Today In History #01

[superintelligentone]

Today in History

Today In History
Associated Press – March 26, 2012, 12:00 am US/Eastern

Today is Monday, March 26, the 86th day of 2012. There are 280 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On March 26, 1982, groundbreaking ceremonies took place in Washington, D.C., for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

On this date:

In 1804, the Louisiana Purchase was divided into the Territory of Orleans and the District of Louisiana.

In 1812, an earthquake devastated Caracas, Venezuela, causing an estimated 26,000 deaths, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

In 1827, composer Ludwig van Beethoven died in Vienna.

In 1874, poet Robert Frost was born in San Francisco.

In 1892, poet Walt Whitman died in Camden, N.J.

In 1912, an explosion at the Jed Coal & Coke Co. Mine in West Virginia claimed the lives of 83 miners.

In 1937, a 6-foot-tall statue of the cartoon character Popeye was unveiled during the Second Annual Spinach Festival in Crystal City, Texas.

In 1958, the U.S. Army launched America's third successful satellite, Explorer 3.

In 1962, the U.S. Supreme Court, in Baker v. Carr, gave federal courts the power to order reapportionment of states' legislative districts, a 6-2 decision that eventually led to the doctrine of "one man, one vote."

In 1979, a peace treaty was signed by Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin (men-AH'-kem BAY'-gihn) and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and witnessed by President Jimmy Carter at the White House.

In 1992, a judge in Indianapolis sentenced former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson to six years in prison for raping a Miss Black America contestant. (Tyson ended up serving three years.)

In 1997, the bodies of 39 members of the Heaven's Gate techno-religious cult who'd committed suicide were found inside a rented mansion in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.

Ten years ago: Yasser Arafat decided not to attend a key Arab summit in Beirut, Lebanon; his Cabinet accused Israel of trying to "blackmail" the Palestinian leader with tough conditions for allowing him to go. Arthur Andersen chief executive Joseph Berardino resigned, bowing to mounting pressure as a result of the accounting firm's role in the Enron scandal. President George W. Bush nominated Dr. Richard Carmona to be surgeon general.

Five years ago: The military concluded that high-ranking Army officers had made critical errors in reporting the friendly fire death of Army Ranger Pat Tillman in Afghanistan, but that there was no criminal wrongdoing in the shooting of the former NFL star by fellow soldiers. (The findings were rejected by Tillman's family.) Australian detainee David Hicks pleaded guilty before a military tribunal at Guantanamo to helping terrorists fight the United States in Afghanistan. (Hicks was sentenced to seven years in prison; all but nine months' prison time was suspended. Hicks was returned to Australia to serve out his term, and was freed in December 2007.)

One year ago: More than 250,000 people took to London's streets to protest the toughest spending cuts since World War II; riot police clashed with small breakaway groups and arrested more than 200 people. Former Democratic vice presidential candidate Geraldine Ferraro, the first female major party nominee for the office, died in Boston at 75. Harry Wesley Coover Jr., 94, known as the inventor of the popular adhesive Super Glue, died in Kingsport, Tenn.

Today's Birthdays: Conductor-composer Pierre Boulez is 87. Retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor is 82. Actor-director Leonard Nimoy is 81. Actor Alan Arkin is 78. House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (puh-LOH'-see) is 72. Actor James Caan is 72. Author Erica Jong is 70. Journalist Bob Woodward is 69. Singer Diana Ross is 68. Actor/Former Child star Johnny Crawford (played 'Mark' the son in TV Western "The Rifleman") is 66. Rock Singer/Songwriter Steven Tyler (born Steven Victor Tallarico)("Aerosmith") is 64. Singer/Actress/TV personality Vicki Lawrence is 63. Actor Ernest Thomas is 63. Comedian/Actor/Singer Martin Short is 62. Country singer Ronnie McDowell is 62. Movie composer Alan Silvestri is 62. Rock Drummer Monte Yoho ("Outlaws") is 60. Radio talk show host/Founder of "The Guardian Angels" Citizen patrol Curtis Sliwa is 58. Country singer Dean Dillon is 57. Country singer Charly McClain is 56. TV personality Leeza Gibbons is 55. Actress Ellia English is 53. Actress Jennifer Grey is 52. College and Pro Football Hall of Famer Marcus Allen is 52. Actor Eric Allan Kramer is 50. Basketball Hall of Famer John Stockton is 50. Actor Michael Imperioli is 46. Rock Singer/Guitarist/Producer James Iha is 44. Country singer Kenny Chesney is 44. Actor T.R. Knight (full name Theodore Raymond Knight) is 39. Rapper Juvenile (real name Terius Gray) is 37. Actress Amy Smart is 36. Actress Bianca Kajlich (KY'-lihk) is 35. Actress Keira Knightley is 27. Rapper J-Kwon (real name Jerrell Jones) is 26. Actress Carly Chaikin (TV's "Suburgatory") is 22.

Thought for Today: "Life's like a play; it's not the length but the excellence of the acting that matters." — Seneca the Younger, Roman statesman and philosopher (3 B.C.-A.D. 65).

 

[superintelligentone]

Today in History

Today In History
Associated Press – March 27, 2012, 12:00 am US/Eastern

Today is Tuesday, March 27, the 87th day of 2012. There are 279 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On March 27, 1912, first lady Helen Herron Taft and the wife of Japan's ambassador to the United States, Viscountess Chinda, planted the first two of 3,000 cherry trees given as a gift by the mayor of Tokyo on the north bank of Washington, D.C.'s Tidal Basin.

On this date:

In 1513, Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon (hwahn pahns duh LEE'-ohn) sighted present-day Florida.

In 1625, Charles I acceded to the English throne upon the death of James I.

In 1794, Congress approved "An Act to provide a Naval Armament" of six armed ships.

In 1836, the first Mormon temple was dedicated in Kirtland, Ohio.

In 1911, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., was incorporated.

In 1942, American servicemen were granted free mailing privileges.

In 1958, Nikita Khrushchev became Soviet premier in addition to First Secretary of the Communist Party.

In 1964, Alaska was hit by a powerful earthquake and tsunamis that killed about 130 people.

In 1968, Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin (gah-GAH'-rihn), the first man to orbit the Earth, died in a plane crash.

In 1977, 583 people were killed when a KLM Boeing 747, attempting to take off, crashed into a Pan Am 747 on the Canary Island of Tenerife (ten-uh-REEF').

In 1980, 123 workers died when a North Sea floating oil field platform, the Alexander Kielland, capsized during a storm.

In 1992, more than a month after winning the Olympic gold medal in men's figure skating, Viktor Petrenko of the former Soviet Union won his first world title in Oakland, Calif.

Ten years ago: President George W. Bush grudgingly signed landmark legislation designed to limit the role of big money in political campaigns, triggering a rush to the courthouse by critics challenging the law's constitutionality. Thirty people were killed by a suicide bomber during a Passover Seder in Netanya, Israel. A gunman killed eight members of the Nanterre city council outside Paris; a suspect killed himself the next day while in police custody. Death claimed Oscar-winning filmmaker Billy Wilder at age 95; comedian Milton Berle at age 93; and actor-comedian Dudley Moore at age 66.

Five years ago: Truck bombs hit markets in Tal Afar, Iraq, killing at least 152 people and wounding more than 150. NFL owners voted 30-2 (with Cincinnati and Arizona dissenting) to make the video replay system a permanent officiating tool.

One year ago: International air raids targeted Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi's hometown of Sirte (SURT) for the first time as rebels quickly closed in on the regime stronghold. Miami's LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh accomplished something that hadn't been done in more than 50 years: Each had 30-10 nights — James with 33 points and 10 rebounds, Bosh with 31 points and 12 rebounds, and Wade with 30 points and 11 boards — as the Heat beat the Houston Rockets 125-119.

Today's Birthdays: Former newspaper columnist Anthony Lewis is 85. Dance company director Arthur Mitchell is 78. Actor Julian Glover is 77. Actor Jerry Lacy is 76. Actor Austin Pendleton is 72. Actor Michael York (SIO Note: born Michael Hugh Johnson, he adopted the stage name Michael York in 1964) is 70. Rock Singer/Keyboardist Tony Banks ("Genesis") is 62. Rock Keyboardist/Composer Andrew Farriss ("INXS") is 53. Jazz Saxophonist Dave Koz is 49. Movie Director/Screenwriter/Producer/Cinematographer/Actor Quentin Tarantino is 49. Rock Drummer Derrick McKenzie ("Jamiroquai") is 48. Rock Bassist Johnny April ("Staind") is 47. Actress Talisa Soto is 45. Actress Pauley Perrette is 43. Singer Mariah Carey is 42. Rock Drummer Brendan Hill ("Blues Traveler") is 42. Actress Elizabeth Mitchell is 42. Actor Nathan Fillion (TV's "Castle") is 41. Hip-hop Singer/Rapper/Songwriter/Actress Fergie (real name Stacy Ann Ferguson-Duhamel)("The Black Eyed Peas") is 37. Actress Megan Hilty is 31. Actress Emily Ann Lloyd is 28. Actress Brenda Song (TV's "The Suite Life of Zack and Cody") is 24. Actress Taylor Atelian is 17.

