TODAY IN HISTORY - APRIL 24TH

1704 – The first regular newspaper in British Colonial America, The Boston News-Letter, is published.

1779 – Eleazar Wheelock, American minister and academic, founded Dartmouth College (b. 1711) dies.

1800 – The United States Library of Congress is established when President John Adams signs legislation to appropriate $5,000 to purchase "such books as may be necessary for the use of Congress".

1880 – Gideon Sundback, Swedish-American engineer and businessman, developed the zipper (d. 1954) is born.

1885 – American sharpshooter Annie Oakley is hired by Nate Salsbury to be a part of Buffalo Bill's Wild West.

1895 – Joshua Slocum, the first person to sail single-handedly around the world, sets sail from Boston, Massachusetts aboard the sloop "Spray".

1913 – The Woolworth Building, a skyscraper in New York City, is opened.

1934 – Shirley MacLaine, American actress, singer, and dancer is born.

1942 – Richard M. Daley, American lawyer and politician, 54th Mayor of Chicago is born.

1942 – Barbra Streisand, American singer, actress, and producer is born.

1953 – Winston Churchill is knighted by Queen Elizabeth II.

1957 – Suez Crisis: The Suez Canal is reopened following the introduction of UNEF peacekeepers to the region.

1967 – Cosmonaut Vladimir Komarov dies in Soyuz 1 when its parachute fails to open. He is the first human to die during a space mission.

1967 – Vietnam War: American General William Westmoreland says in a news conference that the enemy had "gained support in the United States that gives him hope that he can win politically that which he cannot win militarily."

1974 – Bud Abbott, American comedian and producer (b. 1895) dies.

1980 – Eight U.S. servicemen die in Operation Eagle Claw as they attempt to end the Iran hostage crisis.

1990 – STS-31: The Hubble Space Telescope is launched from the Space Shuttle Discovery.

1996 – In the United States, the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996 is passed into law.

1997 – Eugene Stoner, American engineer, designed the AR-15 rifle (b. 1922) dies.

2004 – Estée Lauder, American businesswoman, co-founded Estée Lauder Companies (b. 1906) dies.

2004 – The United States lifts economic sanctions imposed on Libya 18 years previously, as a reward for its cooperation in eliminating weapons of mass destruction.

2005 – Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger is inaugurated as the 265th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church taking the name Pope Benedict XVI.

TODAY IN HISTORY - APRIL 23RD

1635 – The first public school in the United States, Boston Latin School, is founded in Boston.

1813 – Stephen A. Douglas, American educator and politician, 7th Illinois Secretary of State (d. 1861) is born.

1879 – Fire burns down the second main building and dome of the University of Notre Dame, which prompts the construction of the third, and current, Main Building with its golden dome.

1914 – First baseball game at Wrigley Field, then known as Weeghman Park, in Chicago.

1928 – Shirley Temple, American actress, singer, dancer, and diplomat (d. 2014) is born.

1936 – Roy Orbison, American singer-songwriter (d. 1988) is born.

1940 – The Rhythm Club fire at a dance hall in Natchez, Mississippi, kills 198 people.

1945 – World War II: Adolf Hitler's designated successor Hermann Göring sends him a telegram asking permission to take leadership of the Third Reich, which causes Hitler to replace him with Joseph Goebbels and Karl Dönitz.

1951 – American journalist William N. Oatis is arrested for espionage by the Communist government of Czechoslovakia.

1954 – Michael Moore, American director, producer, and activist is born.

1966 – George Ohsawa, Japanese founder of the Macrobiotic diet (b. 1893) dies.

1968 – Vietnam War: Student protesters at Columbia University in New York City take over administration buildings and shut down the university.

1968 – Timothy McVeigh, American terrorist, Oklahoma City bombing co-perpetrator (d. 2001) is born.

1977 – John Cena, American wrestler is born.

1985 – Coca-Cola changes its formula and releases New Coke. The response is overwhelmingly negative, and the original formula is back on the market in less than three months.

1995 – Howard Cosell, American lawyer and journalist (b. 1918) dies.

1995 – Gigi Hadid, American fashion model and television personality is born.

1998 – James Earl Ray, American assassin of Martin Luther King, Jr. (b. 1928) dies.

2006 – Phil Walden, American record producer and manager, co-founder of Capricorn Records (b. 1940) dies.

2007 – Boris Yeltsin, Russian politician, 1st President of Russia (b. 1931) dies.

TODAY IN HISTORY - APRIL 22ND

1836 – Texas Revolution: A day after the Battle of San Jacinto, forces under Texas General Sam Houston identify Mexican General Antonio López de Santa Anna among the captives of the battle when one of his fellow captives mistakenly gives away his identity.

1864 – The U.S. Congress passes the Coinage Act of 1864 that mandates that the inscription In God We Trust be placed on all coins minted as United States currency.

1876 – The first game in the history of the National League was played at the Jefferson Street Grounds in Philadelphia. This game is often pointed to as the beginning of the MLB.

1889 – At noon, thousands rush to claim land in the Land Rush of 1889. Within hours the cities of Oklahoma City and Guthrie are formed with populations of at least 10,000.

