TODAY IN HISTORY - APRIL 7TH

1724 – Premiere performance of Johann Sebastian Bach's St John Passion BWV 245 at St. Nicholas Church, Leipzig.

1788 – American pioneers to the Northwest Territory establish Marietta, Ohio as the first permanent American settlement in the Northwest Territory.

1798 – The Mississippi Territory is organized from disputed territory claimed by both the United States and Spain. It is expanded in 1804 and again in 1812.

1805 – Lewis and Clark Expedition: The Corps of Discovery breaks camp among the Mandan tribe and resumes its journey West along the Missouri River.

1805 – German composer Ludwig van Beethoven premiered his Third Symphony, at the Theater an der Wien in Vienna.

1829 – Joseph Smith, founder of the Latter Day Saint movement, commences translation of the Book of Mormon, with Oliver Cowdery as his scribe.

1860 – Will Keith Kellogg, American businessman, founded the Kellogg Company (d. 1951) is born.

1891 – Ole Kirk Christiansen, Danish businessman, founded the Lego Group (d. 1958) is born.

1891 – P. T. Barnum, American businessman and politician, co-founded The Barnum & Bailey Circus (b. 1810) dies.

1906 – Mount Vesuvius erupts and devastates Naples.

1922 – Teapot Dome scandal: United States Secretary of the Interior leases petroleum reserves in Wyoming.

1940 – Booker T. Washington becomes the first African American to be depicted on a United States postage stamp.

1947 – Henry Ford, American engineer and businessman, founded the Ford Motor Company (b. 1863) dies.

1954 – Jackie Chan, Hong Kong martial artist, actor, stuntman, director, producer, and screenwriter is born.

1967 – Film critic Roger Ebert published his very first film review in the Chicago Sun-Times.

1968 – Motor racing world champion Jim Clark was killed in an accident during a Formula Two race at Hockenheim.

1978 – Development of the neutron bomb is canceled by President Jimmy Carter.

1980 – The United States severs relations with Iran.

1983 – During STS-6, astronauts Story Musgrave and Don Peterson perform the first Space Shuttle spacewalk.

2003 – U.S. troops capture Baghdad; Saddam Hussein's regime falls two days later.

2009 – Dave Arneson, American game designer, co-created Dungeons & Dragons (b. 1947) dies.