Thought for Today: "Fear grows in darkness; if you think there's a bogeyman around, turn on the light." — Dorothy Thompson, American journalist (1894-1961).

 

[superintelligentone]

Today in History

Today In History
Associated Press – March 28, 2012, 12:00 am US/Eastern

Today is Wednesday, March 28, the 88th day of 2012. There are 278 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On March 28, 1942, during World War II, British naval forces staged a successful raid on the Nazi-occupied French port of St. Nazaire in Operation Chariot, destroying the only dry dock on the Atlantic coast capable of repairing the German battleship Tirpitz.

On this date:

In 1834, the U.S. Senate voted to censure President Andrew Jackson for the removal of federal deposits from the Bank of the United States.

In 1854, during the Crimean War, Britain and France declared war on Russia.

In 1898, the Supreme Court, in United States v. Wong Kim Ark, ruled that a child born in the United States to Chinese immigrants was a U.S. citizen.

In 1930, the names of the Turkish cities of Constantinople and Angora were changed to Istanbul and Ankara.

In 1935, the notorious Nazi propaganda film "Triumph des Willens" (Triumph of the Will), directed by Leni Riefenstahl, premiered in Berlin with Adolf Hitler present.

In 1939, the Spanish Civil War effectively ended as Madrid fell to the forces of Francisco Franco.

In 1941, novelist and critic Virginia Woolf, 59, drowned herself near her home in Lewes, East Sussex, England.

In 1969, the 34th president of the United States, Dwight D. Eisenhower, died in Washington, D.C., at age 78.

In 1978, in Stump v. Sparkman, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld, 5-3, the judicial immunity of an Indiana judge against a lawsuit brought by a young woman who'd been ordered sterilized by the judge when she was a teenager.

In 1979, America's worst commercial nuclear accident occurred inside the Unit 2 reactor at the Three Mile Island plant near Middletown, Pa.

In 1987, Maria von Trapp, whose life story inspired the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical "The Sound of Music," died in Morrisville, Vt., at age 82.

In 1990, President George H.W. Bush presented the Congressional Gold Medal to the widow of U.S. Olympic legend Jesse Owens, who was honored for his "humanitarian contributions in the race of life."

Ten years ago: The Arab League, meeting in Beirut, Lebanon, agreed on a peace plan that offered Israel normal relations in exchange for a full withdrawal from war-won lands and a Palestinian state. Archbishop Juliusz Paetz (yoo-lee-OHSH' pehtz) of Poznan, Poland, announced his resignation, but also protested his innocence, following accusations he'd made sexual advances toward young clerics. U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Timothy Woodland was convicted in a Japanese court and sentenced to nearly three years in prison for raping a woman on the southern island of Okinawa.

Five years ago: Iran aired a video of 15 captured British sailors and marines; the lone female captive, shown in a white tunic and a black head scarf, said the British boats had "trespassed." (The crew members were released April 4, 2007.) In the Philippines, dozens of children were taken hostage on a bus by a day-care center owner armed with grenades and guns; the crisis ended peacefully 10 hours later with the hostage-taker's surrender.

One year ago: Vigorously defending American attacks in Libya, President Barack Obama declared in a nationally broadcast address that the United States intervened to prevent a slaughter of civilians. Yet he ruled out targeting Moammar Gadhafi, warning that trying to oust him militarily would be a mistake as costly as the war in Iraq.

Today's Birthdays: Former White House national security adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski is 84. Country musician Charlie McCoy is 71. Movie director Mike Newell is 70. Actress Conchata Ferrell is 69. Actor Ken Howard is 68. Actress Dianne Wiest (weest) is 64. Country Singer/Songwriter/Actress Reba McEntire is 57. Olympic gold medal gymnast Bart Conner is 54. Rapper Salt (real name Cheryl James)("Salt-N-Pepa") is 46. Actress Tracey Needham (co-star of TV's JAG in Season 1) is 45. Actor Max Perlich is 44. Movie director Brett Ratner is 43. Country singer Rodney Atkins is 43. Actor Vince Vaughn is 42. Rapper Mr. Cheeks (born Terrance Kelly aka Andrew Benson)("Lost Boyz") is 41. Actor/Rapper Ken L. (born Kenyatta Lawson)(TV's “The Parkers”) is 39. Rock Singer/Songwriter/Guitarist/Bassist Dave Keuning ("The Killers") is 36. Actress Annie Wersching is 35. Actress Julia Stiles is 31. Singer/Songwriter/Pianist Lady Gaga (born Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta) is 26.

Thought for Today: "You cannot find peace by avoiding life." — Virginia Woolf (1882-1941).

 

[superintelligentone]

Today in History

Today In History
Associated Press – March 29, 2012, 12:00 am US/Eastern

Today is Thursday, March 29, the 89th day of 2012. There are 277 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On March 29, 1912, British explorer Robert Falcon Scott, his expedition stranded in an Antarctic blizzard after failing to be the first to reach the South Pole, wrote in his journal, "We shall stick it out to the end but we are getting weaker of course and the end cannot be far. It seems a pity but I do not think I can write more." Scott concluded with: "Last entry. For Gods sake look after our people." (Scott is presumed to have died shortly thereafter; his four companions also perished.)

On this date:

In 1638, Swedish colonists settled in present-day Delaware.

In 1790, the tenth president of the United States, John Tyler, was born in Charles City County, Va.

In 1792, Sweden's King Gustav III died, nearly two weeks after he had been shot and mortally wounded by assassins during a masquerade party.

In 1812, the first White House wedding took place as Lucy Payne Washington, the sister of First Lady Dolley Madison, married Supreme Court Justice Thomas Todd.

In 1871, the Royal Albert Hall in London was opened by Queen Victoria.

In 1882, the Knights of Columbus was chartered in Connecticut.

In 1943, World War II rationing of meat, fats and cheese began.

In 1951, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were convicted of conspiracy to commit espionage. (They were executed in June 1953.) The Rodgers and Hammerstein musical "The King and I" opened on Broadway.

In 1962, Jack Paar hosted NBC's "Tonight" show for the final time, although the network aired a repeat the following night. (Johnny Carson debuted as host in Oct. 1962.)

In 1971, Army Lt. William L. Calley Jr. was convicted of murdering 22 Vietnamese civilians in the My Lai (mee ly) massacre. (Calley ended up serving three years under house arrest.) A jury in Los Angeles recommended the death penalty for Charles Manson and three female followers for the 1969 Tate-La Bianca murders. (The sentences were later commuted.)

In 1973, the last United States combat troops left South Vietnam, ending America's direct military involvement in the Vietnam War.

In 1992, Democratic presidential front-runner Bill Clinton acknowledged experimenting with marijuana "a time or two" while attending Oxford University, adding, "I didn't inhale and I didn't try it again." More than a month after winning the Olympic gold medal in ladies figure skating, Kristi Yamaguchi of the United States won the world championship title in Oakland, Calif.

Ten years ago: Israeli troops stormed Yasser Arafat's headquarters complex in the West Bank in a raid that was launched in response to anti-Israeli attacks that had killed 30 people in three days.

Five years ago: A defiant, Democratic-controlled Senate approved legislation calling for the withdrawal of U.S. combat troops from Iraq within a year. Veteran diplomat Ryan Crocker was sworn in as the new U.S. ambassador to Iraq. West Virginia beat Clemson, 78-73, for its first NIT title in 65 years.

One year ago: Gunmen held an Iraqi government center in Tikrit (tih-KREET') hostage in a grisly siege that ended with the deaths of at least 56 people, including three councilmen, plus the attackers, who blew themselves up. A seriously ill 73-year-old British woman was accidentally dropped into the bitterly cold Norwegian Sea as rescue workers took her off the cruise ship Ocean Countess (Janet Richardson later died at a hospital).

Today's Birthdays: Political commentator John McLaughlin is 85. Author Judith Guest is 76. Former British Prime Minister Sir John Major is 69. Comedian Eric Idle is 69. Composer/Keyboardist Vangelis (real name Evangelos Odysseas Papathanassiou) is 69. Basketball Hall of Famer/Basketball Commentator/Hair Dye Spokesman Walt "Clyde" Frazier is 67. Singer Bobby Kimball ("Toto") is 65. Actor Brendan Gleeson is 57. Actor Christopher Lawford is 57. Pro and College Football Hall of Famer Earl Campbell is 57. International Gymnastics Hall of Famer Kurt Thomas is 56. Actor Christopher Lambert is 55. Rock singer Perry Farrell ("Porno for Pyros"; "Jane's Addiction") is 53. Comedian-actress Amy Sedaris is 51. Model Elle Macpherson is 49. Movie director Michel Hazanavicius (mee-SHEHL' ah-zah-nah-VEE'-see-oos) (Film: "The Artist") is 45. Rock Singer/Songwriter/Harmonica Player John Popper ("Blues Traveler") is 45. Actress Lucy Lawless is 44. Country singer Regina Leigh ("Regina Regina") is 44. Country singer Brady Seals is 43. Former White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs is 41. Tennis player Jennifer Capriati is 36. Actor Chris D'Elia (TV's "Whitney") is 32. Pop singer Kelly Sweet is 24.