1906 – The 1906 Summer Olympics, not now recognized as part of the official Olympic Games, open in Athens.

1923 – Aaron Spelling, American actor, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2006) is born.

1933 – Henry Royce, English engineer and businessman, co-founded Rolls-Royce Limited (b. 1863) dies.

1936 – Glen Campbell, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor is born.

1950 – Peter Frampton, English singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer is born.

1954 – Red Scare: Witnesses begin testifying and live television coverage of the Army–McCarthy hearings begins.

1959 – Terry Francona, American baseball player, coach, and manager is born.

1964 – The 1964-1965 New York World's Fair opens for its first season.

1969 – British yachtsman Sir Robin Knox-Johnston wins the Sunday Times Golden Globe Race and completes the first solo non-stop circumnavigation of the world.

1970 – The first Earth Day is celebrated.

1977 – Optical fiber is first used to carry live telephone traffic.

1986 – Marshawn Lynch, American football player is born.

1994 – Richard Nixon, American lieutenant, lawyer, and politician, 37th President of the United States (b. 1913) dies.

2000 – In a pre-dawn raid, federal agents seize six-year-old Elián González from his relatives' home in Miami.

2002 – Linda Lovelace, American porn actress and activist (b. 1949) dies.

2004 – Pat Tillman, American football player and soldier (b. 1976) dies.

2008 – The United States Air Force retires the remaining F-117 Nighthawk aircraft in service.

TODAY IN HISTORY - APRIL 21ST

1836 – Texas Revolution: The Battle of San Jacinto: Republic of Texas forces under Sam Houston defeat troops under Mexican General Antonio López de Santa Anna.

1898 – Spanish–American War: The United States Navy begins a blockade of Cuban ports. When the U.S. Congress issued a declaration of war on April 25, it declared that a state of war had existed from this date.

1911 – Ivan Combe, American businessman, developed Clearasil (d. 2000) is born.

1934 – The "Surgeon's Photograph", the most famous photo allegedly showing the Loch Ness Monster, is published in the Daily Mail (in 1999, it is revealed to be a hoax).

1947 – Iggy Pop, American singer-songwriter, producer, and actor is born.

1952 – Secretary's Day (now Administrative Professionals' Day) is first celebrated.

1962 – The Seattle World's Fair (Century 21 Exposition) opens. It is the first World's Fair in the United States since World War II.

1965 – The 1964–1965 New York World's Fair opens for its second and final season.

1980 – Tony Romo, American football player is born.

1982 – Baseball: Rollie Fingers of the Milwaukee Brewers becomes the first pitcher to record 300 saves.

1989 – Tiananmen Square protests of 1989: In Beijing, around 100,000 students gather in Tiananmen Square to commemorate Chinese reform leader Hu Yaobang.

1992 – The first discoveries of extrasolar planets are announced by astronomers Aleksander Wolszczan and Dale Frail. They discovered two planets orbiting the pulsar PSR 1257+12.

2003 – Nina Simone, American singer-songwriter, pianist, and activist (b. 1933) dies.

2012 – Charles Colson, American lawyer and activist, founded Prison Fellowship (b. 1931) dies.

2016 – Prince, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, producer, and actor (b. 1958) dies.

TODAY IN HISTORY - APRIL 20TH

1775 – American Revolutionary War: The Siege of Boston begins, following the battles at Lexington and Concord.

1789 – George Washington arrives at Grays Ferry, Philadelphia while en route to Manhattan for his inauguration

1818 – The case of Ashford v Thornton ends, with Abraham Thornton allowed to go free rather than face a retrial for murder, after his demand for trial by battle is upheld.

1836 – U.S. Congress passes an act creating the Wisconsin Territory.

1850 – Daniel Chester French, American sculptor, designed the Lincoln statue (d. 1931) is born.

1861 – American Civil War: Robert E. Lee resigns his commission in the United States Army in order to command the forces of the state of Virginia.

1862 – Louis Pasteur and Claude Bernard complete the experiment falsifying the theory of spontaneous generation.

1871 – The Civil Rights Act of 1871 becomes law.

1912 – Opening day for baseball's Tiger Stadium in Detroit, and Fenway Park in Boston.

1914 – Nineteen men, women, and children die in the Ludlow Massacre during a Colorado coal-miner's strike.

1916 – The Chicago Cubs play their first game at Weeghman Park (currently Wrigley Field), defeating the Cincinnati Reds 7–6 in 11 innings.

1918 – Manfred von Richthofen, a.k.a. The Red Baron, shoots down his 79th and 80th victims, his final victories before his death the following day.

1941 – Ryan O'Neal, American actor is born.

1945 – Steve Spurrier, American football player and coach is born.

1951 – Luther Vandross, American singer-songwriter and producer (d. 2005) is born.

1961 – Failure of the Bay of Pigs Invasion of US-backed Cuban exiles against Cuba.

1966 – David Filo, American businessman, co-founded Yahoo! is born.

1972 – Apollo 16, commanded by John Young, lands on the moon.

