|
April 4th
0188 - Born this day, Caracalla, Roman emperor (211-17). 0527 - In Constantinople, Justin, seriously ill, crowned his nephew Justinian as his co-emperor. 0896 - Formosus ended his reign as Catholic Pope. 1284 - Died this day, Alfonso X, Spanish king (Castile & Leon), aged 62. 1460 - The University of Basle in Switzerland was formed. 1507 - Future German reformer Martin Luther, at the age of 21, was ordained a priest in the Roman Catholic church. 1541 - Spanish ecclesiastic reformer and mystic Ignatius Loyola, 50, was elected the first General of the Jesuit Order, which he had helped establish the previous year. 1581 - English navigator, Francis Drake, returned home after sailing around the world, and was knighted by Queen Elizabeth I. The ceremony took place at Deptford. 1588 - Died this day, Frederick II, king of Denmark. 1604 - Died this day, Thomas Churchyard, poet, pamphleteer. 1617 - Died this day, John Napier, inventor of logarithms, (birth date unknown). 1648 - Born this day, Grinling Gibbons, sculptor, woodcarver. 1687 - King James II issued a Declaration of Indulgence allowing full liberty of worship in England. The document allowed peaceable meetings of nonconformists and forgave all penalties for ecclesiastical offenses. 1752 - Born this day, Nicolo Antonio Zingarelli, composer (Andromeda). 1758 - Born this day, John Hoppner, portrait painter. 1780 - Born this day, Edward Hicks, Quaker preacher and painter (The Peaceable Kingdom). 1785 - Born this day, Bettina von Arnim, German writer (This Book Belongs to the King). 1788 - The publication of the Federalist Papers, one of the greatest works on US political theory, was completed. Written mostly by Alexander Hamilton and James Madison, the essays defended federalism as a means of creating a strong state while protecting the individual against governmental tyranny. 1792 - Born this day, Thaddeus Stevens, US Radical Republican congressional leader (Rep-R). 1802 - Born this day, Dorothea Dix, American social reformer. Aroused interest in treatment of mental inmates. 1804 - A large tornado crossed six Georgia counties killing at least eleven persons near Augusta. 1807 - Died this day, Joseph Jerome Le Francais de Lalande, astronomer. 1812 - The territory of Orleans became the 18th state of the US and became known as Louisiana. 1817 - Died this day, Andre Massena Duc de Rivoli, soldier. 1817 - Died this day, Prince d'Essing. 1818 - US Congress decided the flag of the United States would consist of 13 red and white stripes and 20 stars, with a new star to be added for every new state of the Union. 1821 - Born this day, Linus Yale, US portrait painter, inventor of the Yale lock. 1823 - Born this day, Karl Wilhelm Siemens, inventor (laid undersea cables). 1826 - Born this day, Zenobe Theophile Gramme, inventor (electric motor). 1828 - Born this day, Margaret Oliphant, in Scotland, novelist, biographer. 1829 - The Catholic Emancipation Act restored civil liberties to Roman Catholics. 1832 - Born this day, Jose Echegaray y Elizaguirre, playwright, writer, scientist. 1841 - Died this day, William Henry Harrison, 9th US president, succumbed to pneumonia one month after his inauguration, the first US chief executive to die while in office and the shortest at just 32 days. He was 68. He died at the White House, Washington DC, and is buried in Harrison Tomb, North Bend, Ohio. 1843 - Born this day, Hans Richter, conductor. 1844 - Died this day, Charles Bulfinch, first US professional architect (Massachusetts State House, designed by Charles Bulfinch and completed in 1798), aged 80. 1850 - The city of Los Angeles was incorporated. 1858 - R. Luther discovered asteroid #53 Kalypso (named for the goddess of silence). 1859 - The opera Dinorah was produced in Paris. 1859 - Daniel Emmett introduced I Wish I was in Dixie’s Land, later named Dixie, in New York City. Just two years later, the song became the Civil War song of the Confederacy. 