Thought for Today: "A ship is safe in harbor, but that's not what ships are for." — William G.T. Shedd, American theologian (1820-1894).

 

[superintelligentone]

Today in History

Today In History
Associated Press – March 30, 2012, 12:00 am US/Eastern

Today is Friday, March 30, the 90th day of 2012. There are 276 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On March 30, 1981, President Ronald Reagan was shot and seriously injured in an assassination attempt outside a Washington, D.C., hotel by John W. Hinckley Jr. Wounded along with Reagan were his press secretary, James Brady, Secret Service agent Timothy McCarthy, and District of Columbia police officer Thomas Delahanty.

On this date:

In 1135, the Jewish philosopher Maimonides was born in Cordoba in present-day Spain.

In 1822, Florida became a United States territory.

In 1867, U.S. Secretary of State William H. Seward reached agreement with Russia to purchase the territory of Alaska for $7.2 million.

In 1870, the 15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which prohibited denying citizens the right to vote and hold office on the basis of race, was declared in effect by Secretary of State Hamilton Fish. Texas was readmitted to the Union.

In 1909, the Queensboro Bridge, linking the New York City boroughs of Manhattan and Queens, opened.

In 1923, the Cunard liner RMS Laconia became the first passenger ship to circle the globe as it arrived in New York.

In 1945, the Soviet Union invaded Austria during World War II.

In 1959, a narrowly divided U.S. Supreme Court, in Bartkus v. Illinois, ruled that a conviction in state court following an acquittal in federal court for the same crime did not constitute double jeopardy.

In 1964, John Glenn withdrew from the Ohio race for the U.S. Senate because of injuries suffered in a fall. The original version of the TV game show "Jeopardy!," hosted by Art Fleming, premiered on NBC.

In 1972, North Vietnamese forces launched their three-pronged Easter Offensive against South Vietnam; the fighting lasted until the following October.

In 1986, actor James Cagney died at his farm in Stanfordville, N.Y., at age 86.

In 1991, Patricia Bowman of Jupiter, Fla., told authorities she'd been raped hours earlier by William Kennedy Smith, the nephew of Sen. Edward Kennedy, at the family's Palm Beach estate. (Smith was acquitted at trial.)

Ten years ago: Britain's Queen Mother Elizabeth died in her sleep at Royal Lodge, Windsor, outside London; she was 101 years old. The United States joined other U.N. Security Council members in adopting a resolution calling on Israel to withdraw its troops from Palestinian cities, including Ramallah, where Yasser Arafat's headquarters was under siege.

Five years ago: President George W. Bush went to Walter Reed Army Medical Center, where he apologized to troops face to face for shoddy conditions in outpatient housing. The Food and Drug Administration said it had found melamine, a chemical used to make plastics, in samples of Menu Foods pet food, as well as in wheat gluten used as an ingredient in the wet-style products.

One year ago: A top Libyan official, Foreign Minister Moussa Koussa, defected to Britain, dealing a blow to leader Moammar Gadhafi. Tilikum, the killer whale that drowned trainer Dawn Brancheau in 2010 at SeaWorld in Orlando, Fla., resumed performing for the first time since the woman's death.

Today's Birthdays: Game show host/Actor/Singer Peter Marshall (born Ralph Pierre LaCock) is 86. Actor Richard Dysart is 83. Actor John Astin is 82. Singer/Songwriter/TV Personality Rolf Harris (best known song: "Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport") is 82. Actor/Director Warren Beatty is 75. Rock Singer/Songwriter/Drummer Graeme Edge ("The Moody Blues") is 71. Rock Singer/Songwriter/Guitarist Eric Clapton is 67. Actor Justin Deas (soap opera "Guiding Light") is 64. Actor Robbie Coltrane is 62. Actor Paul Reiser is 55. Rap artist MC Hammer (real name Stanley Kirk Burrell) is 49. Singer/Songwriter/Guitarist Tracy Chapman is 48. Actor Ian Ziering is 48. Singer/Songwriter/Entrepreneur Celine Dion is 44. Actor Mark Consuelos is 41. Actress Bahar Soomekh is 37. Actress Jessica Cauffiel is 36. Singer Norah Jones is 33. Actress Fiona Gubelmann is 32. Actress Katy Mixon is 31. Country singer Justin Moore is 28.

Thought for Today: "It is not enough to have a good mind. The main thing is to use it well." — Rene Descartes, French philosopher (1596-1650).

 

[superintelligentone]

Today In History
Associated Press – March 31, 2012, 12:00 am US/Eastern

Today is Saturday, March 31, the 91st day of 2012. There are 275 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On March 31, 1932, Ford Motor Co. publicly unveiled its powerful flathead V8 engine; while not the first eight-cylinder engine, it was the first to be affordable to the general public, and proved very popular.

On this date:

In 1889, French engineer Gustave Eiffel unfurled the French tricolor from atop the Eiffel Tower, officially marking its completion.

In 1931, Notre Dame college football coach Knute Rockne, 43, was killed in the crash of a TWA plane in Bazaar, Kan.

In 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Emergency Conservation Work Act, which created the Civilian Conservation Corps.

In 1943, the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical "Oklahoma!" opened on Broadway.

In 1949, Newfoundland (now called Newfoundland and Labrador) entered confederation as Canada's tenth province.

In 1953, Stanley Kubrick's first feature film, a war drama titled "Fear and Desire," premiered in New York.

In 1968, President Lyndon B. Johnson stunned the country by announcing at the conclusion of a broadcast address on Vietnam that he would not seek re-election.

In 1976, the New Jersey Supreme Court ruled that Karen Ann Quinlan, who was in a persistent vegetative state, could be disconnected from her respirator. (Quinlan, who remained unconscious, died in 1985.)

In 1986, 167 people died when a Mexicana Airlines Boeing 727 crashed in a remote mountainous region of Mexico.

In 1993, actor Brandon Lee, 28, was shot to death during the filming of a movie in Wilmington, N.C., by a bullet fragment lodged inside a prop gun.

In 1995, Mexican-American singer Selena Quintanilla-Perez, 23, was shot to death in Corpus Christi, Texas, by the founder of her fan club, Yolanda Saldivar, who was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison.

In 2005, Terri Schiavo, 41, died at a hospice in Pinellas Park, Fla., 13 days after her feeding tube was removed in a wrenching right-to-die dispute.

Ten years ago: Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon vowed to smash Palestinian militants in a broadcast speech that came the same day as a suicide bombing in Haifa that killed 15 Israelis. Pope John Paul II used his Easter message to call for an end to violence in the Holy Land. Connecticut beat Oklahoma 82-70 to conclude its second unbeaten season with a third women's national championship.

Five years ago: President George W. Bush called for the release of 15 British sailors and marines held by Iran, calling their capture by Tehran "inexcusable behavior." (The crew members were released on April 4, 2007.) President Bush again came to the defense of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, under criticism for his role in the firing of federal prosecutors, calling him "honorable and honest."

One year ago: Moammar Gadhafi struck a defiant stance after two high-profile defections from his regime, saying the Western leaders who had decimated his military with airstrikes should resign immediately — not him. (Gadhafi's message was in the form of a scroll across the bottom of state TV as he remained out of sight.) Baseball fan Bryan Stow, a paramedic from Santa Cruz, Calif., was brutally beaten following the Dodgers' home opener against the Giants in Los Angeles. (Two men have been charged in connection with the attack.)

Today's Birthdays: Actress Peggy Rea is 91. Actor William Daniels is 85. Hockey Hall-of-Famer Gordie Howe is 84. Actor Richard Chamberlain (full name George Richard Chamberlain) is 78. Actress/Singer Shirley Jones (full name Shirley Mae Jones) is 78. Country Singer/Songwriter/Guitarist John D. Loudermilk is 78. Trumpeter/Band leader/Composer/Producer Herb Alpert ("Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass") is 77. Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., is 72. U.S. Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., is 72. Actor Christopher Walken is 69. Comedian Gabe Kaplan is 67. Former Vice President Al Gore is 64. Author David Eisenhower is 64. Actress Rhea Perlman is 64. Actor Ed Marinaro is 62. Rock Guitarist/Songwriter Angus Young ("AC/DC") is 57. Actor Marc McClure is 55. Actor William McNamara is 47. Alt-country Singer/Bassist Bob Crawford ("The Avett Brothers") is 41. Actor Ewan McGregor is 41. Rapper Tony Yayo (real name Marvin Bernard) is 34. Jazz Trumpeter/Composer/Producer Christian Scott is 29. Actress Jessica Szohr (TV's "Gossip Girl") is 27.

Thought for Today: "An optimist may see a light where there is none, but why must the pessimist always run to blow it out?" — Rene Descartes, French philosopher (born this date in 1596, died 1650).