1999 – Columbine High School massacre: Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold killed 13 people and injured 24 others before committing suicide at Columbine High School in Columbine, Colorado.

2007 – Johnson Space Center shooting: William Phillips with a handgun barricades himself in NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas before killing a male hostage and himself.

2008 – Danica Patrick wins the Indy Japan 300 becoming the first female driver in history to win an Indy car race.

2010 – The Deepwater Horizon drilling rig explodes in the Gulf of Mexico, killing eleven workers and beginning an oil spill that would last six months.

2016 – Chyna, American wrestler (b. 1969) dies.

TODAY IN HISTORY - APRIL 19TH

1770 – Captain James Cook, still holding the rank of lieutenant, sights the eastern coast of what is now Australia.

1770 – Marie Antoinette marries Louis XVI of France in a proxy wedding.

1775 – American Revolutionary War: The war begins with an American victory in Concord during the battles of Lexington and Concord.

1782 – John Adams secures the Dutch Republic's recognition of the United States as an independent government. The house which he had purchased in The Hague, Netherlands becomes the first American embassy.

1861 – American Civil War: Baltimore riot of 1861: A pro-Secession mob in Baltimore attacks United States Army troops marching through the city.

1877 – Ole Evinrude, Norwegian-American engineer, invented the outboard motor (d. 1934) is born.

1892 – Charles Duryea claims to have driven the first automobile in the United States, in Springfield, Massachusetts.

1901 – Alfred Horatio Belo, American publisher, founded The Dallas Morning News (b. 1839) dies.

1927 – Mae West is sentenced to ten days in jail for obscenity for her play Sex.

1942 – Jack Roush, American businessman, founded Roush Fenway Racing is born.

1956 – Actress Grace Kelly marries Prince Rainier of Monaco.

1965 – Suge Knight, American record producer, co-founded Death Row Records is born.

1971 – Charles Manson is sentenced to death (later commuted to life imprisonment) for conspiracy in the Tate–LaBianca murders.

1985 – Two hundred ATF and FBI agents lay siege to the compound of the white supremacist survivalist group The Covenant, The Sword, and the Arm of the Lord in Arkansas; the CSA surrenders two days later.

1987 – The Simpsons first appear as a series of shorts on The Tracey Ullman Show, first starting with Good Night.

1989 – A gun turret explodes on the USS Iowa, killing 47 sailors.

1993 – The 51-day FBI siege of the Branch Davidian building outside Waco, Texas, USA, ends when a fire breaks out. Eighty-one people die.

1995 – Oklahoma City bombing: The Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, USA, is bombed, killing 168.

1997 – The 1997 Red River flood overwhelms the city of Grand Forks, North Dakota. Fire breaks out and spreads in downtown Grand Forks, but high water levels hamper efforts to reach the fire, leading to the destruction of 11 buildings.

2004 – Norris McWhirter, English author and activist co-founded the Guinness World Records (b. 1925) dies.

2005 – Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger is elected to the papacy and becomes Pope Benedict XVI.

2011 – Fidel Castro resigns as First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba after holding the title since July 1961.

2013 – Boston Marathon bombing suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev is killed in a shootout with police. His brother Dzhokhar is later captured hiding in a boat inside a backyard in the suburb of Watertown.

2013 – Al Neuharth, American journalist, author, and publisher, founded USA Today (b. 1924) dies.

TODAY IN HISTORY - APRIL 18TH

1506 – The cornerstone of the current St. Peter's Basilica is laid.

1636 – Julius Caesar, English judge and politician (b. 1557) dies.

1775 – American Revolution: The British advancement by sea begins; Paul Revere and other riders warn the countryside of the troop movements.

1906 – An earthquake and fire destroy much of San Francisco, California.

1909 – Joan of Arc is beatified in Rome.

1918 – Clifton Hillegass, American publisher, founded CliffsNotes (d. 2001) is born.

1922 – Barbara Hale, American actress (d. 2017) is born.

1923 – Yankee Stadium: "The House that Ruth Built" opens.

1936 – The first Champions Day is celebrated in Detroit, Michigan.

1945 – John Ambrose Fleming, English physicist and engineer, invented the vacuum tube (b. 1849) dies.

1949 – The keel for the aircraft carrier USS United States is laid down at Newport News Drydock and Shipbuilding. However, construction is canceled five days later, resulting in the Revolt of the Admirals.

1953 – Rick Moranis, Canadian-American actor, comedian, singer and screenwriter is born.

1955 – Albert Einstein, German-American physicist, engineer, and academic (b. 1879) dies.

1963 – Conan O'Brien, American actor, producer, screenwriter, and talk show host is born.

1979 – Kourtney Kardashian, American model and businesswoman is born.

1983 – A suicide bomber destroys the United States embassy in Beirut, Lebanon, killing 63 people.

1987 – Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, English model and actress is born.

1988 – The United States launches Operation Praying Mantis against Iranian naval forces in the largest naval battle since World War II.

2012 – Dick Clark, American television host and producer, founded Dick Clark Productions (b. 1929) dies.