1862 - The Battle of Yorktown began as Union General George B. McClellan closed in on Richmond, Virginia. 1865 - General Lee's army arrived at Amelia Courthouse. 1870 - Born this day, George A. Smith, in Salt Lake City, Utah, 8th president of Mormon church. 1870 - Golden Gate Park was established by City Order #800. 1875 - Born this day, Pierre Monteux, in Paris, France, conductor (Boston Symphony Orchestra 1919-24). 1876 - Born this day, Maurice de Vlaminck, in Paris, Fauvist painter (Village in the Snow). 1881 - Born this day, Charles Funk, in Ohio, of Funk and Wagnalls Encyclopeadia fame. 1884 - Born this day, Isoroku Yamamoto, Japanese naval commander during World War II (WWII). 1887 - Susanna M. Salter became the first woman mayor in the US. She was duly elected by the people of Argonia, Kansas. Ms. Salter won by a two-thirds majority but didn’t even know she was in the running ’til she went into the voting booth. It seems that her name was submitted by the Women’s Christian Temperance Union. Susanna M. Salter received $1 for her year as mayor. 1888 - Born this day, Tris Speaker, baseball great, hit more doubles than Pete Rose. 1891 - Distinguished American actor, Edwin Booth, made his final stage appearance in a production of Hamlet at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. 1892 - Born this day, Cyril Smith, in Peterhead, Scotland, actor (Adventures of Sir Lancelot). 1895 - Born this day, Arthur Murray, in New York City, ballroom dance instructor (Arthur Murray Dance Party). 1896 - Born this day, Robert Sherwood, dramatist (Abe Lincoln in Illinois, Idiot's Delight). 1896 - Born this day, Tristan Tzara [Samuel Rosenfeld], French poet (Approximate Man). 1896 - The discovery of gold in the Yukon was announced - it led to the Klondyke Gold Rush. 1896 - Born this day, Robert Sherwood, playwright. 1901 - Born this day, Carmel Myers, in San Francisco, California, actress (Carmel Myers Show). 1902 - Died this day, British financier Cecil Rhodes. He left $10 million dollars in his will for scholarships to Americans at Oxford University. 1905 - More than 10,000 civilians were killed by an earthquake in Lahore, India. (Another source says - Kangra India, kills 370,000). 1906 - Born this day, Bea Benaderet, in New York City, actress (Kate-Petticoat Junction). 1906 - Born this day, John Cameron Swayze, in Wichita, Kansas, newscaster (Timex, Hindenberg). 1907 - Born this day, Nathan M. Pusey, educator (1963 National Association for Social Sciences Medal). 1912 - The Chinese republic was proclaimed in Tibet. 1913 - Born this day, Frances Langford, in Lakeland, Florida, singer (Armed Forces Hour, Star Time). 1914 - Born this day, Sir John Beith, British diplomat. 1914 - The first known serialised moving picture opened in New York City. The Perils of Pauline starred Pearl White. (Another source says - in Los Angeles.) 1914 - Born this day, Marguerite Duras, in France, novelist, playwright (The Sea Wall, The Lover). 1915 - Born this day, Muddy Waters [McKinley Morganfield], blues singer, guitarist. Died 30 April 1983. Recorded I Just Want To Make Love To You, I’m Your Hoochie Coochie Man, Got My Mojo Working. 1917 - The US Senate voted 90-6 to enter World War I (WWI) on Allied side. 1918 - During World War I (WWI), the Battle of the Somme ended. 1918 - Born this day, Earl Jellicoe, chancellor (University of Southhampton). 1918 - Born this day, Margaret Dupont, tennis champion. 1919 - Died this day, William Crookes, physicist, chemist. 1919 - Born this day, Antony Tudor, in England, choreographer (Metropolitan Opera 1957). 1921 - Born this day, Elizabeth Wilson, US actress. 1921 - KLM resumed its services (following a winter break) with its own aircraft (Fokker F -II) and pilots. 1922 - WAAB (Baton Rouge La) became the first US radio station with 'W' calls. 