 

[superintelligentone]

Today in History

Today In History
Associated Press – April 1, 2012, 12:00 am US/Eastern

Today is Palm Sunday, April 1, the 92nd day of 2012. There are 274 days left in the year. This is April Fool's Day.

Today's Highlight in History:

On April 1, 1912, the city of Branson, Mo., was incorporated.

On this date:

In 1789, the U.S. House of Representatives held its first full meeting in New York; Frederick Muhlenberg of Pennsylvania was elected the first House speaker.

In 1853, Cincinnati, Ohio, established a fire department made up of paid city employees.

In 1918, the Royal Air Force was established in Britain.

In 1933, Nazi Germany began persecuting Jews with a boycott of Jewish-owned businesses.

In 1939, the United States recognized the government of Gen. Francisco Franco in Spain, the same day Franco went on radio to declare victory in the Spanish Civil War.

In 1945, American forces launched the amphibious invasion of Okinawa during World War II.

In 1962, the Katherine Anne Porter novel "Ship of Fools," an allegory about the rise of Nazism in Germany, was first published by Little, Brown & Co. on April Fool's Day.

In 1972, the first Major League Baseball players' strike began; it lasted 12 days.

In 1976, Apple Computer was founded by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne.

In 1984, recording star Marvin Gaye was shot to death by his father, Marvin Gay (cq) Sr. in Los Angeles, the day before his 45th birthday. (The elder Gay pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter, and received probation.)

In 1987, in his first speech on the AIDS epidemic, President Ronald Reagan told doctors in Philadelphia, "We've declared AIDS public health enemy no. 1."

In 1992, the National Hockey League Players' Association went on its first-ever strike, which lasted 10 days.

Ten years ago: Israeli tanks and bulldozers rumbled into more Palestinian towns and massed on the edge of Bethlehem in an expansion of a West Bank offensive. Maryland won its first NCAA men's basketball championship with a 64-52 victory over Indiana.

Five years ago: Iran's state television aired new video showing two of the 15 captured British sailors pointing to a spot on a map of the Persian Gulf where they were seized and saying it was in Iranian territorial waters; Britain's Foreign Office immediately denounced the video. Morgan Pressel became the youngest major champion in LPGA Tour history with a game well beyond her 18 years, closing with a 3-under 69 at the Kraft Nabisco Championship.

One year ago: Afghans angry over the burning of a Quran at a small Florida church stormed a U.N. compound in northern Afghanistan, killing seven foreigners, including four Nepalese guards. Jimmer Fredette was named The Associated Press' player of the year after leading the nation in scoring and BYU to one of its best basketball seasons; Notre Dame's Mike Brey was named coach of the year.

Today's Birthdays: Actress Jane Powell is 84. Actress Grace Lee Whitney (born Mary Ann Chase)(best known for playing 'Janice Rand' in the Star Trek TV series and films) is 82. Actress/Singer/Dancer Debbie Reynolds (born Mary Frances Reynolds) is 80. Country singer Jim Ed Brown is 78. Actor Don Hastings is 78. Blues singer Eddie King is 74. Actress Ali MacGraw is 74. Rhythm-and-blues Singer/Songwriter Rudolph Isley ("The Isley Brothers") is 73. Reggae singer Jimmy Cliff is 64. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito is 62. Rock Keyboardist/Violist/Songwriter Billy Currie ("Ultravox") is 62. Actress Annette O'Toole is 60. Movie director Barry Sonnenfeld is 59. Singer Susan Boyle (Runner-up in TV's "Britain's Got Talent" in 2009) is 51. Country Singer/Songwriter Woody Lee is 44. Actress Jessica Collins is 41. Rapper/Actor Method Man (real name Clifford Smith) is 41. Movie directors Allen and Albert Hughes are 40. Political commentator Rachel Maddow is 39. Tennis player Magdalena Maleeva is 37. Actor David Oyelowo is 36. Singer/Actress/Fashion Model Bijou Phillips is 32. Actor Sam Huntington is 30. Actor Matt Lanter is 29. Country Singer/Songwriter Hillary Scott ("Lady Antebellum") is 28. Actor Josh Zuckerman is 27.

Thought for Today: "Life is short. Live it up." — Nikita S. Khrushchev, Soviet leader (1894-1971).

 

[superintelligentone]

Today in History

Today In History
Associated Press – April 2, 2012, 12:00 am US/Eastern

Today is Monday, April 2, the 93rd day of 2012. There are 273 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On April 2, 1912, the just-completed RMS Titanic left Belfast to begin its sea trials eight days before the start of its ill-fated maiden voyage.

On this date:

In 1513, Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon landed in present-day Florida.

In 1792, Congress passed the Coinage Act, which authorized establishment of the U.S. Mint.

In 1800, Ludwig van Beethoven premiered his Symphony No. 1 in C major, Op. 21, in Vienna.

In 1860, the first Italian Parliament met at Turin.

In 1917, President Woodrow Wilson asked Congress to declare war against Germany, saying, "The world must be made safe for democracy." (Congress declared war four days later.)

In 1932, aviator Charles A. Lindbergh and John F. Condon went to a cemetery in The Bronx, N.Y., where Condon turned over $50,000 to a man in exchange for Lindbergh's kidnapped son. (The child, who was not returned, was found dead the following month.)

In 1942, Glenn Miller and his orchestra recorded "American Patrol" at the RCA Victor studios in Hollywood.

In 1956, the soap operas "As the World Turns" and "The Edge of Night" premiered on CBS television.

In 1968, the science-fiction film "2001: A Space Odyssey," produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick, had its world premiere in Washington, D.C.

In 1974, French President Georges Pompidou died in Paris.

In 1982, several thousand troops from Argentina seized the disputed Falkland Islands, located in the south Atlantic, from Britain. (Britain seized the islands back the following June.)

In 1992, mob boss John Gotti was convicted in New York of murder and racketeering; he was later sentenced to life, and died in prison.

Ten years ago: Israel seized control of Bethlehem; Palestinian gunmen forced their way into the Church of the Nativity, the traditional birthplace of Jesus, where they began a 39-day standoff.

Five years ago: In its first case on climate change, the Supreme Court declared in a 5-4 ruling that carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases were air pollutants under the Clean Air Act. A tsunami in the Solomon Islands killed at least 50 people. Florida won its second consecutive college basketball championship, beating Ohio State 84-75; the Gators became the first team to repeat since Duke in 1991-92. Coaches Phil Jackson and Roy Williams were among those named to the Basketball Hall of Fame.

One year ago: Highly radioactive water leaked into the sea from a crack at Japan's stricken nuclear power plant; meanwhile, earthquake-tsunami survivors complained that the government was not paying enough heed to victims. Connecticut's Geno Auriemma, Miami's Katie Meier and Stanford's Tara VanDerveer were named co-recipients of The Associated Press' coach of the year award. Maya Moore was named player of the year for the second time in three seasons after leading Connecticut to another spectacular year.

Today's Birthdays: Actress Rita Gam is 84. Actress Sharon Acker is 77. Singer/Songwriter/Pianist/Guitarist Leon Russell (born Claude Russell Bridges) is 70. Jazz Guitarist Larry Coryell is 69. Actress Linda Hunt is 67. Country Singer/Songwriter/Guitarist Emmylou Harris is 65. Social critic and author Camille Paglia is 65. Actor Ron Palillo is 63. Actress Pamela Reed is 63. Rock Drummer Dave Robinson ("The Cars") is 59. Country singer Buddy Jewell is 51. Actor Christopher Meloni is 51. Singer Keren Woodward ("Bananarama") is 51. Country singer Billy Dean is 50. Actor Clark Gregg is 50. Actress Jana Marie Hupp is 48. Rock Singer/Songwriter/Guitarist Greg Camp ("Smash Mouth") is 45. Rock Singer/Songwriter/Guitarist Tony Fredianelli ("Third Eye Blind") is 43. Actress Roselyn Sanchez is 39. Country singer Jill King is 37. Actor Adam Rodriguez is 37. Actor Jeremy Garrett is 36. Actor Michael Fassbender is 35. Rock Singer/Keyboardist Jesse Carmichael ("Maroon 5") is 33. Actress Bethany Joy Lenz is 31. Singer/Songwriter/Guitarist Lee Dewyze (Winner of Season 9 of "American Idol") is 26. Actor Jesse Plemons is 24. Singer Aaron Kelly (Fifth place finalist of Season 9 of "American Idol") is 19.

Thought for Today: "Living is a form of not being sure, not knowing what next or how. The moment you know how, you begin to die a little." — Agnes de Mille, American dancer-choreographer (1905-1993).

 

[superintelligentone]

Today in History

Today In History
Associated Press – April 3, 2012, 12:00 am US/Eastern

Today is Tuesday, April 3, the 94th day of 2012. There are 272 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On April 3, 1942, during World War II, Japanese forces began their final assault on Bataan against American and Filipino troops who surrendered six days later; the capitulation was followed by the notorious Bataan Death March.

On this date:

In 1776, George Washington received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Harvard College.

