," 1 megaton device
• 1973 US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
• 1980 Great Britain performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
• 1986 France performs nuclear test

 

April 26th:

• 1986 - CHERNOBYL:

. .

• World's worst nuclear disaster: 4th reactor at Chernobyl nuclear power station in USSR explodes, 31 die, radioactive contamination reaches much of Western Europe

. . . . .. . .


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CHERNOBYL:

Chernobyl was the worst nuclear accident in the history of the world. On April 26, 1986 the number 4 reactor in the nuclear plant blew up, sending radiation spewing across Europe as far north as Sweden.

In the direct path of the immediate fallout was the town of Pripyat. In the hours after the disaster, dozens of people began to fall ill, but the town was not immediately evacuated by Soviet authorities. This happened a day later. Residents were told only to bring essentials and that they would return in three days. Details of the disaster were sketchy at the time; the Soviet Union did not admit an incident until two days later, and even then the announcement was downplayed in state media.
Since 1986 a 'Zone of Exclusion' has been set up around the Chernobyl plant.

• The surrounding area will not be safe for at least another 20,000 years.

Chernobyl disaster - Wikipedia

 

April 27th:
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1904 AUSTRALIAN LABOUR


The Australian Labor Party under Prime Minister Chris Watson becomes the first Labor government in the world

Chris Watson was Australia's first Labor Prime Minister and while his 1904 government only survived for four months between April and August in 1904 it has the distinction of being the first Labor government anywhere in the world at a national level.

The Australian Labor Party, a democratic socialist party, has its origins in a strike by pastoral workers in the 1890s in the state of Queensland.
It would go on to win the 1910 Federal election under Andrew Fisher and become the first Labor government to win a majority. It remains a major party in Australian political life

 

April 27th:
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1956 - Rocky Marciano,
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Undefeated world heavyweight boxing champion Rocky Marciano, retires from the ring
Marciano retired from boxing at age 31, saying he wants to spend more time with his family.
Marciano ended his career as the only heavyweight champion with a perfect record–49 wins in 49 professional bouts, with 43 knockouts.

Rocky Marciano - Wikipedia

 

April 30th:
1945 - HITLER DEAD:



Adolf Hitler commits suicide along with his new wife Eva Braun in the Fuhrerbunker in Berlin as the Red Army captures the city

 

April 30th:
1961 - ICASTRO - PEACE LEADER:

Premier Fidel Castro of Cuba receives Lenin-Peace Prize

- - -
Fidel Castro gets the Lenin Prize for peace in Cuba, Havana, 1961 (bridgemanimages.com)

Lenin Peace Prize - Wikipedia

 

April 30th:
1989 World Wide Web:

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The World Wide Web (WWW) is first launched in the public domain by CERN scientist Tim Berners-Lee

History of the World Wide Web - Wikipedia

 

2nd MAY:
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1929 Billie Holiday (14) and her mother are arrested for prostitution following a raid of a brothel in Harlem



Ninety years ago: Billie Holiday (14) and her mother are arrested for prostitution – dagelijks iets degelijks (ronnydeschepper.com)

 

2nd MAY:
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1957 First Hammer color horror film released "The Curse of Frankenstein" starring Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee



The Curse of Frankenstein - Wikipedia

 

2nd MAY:
*TESTWATCH

• 1962 US performs atmospheric nuclear test at Christmas Island
• 1972 US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
• 1980 US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
• 1984 US performs underground nuclear test "Orkney" at Nevada Test Site, with an estimated 250 ton yield
• 1985 US performs underground nuclear test "Towanda" at Nevada Test Site, with an estimated 150 ton yield

 

4th MAY:
*4 Dead in OHIO"

. . .
Four students at Kent University were killed and eleven wounded by National Guard troops at a campus demonstration protesting the escalation of the Vietnam War.
The incident inspired Neil Young to compose 'Ohio' which became a hit for Crosby Stills Nash & Young.



Kent State shootings - Wikipedia