1922 - Born this day, Elmer Bernstein, in New York City, movie music composer. 1923 - Born this day, Eric Rohmer, in Nancy, France, director (Claire's Knee). 1924 - Born this day, Gil Hodges, baseball player, manager (Brooklyn Dodgers, New York Mets). 1924 - Born this day, Peter Vaughan, actor (Haunted Honeymoon, Die Die My Darling). 1925 - Born this day, Elizabeth Wilson, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, actor (Doc, East Side/West Side). 1926 - Born this day, Cloris Leachman, in Des Moines, Iowa, actress (Phyllis, High Anxiety). 1928 - Born this day, Bill Ryan, in Brooklyn, New York, newscaster (Smithsonian). 1928 - Born this day, Jimmy Logan, British comedian. 1928 - Born this day, Monty Norman, composer, writer. 1928 - Born this day, Maya Angelou, in St. Louis, Missouri, US poet, author, actress (Nyo-Roots). 1929 - New Moon musical opened in London. 1929 - The first AAU Greco-Roman wrestling championships were held. 1929 - Died this day, Karl Freidrich Benz, automobile engineer (Mercedes). 1930 - Born this day, Dave Sexton, football manager. 1931 - The first airmail left Australia for England. 1931 - Died this day, Andre Michelin, CEO (Michelin Tires). 1932 - Died this day, Wilhelm Ostwald, physical chemist. 1932 - Born this day, Clive Davis, US Recording executive. 1932 - Vitamin C was discovered and isolated by scientists C. G. King and W. A. Waugh at the University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 1932 - Born this day, Anthony Perkins, in New York City, actor (Psycho, Fear Strikes Out, Pretty Poison). 1932 - Born this day, Richard Lugar (Sen-R-Ind). 1933 - US Dirigible Akron crashed off the coast of New Jersey., 73 died. 1934 - K. Reinmuth discovered asteroid #1716 Peter. 1935 - Born this day, Lord Ichayra, secretary-general (British Banking Association). 1935 - Born this day, Trevor Griffiths, playwright (Absolute Beginners). 1937 - Born this day, Ian St. James, novelist. 1938 - Born this day, A. Bartlett Giamatti, in Boston, president of Yale, baseball commisioner (1989). 1938 - Born this day, Michael Parks, in Corona, California, actor (Then Came Bronson). 1938 - Born this day, Peter Attenborough, British headmaster (Charterhouse). 1938 - After seven years of singing on the radio, Kate Smith began a new noontime talk show. 1938 - Born this day, Bart Giamatti, baseball commisioner, president of Yale. 1939 - Died this day, Ghazi, King of Iraq. 1939 - Glenn Miller recorded his theme song, Moonlight Serenade for Bluebird Records. Previously, the Miller theme had been Gone with the Dawn and, before then, Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep. 1939 - Born this day, Hugh Masakela, in South Africa, trumpeter, bandleader, 1968 US No.1 single Grazing In The Grass. (I Am Not Afraid). 1939 - Born this day, Joanne Carner, in Kirkland, Washington, LPGA golfer (US Open 1970, 1976). 1939 - King Faisal II ascended to the throne of Iraq. 1940 - Born this day, Sharon Sheeley, US songwriter, hits include Poor Little Fool, a US No.1 for Ricky Nelson in 1958 and the 1959 hit for Eddie Cochran Somethin' Else. Sheeley survived the car crash that killed Cochran in 1960. She died 17 May 2002 aged 62. 1940 - L. Oterma discovered asteroid #2332 Kalm. 1940 - Born this day, Bijan, in Iran, mens apparel designer (Beverly Hills, New York City, London). 1940 - Born this day, Lord Jeffrey Archer, author. 1941 - Field Marshal Erwin Rommel captured the British held town of Benghazi in North Africa. 1941 - Born this day, [William] Bill Tarmey, actor (Jack Duckworth in Coronation Street). 1941 - Born this day, Major Lance, soul singer, 1964 US No.5 and UK No.40 single Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um. Died of heart failure 9 March 1994. Also (Monkey Time). 1942 - Born this day, Kitty Kelley, author (Unauthorised Biography of Frank Sinatra). 