In 1860, the legendary Pony Express began carrying mail between St. Joseph, Mo., and Sacramento, Calif. (The delivery system lasted only 18 months before giving way to the transcontinental telegraph.)

In 1882, outlaw Jesse James was shot to death in St. Joseph, Mo., by Robert Ford, a member of James' gang.

In 1911, Jean Sibelius' Symphony No. 4 in A minor, Op. 63, had its world premiere in Helsinki, Finland, with Sibelius conducting.

In 1936, Bruno Hauptmann was electrocuted in Trenton, N.J. for the kidnap-murder of Charles Lindbergh Jr.

In 1946, Lt. Gen. Masaharu Homma, the Japanese commander held responsible for the Bataan Death March, was executed by firing squad outside Manila.

In 1948, President Harry S. Truman signed into law the Marshall Plan, designed to help European allies rebuild after World War II and resist Communism.

In 1968, the day before he was assassinated in Memphis, Tenn., civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous "mountaintop" speech to a rally of striking sanitation workers. North Vietnam agreed to meet with U.S. representatives to set up preliminary peace talks.

In 1974, deadly tornadoes struck wide parts of the South and Midwest before jumping across the border into Canada; more than 300 fatalities resulted.

In 1979, Jane M. Byrne was elected mayor of Chicago, defeating Republican Wallace D. Johnson.

In 1985, the landmark Hollywood Brown Derby restaurant closed after 56 years in business.

In 1996, an Air Force jetliner carrying Commerce Secretary Ron Brown and American business executives crashed in Croatia, killing all 35 people aboard.

Ten years ago: Israeli tanks rolled into the West Bank's largest city, Nablus, and other troops laid siege to a refugee camp in Jenin, battling Palestinians who'd barricaded entrances and fought back with bombs and guns. Soldiers also encircled hundreds of Palestinian gunmen holed up in the Bethlehem church marking Jesus' birthplace.

Five years ago: President George W. Bush denounced Democrats for going on spring break without approving money for the Iraq war; he also criticized House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's trip to Syria. An ex-con shot and killed his ex-girlfriend at the CNN headquarters complex in Atlanta before being wounded by a security guard. (Arthur Mann was later convicted of murdering Clara Riddles and sentenced to life without parole.) A high-speed French train broke the world speed record for conventional rail trains, surpassing 357.2 mph. After a nine-year title drought, Tennessee's Lady Vols captured a seventh national title, beating Rutgers 59-46.

One year ago: The United States agreed to NATO's request for a 48-hour extension of American participation in coalition air strikes against targets in Libya. Marine Lance Cpl. Harry Lew fatally shot himself at a remote Afghanistan patrol base; three Marines were court-martialed for alleged hazing. (Two were acquitted; one pleaded guilty to assault after admitting he'd punched and kicked Lew.)

Today's Birthdays: Actress-singer Doris Day is 89. Former German Chancellor Helmut Kohl is 82. Conservationist Dame Jane Goodall is 78. Actor William Gaunt is 75. Actor Eric Braeden (born Hans Jörg Gudegast)(soap opera "The Young and the Restless") is 71. Actress Marsha Mason is 70. Singer/Guitarist/Pianist/Entertainer/Actor Wayne Newton (born Carson Wayne Newton) is 70. Singer Billy Joe Royal is 70. Singer/Guitarist/Pianist/Entertainer/Actor Tony Orlando (born Michael Anthony Orlando Cassavitis) is 68. Comedy writer Pat Proft is 65. Folk-rock singer Richard Thompson is 63. Country Singer/Bassist Curtis Stone ("Highway 101") is 62. Blues singer-guitarist John Mooney is 57. Rock Guitarist/Songwriter Mick Mars (born Robert Alan Deal)("Motley Crue") is 56. Actor Alec Baldwin is 54. Actor David Hyde Pierce is 53. Rock singer John Thomas Griffith ("Cowboy Mouth") is 52. Comedian-actor Eddie Murphy is 51. Rock Singer/Guitarist/Songwriter Mike Ness ("Social Distortion") is 50. Rock singer Sebastian Bach is 44. Rock Bassist James MacDonough is 42. Olympic gold medal ski racer Picabo Street is 41. Actress Jennie Garth is 40. Actor Adam Scott is 39. Comedian Aries Spears is 37. Actress Cobie Smulders (born Jacoba Francisca Maria Smulders){TV's "How I met Your Mother") is 30. Rock-pop singer Leona Lewis is 27. Actress Amanda Bynes is 26.

Thought for Today: "I didn't invent the world I write about — it's all true." — Graham Greene, British author (1904-1991).

 

[superintelligentone]

Today in History

Today In History
Associated Press – April 4, 2012, 12:00 am US/Eastern

Today is Wednesday, April 4, the 95th day of 2012. There are 271 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On April 4, 1968, civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in Memphis, Tenn.

On this date:

In 1818, 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.

In 1841, President William Henry Harrison succumbed to pneumonia one month after his inaugural, becoming the first U.S. chief executive to die in office.

In 1850, the city of Los Angeles was incorporated.

In 1859, "Dixie" was performed publicly for the first time by Bryant's Minstrels at Mechanics' Hall in New York.

In 1887, Susanna Madora Salter became the first woman elected mayor of an American community: Argonia, Kan.

In 1912, China proclaimed a republic in Tibet, a move fiercely opposed by Tibetans.

In 1933, the Navy airship USS Akron crashed in severe weather off the New Jersey coast with the loss of 73 lives.

In 1949, 12 nations, including the United States, signed the North Atlantic Treaty in Washington, D.C.

In 1960, Elvis Presley recorded "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" in Nashville, Tenn., for RCA Victor.

In 1975, more than 130 people, most of them children, were killed when a U.S. Air Force transport plane evacuating Vietnamese orphans crash-landed shortly after takeoff from Saigon.

In 1981, Henry Cisneros became the first Hispanic elected mayor of a major U.S. city: San Antonio.

In 1991, Sen. John Heinz, R-Pa., and six other people, including two children, were killed when a helicopter collided with Heinz's plane over a schoolyard in Merion, Pa.

Ten years ago: President George W. Bush urged Israel to pull its troops back from Palestinian cities and dismissed Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat as a failed leader who had "betrayed the hopes of his people"; Bush ordered Secretary of State Colin Powell to the region to seek a cease-fire. Two teenagers were sentenced to long prison terms in the murders of Dartmouth College professors Half and Susanne Zantop. (Robert Tulloch received life without parole; James Parker was sentenced to 25 years to life as an accomplice.)

Five years ago: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (ah-muh-DEE'-neh-zhahd) announced the surprise release of 15 captive British sailors and marines. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi held talks with Syrian President Bashar Assad over White House objections. Radio host Don Imus outraged some listeners by jocularly describing the Rutgers University women's basketball team as "nappy headed hos." (Despite an apology, Imus was fired by CBS Radio and cable network MSNBC; he was hired elsewhere by year's end.)

One year ago: Yielding to political opposition, the Obama administration gave up on trying avowed Sept. 11 mastermind Khalid Sheik Mohammed and four alleged co-conspirators in civilian federal courts and said it would prosecute them instead before military commissions. President Barack Obama's campaign announced in a web video that he would run for re-election in 2012. The Connecticut Huskies beat the Butler Bulldogs 53-41 for the NCAA men's basketball title. Dennis Rodman, Chris Mullin, Artis Gilmore, Arvydas Sabonis, Olympic gold medalist Teresa Edwards, Harlem Globetrotter Reece "Goose" Tatum and Boston Celtic Tom "Satch" Sanders were elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Today's Birthdays: Actress Elizabeth Wilson is 91. Author-poet Maya Angelou is 84. Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., is 80. Recording executive Clive Davis is 80. Bandleader Hugh Masekela is 73. Author Kitty Kelley is 70. Actor Craig T. Nelson is 68. Actor Walter Charles is 67. Actress Christine Lahti is 62. Country Singer Steve Gatlin ("The Gatlin Brothers") is 61. Actress Mary-Margaret Humes is 58. Writer-producer David E. Kelley is 56. Actor Phil Morris is 53. Actress Lorraine Toussaint is 52. Actor Hugo Weaving is 52. Rock Bassist/Songwriter Craig Adams ("The Cult") is 50. Actor David Cross is 48. Actor Robert Downey Jr. is 47. Actress Nancy McKeon is 46. Actor Barry Pepper is 42. Country singer Clay Davidson is 41. Rock singer Josh Todd ("Buckcherry") is 41. Singer Jill Scott is 40. Rock Bassist Magnus Sveningsson ("The Cardigans") is 40. Magician David Blaine (born David Blaine White) is 39. Singer Kelly Price is 39. RRhythm-and-blues singer Andre Dalyrimple ("Soul For Real") is 38. Actor James Roday is 36. Actress Natasha Lyonne is 33. Actress Amanda Righetti is 29. Actress Jamie Lynn Spears is 21.

Thought for Today: "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." — Martin Luther King Junior (1929-1968).

