Today in History
Significant Events
- 1862 First pasteurization test completed by Frenchmen Louis Pasteur and Claude Bernard
- 1902 Marie and Pierre Curie isolate the radioactive element radium chloride
- 1920 Balfour Declaration recognized, makes Palestine a British Mandate
- 1968 British politician Enoch Powell makes his controversial "Rivers of Blood" speech
- 1974 'The Troubles', the Northern Ireland conflict between republican and loyalist paramilitaries, British security forces, and civil rights groups, claims its 1000th victim
- 1980 Climax of Berber Spring in Algeria sees hundreds of Berber political activists arrested
- 1999 Columbine High School massacre: Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold kill 13 people and injure 24 others before committing suicide at Columbine High School, Colorado
- 2010 The Deepwater Horizon drilling rig explodes, killing 11 and causing the rig to sink, causing a massive oil discharge into the Gulf of Mexico and an environmental diaster
Did You Know?
First known performance of Shakespeare's tragedy Macbeth at the Globe Theatre, London recorded by Simon Forman
On this day in 1611
Famous Birthdays
Adolf Hitler
(1889 - 1945)
George Takei
81st Birthday
Carmen Electra
45th Birthday
Tomorrow's Famous Birthdays
Charlotte Brontë
(1816 - 1855)
John Muir
(1838 - 1914)
Elizabeth II
Turns 91
Would You Believe?
Frenchman René Caillié is the first non-Muslim to enter Timbuktu, returns to win 10,000 franc prize from Société de Géographie
On this day in 1828
Famous Weddings
- 1914 Poet and critic Ezra Pound (28) weds Dorothy Shakespear
- 1968 The Washington Post reporter Carl Bernstein (24) weds fellow reporter Carol Honsa
- 2002 MLB Outfielder Carl Yastrzemski (62) weds Nancy Benson
- 2002 MLB player Mark McGwire (38) weds Stephanie Slemer (26) in Las Vegas, Nevada
- 2007 Indian film actor and producer Abhishek Bachchan (31) weds actress Aishwarya Rai (33) at the Bachchan residence in Juhu, Mumbai
Famous Divorces
- 2006 Actor-writer Charlie Shanian (39) divorces former Beverly Hills, 90210 actress Tori Spelling (32) only 15 months after their lavish $1-million wedding
Bram Stoker
Dorothy Height
Mark Twain
The Red Baron
Prince (Rogers Nelson)This Month in History
Wicked or Sinless? The Life of Lucrezia Borgia
Hardly a week went by when Lucrezia Borgia, born on this day, was not accused of some foul deed. But was she just a pawn in the hands of her evil family?
April 18, 1480
Millions Come Up to See Mae West
Mae West, jailed on this day for obscenity, became one of the most successful sex symbols. Fans could not resist the offer: ‘Come up and see me some time.’
April 19, 1927
World's First Motor Race
It was hardly the stuff of today's adrenalin-pumping Formula 1 match ups, but on this day two men climbed aboard their machine for "the world’s first motor race”.
April 20, 1887
A Son, A Son – My Wife For A Son!
Henry VIII, who became King of England on this day in history, disposed of two wives in his quest for a son and heir – and was to marry four others.
April 21, 1509
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