1942 - Born this day, Kris Jensen (Torture). 1943 - Born this day, Ian Robertson, British museum director (National Army Museum). 1944 - German Holocaust victim Anne Frank, aged 14, wrote in her diary: 'I want to go on living even after my death! And therefore I am grateful to God for giving me this gift...of expressing all that is in me'. 1944 - Because he refused to pay his own expenses for road trips, Rogers Hornsby quit as the manager of the Vera Cruz, Mexico, baseball club. 1944 - Born this day, David Melville, professor, director (Middlesex Polytechnic). 1944 - British troops captured Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. 1944 - Born this day, Lawrence A, Hough US rower (Pairs w/o cox-1968 olympic silver). 1945 - Born this day, Caroline McWilliams, in Seattle, Washington, actress (Sally-Soap, Marcy-Benson). 1945 - Born this day, Catherine Spaak, actress (Hotel, Weekend at Dunkirk, Circle of Love). 1945 - Hungary was liberated from Nazi occupation. Now a Hungarian National Day. 1945 - Born this day, Knox Carnochan, The Vibrators, 1978 UK No.35 single Automatic Lover. 1945 - Born this day, Walter Charles, US actor. 1945 - During World War II (WWII), Allied forces liberated the Nazi death camp Ohrdruf in Germany. 1945 - US troops on Okinawa encountered the first significant resistance from Japanese forces. 1946 - Born this day, Craig T. Nelson, in Spokane, Washington, actor (Poltergeist, Hayden Fox-Coach). 1946 - Dr Marcelle Petiot was sentenced to death in Paris, for murdering by injection, 27 people whom he had told he was a Resistance member helping them flee Nazi-occupied France. 1947 - The largest group of sunspots ever seen were recorded. 1947 - The United Nations' (UN) International Civil Aviation Organisation was established. 1948 - Born this day, Berry Oakley, bass, Allman Brothers Band, killed in a motorcycle accident 11 November 1972. 1973 US No.12 single Ramblin' Man. 1948 - 84-year-old Connie Mack challenged 78-year-old Clark Griffith to a race from home to first base. It ended in a tie. 1948 - Born this day, Pick Withers, Dire Straits, 1985 US No.1 single Money For Nothing, 1986 UK No.2 single Walk Of Life. 1949 - Goethe Link Observatory discovered asteroids #1798 Watts, #2641 Lipschutz and #3070. 1949 - On this date in 1949 the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) was established by 12 Western nations: the United States, Great Britain, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, Italy, Luxembourg, Norway, Iceland, Canada, and Portugal. The military alliance, which provided for a collective self-defense against Soviet aggression, greatly increased American influence in Europe. Greece, Turkey, and West Germany later joined NATO, but in 1966 France withdrew, citing American violations of the 1949 treaty. In 1955, the Warsaw Pact, a Soviet-led Eastern European alliance, was established to counter NATO. In 1994, three years after the end of the Cold War, NATO engaged in its first military action as part of an international effort to end two years of fighting in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic, which all left the Warsaw Pact upon its dissolution in 1991, joined NATO in 1999. (NATO -- 'OTAN' in French). 1950 - Born this day, Christine Lahti, in Detroit, Michigan, actress (Harvey Korman Show, Swing Shift). 1951 - Born this day, Steve Gatlin, country singer (Gatlin Brothers). 1952 - Born this day, Dave Hill, guitarist, Slade, 1971 UK No.1 single Coz I Luv You plus 5 other UK No.1 and 18 top 40 singles. 1952 - Born this day, Gary Moore, guitar, vocals, Skid Row, Thin Lizzy, 1973 UK No.6 single Whisky In The Jar and solo, 1979 UK No.8 single Parisienne Walkways. 1952 - Born this day, Pete Haycock, Climax Blues Band, 1976 UK No.10 and 1977 US No.3 single Couldn’t Get It Right. 1953 - The Stargazers were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with Broken Wings. 