 

[superintelligentone]

Today in History

Today In History
Associated Press – April 5, 2012, 12:00 am US/Eastern

Today is Thursday, April 5, the 96th day of 2012. There are 270 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On April 5, 1862, during the Civil War, the monthlong Siege of Yorktown began in Virginia. (Because the Union commander, Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan, overestimated the enemy's strength and insisted on preparations for a full-scale assault, the Confederate defenders were finally able to slip away and head toward Williamsburg.)

On this date:

In 1614, Pocahontas, daughter of the leader of the Powhatan tribe, married English colonist John Rolfe in Virginia. (A convert to Christianity, she went by the name Lady Rebecca.)

In 1621, the Mayflower sailed from Plymouth Colony in present-day Massachusetts on a monthlong return trip to England.

In 1792, President George Washington cast his first veto, rejecting a congressional measure for apportioning representatives among the states.

In 1887, in Tuscumbia, Ala., Anne Sullivan achieved a breakthrough as her blind and deaf pupil, Helen Keller, learned the meaning of the word "water" as spelled out in the Manual Alphabet.

In 1895, Oscar Wilde lost his criminal libel case against the Marquess of Queensberry, who'd accused the writer of homosexual practices.

In 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed an executive order creating the Civilian Conservation Corps and naming its director, Robert Fechner.

In 1951, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were sentenced to death following their conviction in New York on charges of conspiring to commit espionage for the Soviet Union.

In 1964, Army General Douglas MacArthur died in Washington at age 84.

In 1976, reclusive billionaire Howard Hughes died in Houston at age 70.

In 1986, two American servicemen and a Turkish woman were killed in the bombing of a West Berlin discotheque, an incident which prompted a U.S. air raid on Libya more than a week later.

In 1987, Fox Broadcasting Co. made its prime-time TV debut by airing the premiere episodes of "Married... with Children" and "The Tracey Ullman Show" three times each.

In 1988, a 15-day hijacking ordeal began as gunmen forced a Kuwait Airways jumbo jet to land in Iran.

Ten years ago: U.S. mediator Anthony Zinni met with Yasser Arafat at the Palestinian leader's besieged West Bank headquarters on the bloodiest day of fighting since the beginning of Israel's week-old military offensive. The coffin of The Queen Mother Elizabeth was carried on a gun carriage through the streets of London to lie in state at Westminster Hall.

Five years ago: Fifteen Royal Navy crew members freed by Iran enjoyed their first night on English soil. A Greek cruise ship, the Sea Diamond, sank off an Aegean Sea island, forcing the evacuation of nearly 1,600 people; two French tourists went missing and were presumed to have drowned. FBI Special Agent Barry Lee Bush was accidentally shot and killed by a fellow agent as a stakeout team closed in on three suspected bank robbers in Readington, N.J. Darryl Stingley, a former New England Patriots player paralyzed during an on-field collision in 1978, died in Chicago at age 55.

One year ago: Ivory Coast's strongman leader, Laurent Gbagbo (loh-RAHN' BAHG'-boh), remained holed up in a bunker inside the presidential residence, defiantly maintaining he'd won an election four months earlier even as troops backing the internationally recognized winner encircled the home. (Gbagbo was arrested six days later.) Texas A&M won its first national women's basketball championship with a 76-70 victory over Notre Dame.

Today's Birthdays: Movie Producer/Director Roger Corman is 86. Country Music Singer/Songwriter/Guitarist/Producer Cowboy Jack Clement is 81. Former Secretary of State Colin Powell is 75. Country singer Tommy Cash is 72. Actor Michael Moriarty is 71. op Singer/Guitarist Allan Clarke ("The Hollies") is 70. Writer-director Peter Greenaway is 70. Actor Max Gail is 69. Actress Jane Asher is 66. Singer Agnetha Faltskog ("ABBA") is 62. Actor Mitch Pileggi is 60. Singer-songwriter Peter Case is 58. Rock Guitarist/Songwriter Mike McCready ("Pearl Jam") is 46. Country singer Troy Gentry is 45. Singer Paula Cole is 44. Actress Krista Allen is 41. Country Singer/Songwriter/Guitarist Pat Green is 40. Rapper-producer Pharrell (fa-REHL') Williams is 39.

Thought for Today: "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men, even when they exercise influence and not authority, still more when you superadd the tendency or the certainty of corruption by authority." — Lord Acton, British historian (1834-1902), in a letter written on this date in 1887.

 

[superintelligentone]

Today in History

Today In History
Associated Press – April 6, 2012, 12:00 am US/Eastern

Today is Good Friday, April 6, the 97th day of 2012. There are 269 days left in the year. The Jewish holiday Passover begins at sunset.

Today's Highlight in History:

On April 6, 1862, the Civil War Battle of Shiloh began in Tennessee as Confederate forces launched a surprise attack against Union troops, who beat back the Confederates the next day.

On this date:

In 1830, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints was organized by Joseph Smith in Fayette, N.Y.

In 1886, the Canadian city of Vancouver, British Columbia, was incorporated.

In 1896, the first modern Olympic games formally opened in Athens, Greece.

In 1909, American explorers Robert E. Peary and Matthew A. Henson and four Inuits became the first men to reach the North Pole.

In 1917, Congress approved a declaration of war against Germany.

In 1945, during World War II, the Japanese warship Yamato and nine other vessels sailed on a suicide mission to attack the U.S. fleet off Okinawa; the fleet was intercepted the next day.

In 1954, a month after being criticized by newsman Edward R. Murrow on CBS' "See It Now," Sen. Joseph R. McCarthy, R-Wis., given the chance to respond on the program, charged that Murrow had, in the past, "engaged in propaganda for Communist causes."

In 1965, the United States launched the Intelsat I, also known as the "Early Bird" communications satellite, into orbit.

In 1971, Russian-born composer Igor Stravinsky, 88, died in New York City.

In 1985, William J. Schroeder (SHRAY'-dur) became the first artificial heart recipient to be discharged from the hospital as he moved into an apartment in Louisville, Ky.

In 1992, the Supreme Court ruled a Nebraska farmer had been entrapped by postal agents into buying mail-order child pornography. The European Community recognized the former Yugoslav republic of Bosnia-Herzegovina as an independent state. Science-fiction author Isaac Asimov died in New York at age 72.

In 1994, the presidents of Rwanda and Burundi were killed in a mysterious plane crash near Rwanda's capital; widespread violence and killings erupted in Rwanda over claims the plane had been shot down.

Ten years ago: President George W. Bush repeated his call for Israel to "withdraw without delay" from West Bank towns it had occupied since launching an offensive after a string of suicide attacks; Bush also demanded the Palestinians call "an immediate and effective cease-fire."

Five years ago: British sailors and marines newly freed by Iran said they were blindfolded, isolated in cold stone cells and tricked into fearing execution while being coerced into falsely saying they had entered Iranian waters. A suicide bomber smashed a truck loaded with TNT and toxic chlorine gas into a police checkpoint in Ramadi, Iraq, killing 27 people.

One year ago: Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi appealed directly to President Barack Obama in a letter to end what Gadhafi called "an unjust war"; he also wished Obama good luck in his bid for re-election. Portugal became the third debt-stressed European country to need a bailout as the prime minister announced his country would request international assistance.

Today's Birthdays: Nobel Prize-winning scientist James D. Watson (best known as one of the three co-discoverers of the structure of DNA, with Rosalind Franklin and Francis Crick, in 1953) is 84. Composer-conductor Andre Previn is 83. Country Singer/Songwriter/Guitarist Merle Haggard is 75. Actor Billy Dee Williams is 75. Actor Roy Thinnes is 74. Writer-comedian Phil Austin (Firesign Theatre) is 71. Movie director Barry Levinson is 70. Actor John Ratzenberger is 65. Actress Marilu Henner is 60. Olympic bronze medal figure skater Janet Lynn is 59. Actor Michael Rooker is 57. Rock Singer/Songwriter/Guitarist Warren Haynes is 52. Rock Singer/Songwriter/Guitarist Frank Black aka Black Francis (born Charles Michael Kittridge Thompson IV) is 47. Author Vince Flynn is 46. Actress Ari Meyers is 43. Actor Paul Rudd is 43. Actor-producer Jason Hervey is 40. Rock Bassist Markku Lappalainen (formerly of "Hoobastank") is 39. Actor Zach Braff is 37. Actress Candace Cameron Bure is 36. Actress Eliza Coupe is 31. Actor Bret Harrison is 30. Actor Charlie McDermott (TV's "The Middle") is 22.

Thought for Today: "Never think that you're not good enough yourself. A man should never think that. My belief is that in life people will take you at your own reckoning." - Isaac Asimov (1920-1992).

 

[superintelligentone]

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/today-h...83#.Q3V5Rdl63To

Today In History
Associated Press – April 7, 2012, 12:00 am US/Eastern

Today is Saturday, April 7, the 98th day of 2012. There are 268 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On April 7, 1922, the Teapot Dome scandal had its beginnings as Interior Secretary Albert B. Fall signed a secret deal to lease U.S. Navy petroleum reserves to his friends, oilmen Harry F. Sinclair and Edward L. Doheny.