1953 - Died this day, King Carol II, (Romania). 1954 - Maestro Arturo Toscanini conducted his last concert with the NBC Symphony Orchestra at Carnegie Hall in New York City. Toscanini ended a 17-year association with the orchestra. 1954 - Born this day, Julie Carmen, in Mount Vernon, New York, actress (Gloria, Last Plane Out). 1956 - Born this day, Evelyn Hart, prima ballerina (Royal Winnipeg Ballet). 1956 - Born this day, David E. Kelley, writer-producer. 1957 - The British Government announced it would be ending National Service. 1957 - Born this day, Graeme Kelling, Deacon Blue, 1988 UK No.8 single Real Gone Kid, plus over 15 other UK top 40 singles. 1957 - Born this day, Paul Downton, British cricketeer. 1958 - Born this day, Pierre-Paul Prud'hon, painter. 1958 - The first protest march by Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) left Hyde Park, London, for Aldermaston, Berkshire. 1958 - Actress Lana Turner's boyfriend, Johnny Stompanato, was stabbed to death by her 14-year-old daughter, Cheryl. It was later revealed that Stompanato had beaten and abused Turner for quite some time. On this particular evening, Stompanato had threatened to kill Turner, Turner's mother, and Cheryl, because she had refused to continue paying off his gambling debts. Daughter Cheryl reportedly ran into the kitchen, grabbed a 9-inch butcher knife, and rushed back to defend her mother's life. She stabbed Stompanato in the stomach, and he stumbled to the ground, landing on his back and dying shortly thereafter. Cheryl was arrested, which lead to a highly-publicised trial. After all evidence was presented, the jury's verdict was 'justifiable homicide', and the teenager was released. The press, though, struck out viciously against Turner when suggestive, slightly censored love letters she had written to Stompanato were discovered and then plastered on the front pages of newspapers across the country. Among the many unflattering names Turner was called, she was labeled 'a bad and unnatural mother' by some critics. Turner's film career, though bruised, surprisingly survived the scandal. 1959 - Born this day, Phil Morris, US actor. 1959 - The first flag of Mali was adopted on 4 April 1959, when French Sudan and Senegal formed the Mali Federation. This federation became independent on 20 June 1960. Senegal seceded on 22 August 1960, and replaced the kanaga by a green star. Mali continued to use the tricolour with the kanaga, but abolished the black kanaga on 1 March 1961, and has used the plain tricolour in pan-African colours since then. 1959 - The BBC showed the first ever edition of Juke Box Jury. 1959 - Rio Bravo was released in the US. 1960 - Elvis Presley recorded Are You Lonesome Tonight. 1960 - Senegalese National Day began. 1960 - Born this day, Jonathan Agnew, British broadcaster, test bowler, BBC cricket correspondent. 1960 - At the 32nd Academy Awards, hosted by Bob Hope, Audrey Hepburn - The Nun's Story and Elizabeth Taylor - Suddenly, Last Summer were both nominated for Best Actress awards, but they lost out to Simone Signoret - Room at the Top. 1960 - Project Ozma began at Green Bank radio astronomy center. 1962 - Born this day, Craig Adams, The Mission, 1988 UK No.12 single Tower Of Strength. 1962 - Born this day, Ava Fabian, in Brewster, New York, playmate for August 1986. 1962 - Died this day, James Hanratty, executed at Bedford Prison for the A6 murder. 1963 - Born this day, David Gavurin, The Sundays, 1997 UK No.15 single Summertime. 1963 - Died this day, Endzion Barelli, aged 18, died 2 days after winning a boxing match. 1963 - Died this day, Jason Robards Sr., actor (Acapulco), aged 70. 1964 - In the UK, the Beatles Can't Buy Me Love single went to No.1 and stayed No.1 for 5 weeks. 1964 - The Beatles set an all-time record on the Top 100 chart of Billboard magazine this day. All five of the top songs were by the British rock group. In addition, The Beatles also had the number one album as Meet the Beatles continued to lead all others. The LP was the top album from February 15 through May 2, when it was replaced by The Beatles Second Album. It was estimated at the time that The Beatles accounted for 60 percent of the entire singles record business during the first three months of 1964. The top five singles by The Beatles this day were: 1) Can’t Buy Me Love 2) Twist and Shout 3) She Loves You 4) I Want to Hold Your Hand 5) Please Please Me. They also held 14 slots on Billboard's Hot 100 chart. 1964 - Born this day, Paul Parker, footballer. 1965 - German theologian Jurgen Moltmann revealed in a letter to Karl Barth: 'Polemics always makes one a little one-sided.' 1965 - Born this day, Robert Downey Jr., in New York City, comedian (SNL, Less the Zero, Back to School). 1966 - Born this day, Nancy McKeon, in Westbury, New York, actress (Jo Polniazek-Facts of Life). 1966 - Pirate Radio Scotland changed its name to Radio Ireland. 1967 - The US Federal Drugs Administration (FDA) announced that it was to study the health effects of smoking dried banana peels. 1967 - Johnny Carson quit The Tonight Show. He returned three weeks later with an additional $30,000 a week! 1967 - Jimi Hendrix was the special guest on the first edition of BBC-TV's Dee Time, along with Kiki Dee and Cat Stevens. 1968 - Died this day, US civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee by James Earl Ray. At 6.01pm, Martin Luther King, Jr. was fatally shot while standing on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. He was 39 years old. 1968 - Jimi Hendrix, B.B. King and Buddy Guy met up for an all night blues session at a club in the US, after hearing the news of Martin Luther King's assassination. 1968 - Apollo 6 was launched atop a Saturn V rocket, it was unmanned. 1968 - Bobby Goldsboro received a gold record for the single, Honey. The poignantly sad song charted for 13 weeks - spending five weeks at number one. Goldsboro produced a total of 11 hits on the pop charts in the ’60s and ’70s. Honey was his only million seller and only number one hit. 1968 - Born this day, Mark Yates, guitar, Terrorvision, 1999 UK No.2 single Tequila. 1969 - CBS cancelled The Smothers Brothers Show. 1969 - Gene Roddenberry's science fiction television classic, Star Trek, was cancelled by NBC. Thousands of letters were sent in protest, including the entire Princeton graduation class. 1969 - Dr. Denton Cooley implanted the first temporary artificial heart. 1970 - Janis Joplin held a reunion concert with Big Brother and the Holding Company in San Francisco. 1970 - Born this day, Barry Pepper, US actor. 1970 - Crosby Stills Nash and Young went to No.1 on the US album chart with Deja Vu. 1970 - Brinsley Schwarz's promotion company sent 133 journalists, photographers and TV personnel by plane to New York to see the band play live supporting Van Morrison at a Cost of £120,000, (it turned out to be a disaster). 1970 - Died this day, Byron Foulger, actor (Capt Nice, Petticoat Junction), aged 70. 1971 - Veterans stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania was dedicated this day. It was the largest baseball park in the National League. A total of 56,371 fans could come out to see the Phillies play baseball or the Eagles play football. The stadium has been nicknamed The Vet. Seating has increased, with more than 63,000 fans looking on these days in the City of Brotherly Love. 1971 - Marine clay under houses liquified during an earthquake causing a mudslide, 31 died in St-Jean-Vianney, Quebec. 1972 - Born this day, Magnus Sveningsson, musician, bass, The Cardigans, 1997 UK No.2 single Lovefool. 1972 - Died this day, Adam Clayton Powell Jr., (Rep-D-NY), aged 63. 1973 - Born this day, Kelly Price, singer. 