On this date:

In 1788, an expedition led by Gen. Rufus Putnam established a settlement at present-day Marietta, Ohio.

In 1798, the Mississippi Territory was created by an act of Congress, with Natchez as the capital.

In 1862, Union forces led by Gen. Ulysses S. Grant defeated the Confederates at the Battle of Shiloh in Tennessee.

In 1927, the image and voice of Commerce Secretary Herbert Hoover were transmitted live from Washington to New York in the first successful long-distance demonstration of television.

In 1939, Italy invaded Albania, which was annexed less than a week later.

In 1948, the World Health Organization was founded in Geneva.

In 1953, the U.N. General Assembly elected Dag Hammarskjold (dahg HAWM'-ahr-shoold) of Sweden to be secretary-general.

In 1962, nearly 1,200 Cuban exiles tried by Cuba for their roles in the failed Bay of Pigs invasion were convicted of treason.

In 1969, the Supreme Court, in Stanley v. Georgia, unanimously struck down laws prohibiting private possession of obscene material.

In 1972, mobster Joe Gallo was shot to death by rival gangsters during his 43rd birthday celebration at a New York City restaurant.

In 1978, President Jimmy Carter announced he was deferring development of the neutron bomb, a high-radiation weapon.

In 1983, space shuttle astronauts Story Musgrave and Don Peterson took the first U.S. space walk in almost a decade as they worked in the open cargo bay of Challenger for nearly four hours.

Ten years ago: Israeli troops fought fierce battles with Palestinians in the West Bank, encountering stiff resistance in the Jenin refugee camp and in Nablus. Actor John Agar died in Burbank, Calif., at age 81.

Five years ago: A Russian rocket carrying American billionaire Charles Simonyi roared into the night skies over Kazakhstan, sending its three occupants on a trip to the international space station. "B.C." comic strip creator Johnny Hart died in Nineveh, N.Y., at age 76. Actor Barry Nelson died in Bucks County, Pa., at age 89.

One year ago: A man shot and killed 12 children at the Tasso da Silveira public school in Rio de Janeiro; the gunman, a onetime student at the school, shot himself after being cornered by police. A powerful aftershock struck Japan near the same area that had been devastated by a mighty earthquake and tsunami nearly a month earlier; no giant wave or loss of life was reported.

Today's Birthdays: Actor R.G. Armstrong is 95. Sitar player Ravi Shankar is 92. Actor James Garner is 84. Country singer Cal Smith is 80. Actor Wayne Rogers is 79. Media commentator Hodding Carter III is 77. Country singer Bobby Bare is 77. Rhythm-and-blues singer Charlie Thomas (The Drifters) is 75. California Gov. Jerry Brown is 74. Movie director Francis Ford Coppola is 73. TV personality David Frost is 73. Singer Patricia Bennett (The Chiffons) is 65. Singer John Oates is 63. Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels is 63. Singer Janis Ian is 61. Country musician John Dittrich is 61. Actor Jackie Chan is 58. College and Pro Football Hall-of-Famer Tony Dorsett is 58. Actor Russell Crowe is 48. Christian/jazz singer Mark Kibble (Take 6) is 48. Actor Bill Bellamy is 47. Rock musician Dave "Yorkie" Palmer (Space) is 47. Former football player-turned-analyst Tiki Barber is 37. Actress Heather Burns is 37. Actor Kevin Alejandro (TV: "Southland") is 36. Actor Conner Rayburn is 13.

Thought for Today: "Money is in some respects life's fire: it is a very excellent servant, but a terrible master." — P.T. Barnum, American showman (born 1810, died this date in 1891).

 

[superintelligentone]

HuffPost - Breaking News, U.S. and World News

Today in History
The Associated Press - April 8, 2012, 12:00 AM EST

Today is Easter Sunday, April 8, the 99th day of 2012. There are 267 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On April 8, 1952, President Harry S. Truman issued an executive order seizing the American steel industry to avert a nationwide strike. (The U.S. Supreme Court later ruled that Truman had overstepped his authority, opening the way for a seven-week strike by steelworkers.)

On this date:

In 1820, the Venus de Milo statue was discovered by a farmer on the Greek island of Milos.

In 1911, an explosion at the Banner Coal Mine in Littleton, Ala., claimed the lives of 128 men, most of them convicts loaned out from prisons.

In 1912, Olympic gold medal figure skater Sonja Henie was born in Kristiania (now Oslo), Norway.

In 1913, the 17th Amendment to the Constitution, providing for direct popular election of United States senators (as opposed to appointment by state legislatures), was ratified.

In 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Emergency Relief Appropriations Act, which provided money for programs such as the Works Progress Administration.

In 1946, the League of Nations assembled in Geneva for its final session.

In 1961, a suspected bomb exploded aboard the passenger liner MV Dara in the Persian Gulf, causing it to sink; 238 of the 819 people aboard were killed.

In 1974, Hank Aaron of the Atlanta Braves hit his 715th career home run in a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, breaking Babe Ruth's record.

In 1981, General of the Army Omar N. Bradley died in New York at age 88.

In 1990, Ryan White, the teenage AIDS patient whose battle for acceptance had gained national attention, died in Indianapolis at age 18.

In 1992, tennis great Arthur Ashe announced at a New York news conference that he had AIDS (Ashe died in February 1993 of AIDS-related pneumonia at age 49).

In 1994, Kurt Cobain, singer and guitarist for the grunge band Nirvana, was found dead in Seattle from an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound; he was 27.

Ten years ago: Israel announced it would pull back from two West Bank cities, taking note of President George W. Bush's plea. Iraqi President Saddam Hussein cut off crude oil exports to demonstrate support for the Palestinians. The New York Times won seven Pulitzer Prizes, six of them related to coverage of the September 11 attacks; Suzan-Lori Parks became the first black woman to win a Pulitzer for drama for her play "Topdog/Underdog" while Richard Russo won the fiction prize for "Empire Falls."

Five years ago: Powerful Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr (mook-TAH'-duh al SAH'-dur) ordered his militiamen to redouble their battle to oust American forces from Iraq and called on the country's army and police to join him in defeating "your archenemy." Zach Johnson won the Masters with a two-shot victory over Tiger Woods.

One year ago: Congressional and White House negotiators struck a last-minute budget deal ahead of a midnight deadline, averting an embarrassing federal shutdown and cutting billions in spending. A strong aftershock ripped through northeastern Japan, killing two people and piling misery on a region still buried under the rubble of a devastating tsunami.

Today's Birthdays: Comedian Shecky Greene is 86. Actor-turned-diplomat John Gavin (SIO Note: Gavin was signed on for the role of James Bond in 1971's "Diamonds Are Forever" after George Lazenby left the role, but was dropped after Sean Connery was convinced to return as 007. He was appointed by President Reagan as US Ambassador to Mexico from 1981 - 1986) is 81. Author and investigative reporter Seymour Hersh is 75. Former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan is 74. Basketball Hall-of-Famer John Havlicek is 72. "Mouseketeer" Darlene Gillespie is 71. Singer J.J. Jackson (born Jerome Louis Jackson) is 71. Singer Peggy Lennon ("The Lennon Sisters") is 71. Songwriter-producer Leon Huff is 70. Actor Hywel Bennett is 68. Actor Stuart Pankin is 66. Rock Guitarist/Songwriter Steve Howe ("Yes") is 65. Former House Republican Leader Tom DeLay is 65. Movie director John Madden ("Shakespeare in Love") is 63. Rock Bassist Mel Schacher ("Grand Funk Railroad") is 61. Actor John Schneider is 52. "Survivor" winner Richard Hatch is 51. Rock Guitarist/Songwriter Izzy Stradlin (born Jeffery Dean Isbell) is 50. Singer/Songwriter/Multi-instrumentlist Julian Lennon (born John Charles Julian Lennon) is 49. Rock Singer/Songwriter/Guitarist Donita Sparks is 49. Rapper/DJ/Comedian Biz Markie (real name Marcel Theo Hall) is 48. Actress Robin Wright is 46. Actress Patricia Arquette is 44. Rock singer Craig Honeycutt ("Everything") is 42. Rock Singer/Songwriter/Multi-instrumentlist Darren Jessee is 41. Actress Emma Caulfield is 39. Actress Katee Sackhoff (real name Kathryn Ann Sackhoff) is 32. Actor Taylor Kitsch is 31. Rock Singer/Songwriter/Guitarist Ezra Koenig ("Vampire Weekend") is 28. Actor Taran Noah Smith is 28. Actress Kirsten Storms is 28.

Thought for Today: "The world has achieved brilliance without conscience. Ours is a world of nuclear giants and ethical infants." – Gen. Omar N. Bradley (1893-1981).

 

[superintelligentone]

HuffPost - Breaking News, U.S. and World News

Today in History
The Associated Press - April 9, 2012, 12:00 AM EST

Today is Monday, April 9, the 100th day of 2012. There are 266 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On April 9, 1942, during World War II, American and Philippine defenders on Bataan capitulated to Japanese forces; the surrender was followed by the notorious Bataan Death March which claimed thousands of lives.