1974 - Born this day, Andre Dalyrimple, US R&B singer, (Soul For Real). 1974 - Hank Aaron hit his 714th home run, tying Babe Ruth's record. 1975 - Born this day, Phil A. Jimenez, percussion, vocals, Wheatus, 2001 UK No.2 single Teenage Dirtbag. 1975 - A USAF transport C5A Galaxy on a military charter, carrying orphans from Saigon, crashed killing 155. 1975 - Steve Miller was arrested for burning his girlfriend's clothes. 1976 - N. Chernykh discovered asteroid #2369 Chekhov. 1976 - The Sex Pistols played the first night of a residency at the El Paradiso club in Soho, London. 1979 - Born this day, Heath Ledger, actor. 1979 - Jane M. Byrne (D), was elected first woman mayor of Chicago, Illinois. 1979 - Born this day, Natasha Lyonne, US actress. 1979 - Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, the deposed prime minister of Pakistan, was hanged after he was convicted of conspiring to murder a political opponent. 1979 - Died this day, Edgar Buchanan, actor (Uncle Joe-Petticoat Junction), aged 77. 1981 - Styx went to No.1 on the US album chart with Paradise Theatre. 1981 - Bucks Fizz won the Eurovision Song Contest held in Dublin with the UK entry Making Your Mind Up. A 1981 UK No.1 single. 1981 - Bob Champion, who had conquered cancer, won the Grand National on Aldaniti, who had recovered from tendon problems and a broken hock. This was two years after being given 8 months to live. 1981 - Died this day, Brad Johnson, actor (Annie Oakley), aged 56. 1983 - The space shuttle Challenger roared into orbit on its maiden voyage. 1983 - Died this day, Gloria Swanson, film actress, at the age of 84 of a heart ailment. Most of her films were produced during the silent era, but she received an Academy Award nomination for her stunning portrayal of an aging movie star in the 1950 film, Sunset Boulevard. In the 1930's, Swanson had a steamy love affair with millionaire Joseph Kennedy, Sr., father to the future president. 1983 - Died this day, Jacqueline Logan, silent film leading lady, aged 78. 1983 - The sixth space shuttle mission, Challenger 1, was launched. 1984 - Winston Smith in George Orwell's 1984 novel, began his secret diary. 1984 - Bob Bell retired as Bozo the Clown on WGN-TV in Chicago, Illinois. Bell was an institution in the Windy City since making his first appearance in 1961. Larry Harmon was the original Bozo. 1985 - The first showing of Channel 4 TV's new music show, was presented by a computer generated Max Headroom showing promo videos. 1985 - Appearing at The Hippodrome, Bristol, were The Smiths. 1985 - A coup in Sudan ousted President Nimeiry and replaced him with General Dahab. 1985 - Tulane University canceled its basketball season amidst a scandal. 1986 - Wayne Gretzky set an NHL record with 213th point of season. 1987 - Starship started a 2 week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with Nothin's Gonna Stop Us, taken from the film Mannequin. It was also a No.1 in the UK. 1987 - The charity record by Ferry Aid was at No.1 in the UK with Let It Be. 1987 - U2 entered the US album chart at No.7 with The Joshua Tree the highest chart new entry for 7 years. 1987 - The Dow Jones was up 69.89 points, ending at a record 2,390.34 points. 1988 - Eddie Hill became the first to race a quarter mile in under 5 seconds. 1988 - Kansas upset Oklahoma for the NCAA basketball title. 1988 - The largest crowd (55,438) watched a season game at Riverfront. The Reds Vs Cardinals. 1988 - The TV soap opera Crossroads ended its first run after 24 years with episode 4,510. 1989 - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's played his last NBA game in Seattle. 1989 - New York Yankee Tommy John tied the record of playing 26 seasons, his 287th win puts him 19th overall as the Yanks beat the Twins on opening day 4-2. 1990 - US Secretary of State James Baker met in Washington with his Soviet counterpart, Eduard Shevardnadze, for three days of talks on the Lithuanian crisis and arms control. 1990 - Securities law violator Ivan Boesky was released from federal custody. 1990 - The Marshall Chronicles premiered on ABC-TV. 1990 - Gloria Estefan was released from the hospital after her accident. 1990 - Security law violator Ivan Boesky was released from federal custody. 1991 - Died this day, John Heinz, (Senator-R-Pennsylvania), in a plane crash. 1992 - The film soundtrack from Wayne's World started a two week run at No.1 on the US album chart. 1992 - Bruce Springsteen scored his 3rd UK No.1 album with Human Touch. 1992 - In game 1 of the Mayor Challenge, the New York Yankees beat the New York Mets 6-4 at Yank Stadium. 1992 - The jury began its deliberations in the Noriega case. 1994 - Kurt Cobain's mother filed a missing person's report for her son. 1995 - Francisco Martin Duran, who had raked the White House with semiautomatic rifle fire in October 1994, was convicted in Washington of trying to assassinate President Clinton (Duran was later sentenced to 40 years in prison). 1996 - Wilson Pickett was arrested for alleged cocaine possession while on probation. 1996 - Take That made their final performance on The Ivo Niehe Show on Dutch TV, playing two songs in front of a 250 strong studio audience. 1996 - Jerry Garcia's ashes were scattered in the Ganges River in India. 1998 - K-Ci & Jojo started a three week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with All My Life. 1999 - NATO warplanes and missiles attacked an army headquarters, oil refineries and other targets in and around Belgrade. 1999 - On the 4 April 1999, The Corrs album Talk On Corners went to No.1 on the UK album chart for the 10th time. The Corrs are Andrea, Caroline, Sharon and Jim from Dundalk, County Louth, Eire. The Corrs parents Jean and Gerry were both musicians. The band were signed to Atlantic records in 1994 and spent the following year recording their debut album, Forgiven, Not Forgotten. The groups first single Runaway, was first released in 1996 and made No.49 in the UK. They also had the No.2 position with Forgiven, Not Forgotten. Both albums had spent over a year on the chart. They also became the first Irish act to ever to have two albums in the top 5 on the UK chart. Andrea made a cameo appearance in the 1994 Alan Parker film The Commitments. She also appeared in the 1996 film Evita. In July 2000 Andrea and Sharon both collapsed in the mid-day sun whilst shooting a video in the Mojave Desert in California. The pair were treated in hospital for heat exhaustion and were back on the set within 24 hours. In 1999, they won best band at the Irish Hot Press awards, Andrea Corr won best female singer. The list of 'New Pop Fortunes' published in The Sunday Times in 1999 reported that The Corrs were worth £1.5 million each. 2000 - A German company unveiled a potential £1.3Bn bid for the UK's biggest tour operator, Thomson Travel. 2001 - A court ruling that electricity firms must keep their hands off a £1.5bn cash surplus in pension funds was overturned by the Law Lords. 2002 - The Bank of England kept interest rates on hold at 4% for the fifth month in a row - but economists warned the low level of borrowing would not last. 2003 - Saddam Hussein was shown on Iraqi TV walking through cheering crowds in an apparent attempt to rally support. 2003 - 50 Cent became the best selling artist in the US so far this year when his latest album Get Rich or Die Tryin' sold more than four million copies in two months. |
Trivia
Trivia - petty details or considerations, matters or things that are very unimportant, inconsequential, or nonessential; trifles; trivialities.
Trivial - of very little importance or value; insignificant: "Don't bother me with trivial matters." Trivially - unimportant, nugatory, slight, immaterial, inconsequential, frivolous, trifling.