On this date:

In 1682, French explorer Robert de La Salle claimed the Mississippi River Basin for France.

In 1865, Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee surrendered his army to Union Gen. Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House in Virginia.

In 1939, singer Marian Anderson performed a concert at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., after being denied the use of Constitution Hall by the Daughters of the American Revolution.

In 1940, during World War II, Germany invaded Denmark and Norway.

In 1947, a series of tornadoes in Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas claimed 181 lives.

In 1959, NASA presented its first seven astronauts: Scott Carpenter, Gordon Cooper, John Glenn, Gus Grissom, Wally Schirra, Alan Shepard and Donald Slayton. Architect Frank Lloyd Wright, 91, died in Phoenix, Ariz.

In 1962, "West Side Story" won the Academy Award for Best Picture of 1961; Sophia Loren was named Best Actress for "Two Women," while Maximilian Schell received the Best Actor Oscar for "Judgment at Nuremberg."

In 1965, the newly built Astrodome in Houston featured its first baseball game, an exhibition between the Astros and the New York Yankees. (The Astros won, 2-1, in 12 innings.)

In 1983, the space shuttle Challenger ended its first mission with a safe landing at Edwards Air Force Base in California.

In 1992, former Panamanian ruler Manuel Noriega was convicted in Miami of eight drug and racketeering charges; he served a 17-year U.S. prison sentence.

In 1996, in a dramatic shift of purse-string power, President Bill Clinton signed a line-item veto bill into law. (However, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the veto in 1998.)

In 2005, Britain's Prince Charles married longtime love Camilla Parker Bowles, who took the title Duchess of Cornwall.

Ten years ago: Former Arthur Andersen auditor David B. Duncan pleaded guilty in federal court in Houston to ordering the shredding of Enron documents, and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors (however, Duncan later withdrew his plea). Palestinian militants killed 13 Israeli soldiers during intense fighting in a refugee camp in Jenin (juh-NEEN'), West Bank. Britain said goodbye to the Queen Mother Elizabeth with a funeral at Westminster Abbey. Figure skater Michelle Kwan won the 2001 Sullivan Award as the nation's top amateur athlete.

Five years ago: Tens of thousands of Shiites marched in Iraq to demand that U.S. forces leave their country; some ripped apart American flags and tromped across a Stars and Stripes rug. President George W. Bush visited the U.S.-Mexico border to tout a guest worker program for immigrants.

One year ago: A man armed with several weapons opened fire in a crowded shopping mall in the Netherlands, killing six people before committing suicide. Minnesota Duluth won a 3-2 victory over Michigan in the NCAA men's ice hockey championship game, the first national title for the Bulldogs. Sidney Lumet, the award-winning director of such American film classics as "Network," "Serpico," "Dog Day Afternoon" and "12 Angry Men," died in New York at age 86.

Today's Birthdays: Playboy magazine founder Hugh Hefner is 86. Naturalist Jim Fowler is 80. Actor Jean-Paul Belmondo is 79. Actress Michael Learned is 73. Country singer Margo Smith is 70. Country singer Hal Ketchum is 59. Actor Dennis Quaid is 58. Humorist Jimmy Tingle is 57. Country Singer/Keyboardist Dave Innis ("Restless Heart") is 53. Actress-sports reporter Lisa Guerrero is 48. Actor Mark Pellegrino is 47. Actress-model Paulina Porizkova is 47. Actress Cynthia Nixon is 46. Rock singer Kevin Martin ("Candlebox") is 43. Rock singer Gerard Way ("My Chemical Romance") is 35. Actress Keshia Knight Pulliam is 33. Rock Singer/Songwriter/Guitarist Albert Hammond Jr. ("The Strokes") is 32. Actor Charlie Hunnam is 32. Actor Ryan Northcott is 32. Actor Arlen Escarpeta is 31. Actor Jay Baruchel is 30. Actress Leighton Meester is 26. Actor-singer Jesse McCartney is 25. Rhythm-and-blues singer Jazmine Sullivan is 25. Actress Kristen Stewart is 22. Actress Elle Fanning is 14. Classical crossover singer Jackie Evancho (Second place finalist in Season 5 of TV: "America's Got Talent") is 12.

Thought for Today: "Thinking is like loving or dying. Each of us must do it for ourselves." – Josiah Royce, American philosopher (1855-1916).

 

[superintelligentone]

HuffPost - Breaking News, U.S. and World News

Today in History
The Associated Press - April 10, 2012, 12:00 AM EST

Today is Tuesday, April 10, the 101st day of 2012. There are 265 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On April 10, 1912, the RMS Titanic set sail from Southampton, England, on its ill-fated maiden voyage, stopping first in Cherbourg, France, and then Queenstown (Cobh), Ireland, the next day to pick up additional passengers before heading out into the open sea.

On this date:

In 1790, President George Washington signed into law the first United States Patent Act.

In 1862, Congress passed a joint resolution offering financial aid to any state which agreed to gradually abolish slavery.

In 1866, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals was incorporated.

In 1925, the novel "The Great Gatsby," by F. Scott Fitzgerald, was first published.

In 1932, German president Paul Von Hindenburg was re-elected in a runoff, with Adolf Hitler coming in second.

In 1947, Brooklyn Dodgers president Branch Rickey purchased the contract of Jackie Robinson from the Montreal Royals.

In 1957, Egypt reopened the Suez Canal to all shipping traffic. (The canal had been closed due to wreckage resulting from the Suez Crisis.)

In 1962, United States Steel Chairman Roger Blough informed President John F. Kennedy of his company's decision to raise steel prices an average of $6 a ton. (Under administration pressure, Blough changed his mind.) Stuart Sutcliffe, the Beatles' original bass player, died in Hamburg, West Germany, at age 21. Movie director Michael Curtiz ("Casablanca") died in Hollywood at age 75.

In 1963, the nuclear-powered submarine USS Thresher sank during deep-diving tests off Cape Cod, Mass., in a disaster that claimed 129 lives.

In 1972, the United States and the Soviet Union joined some 70 nations in signing an agreement banning biological warfare. A severe earthquake struck southern Iran, killing more than 5,000 people. At the Academy Awards, "The French Connection" won Best Picture; Charles Chaplin received an honorary Oscar.

In 1992, comedian Sam Kinison was killed in a car crash outside Needles, Calif., at age 38.

In 2010, Polish President Lech Kaczynski, 60, was killed in a plane crash in western Russia that also claimed the lives of his wife and top Polish political, military and church officials.

Ten years ago: Eight Israelis were killed by a suicide bomber aboard a bus in Haifa (HY'-fuh).

Five years ago: A woman wearing an explosives vest strapped underneath her black robe blew herself up in the midst of 200 Iraqi police recruits in Muqdadiyah, killing 16. Two Russian cosmonauts and U.S. billionaire Charles Simonyi arrived at the international space station. DNA tests showed that former boyfriend Larry Birkhead was the father of Anna Nicole Smith's baby.

One year ago: In the first remarks since his ouster, former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak denied allegations that he had used his position to amass wealth and property. Bob Dylan performed a concert in Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) in Vietnam. Charl Schwartzel won the Masters by two strokes over Adam Scott and Jason Day after a wild final round at Augusta National; the 26-year-old South African closed with four straight birdies, making a 20-footer at the final hole to wrap up a 6-under 66.

Today's Birthdays: Actor Max von Sydow is 83. Actress Liz Sheridan is 83. Actor Omar Sharif (born Michael Demitri Shalhoub) is 80. Pro Football Hall of Fame Coach/Sportscaster John Madden is 76. Rhythm-and-blues singer Bobbie Smith ("The Spinners") is 76. Reggae Singer/Songwriter/Conga Player Bunny Wailer (born Neville O'Riley Livingston) is 65. Aikido Martial Artist/Actor/Reserve Deputy Sheriff Steven Seagal is 61. Folk-pop singer Terre Roche ("The Roches") is 59. Actor Peter MacNicol is 58. Rock Bassist Steven Gustafson ("10,000 Maniacs") is 55. Singer-producer Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds is 54. Rock singer-musician Brian Setzer is 53. Rapper Afrika Bambaataa (real name Kevin Donovan) is 52. Rock Singer/Guitarist Katrina Leskanich ("Katrina and the Waves") is 52. Actor Jeb Adams is 51. Olympic gold medal speedskater Cathy Turner is 50. Rock Drummer Tim "Herb" Alexander is 47. Actor-comedian Orlando Jones is 44. Rock Guitarist Mike Mushok ("Staind") is 43. Singer Kenny Lattimore is 42. Singer Kenny Lattimore is 41. Rapper Q-Tip (AKA Kamaal) (born Jonathan Davis, he changed his name to Kamaal Ibn John Fareed) is 42. Blues singer Shemekia Copeland is 33. Actress Laura Bell Bundy is 31. Actress Chyler Leigh is 30. Actor Ryan Merriman is 29. Singer Mandy Moore is 28. Actor Haley Joel Osment is 24. Actor Alex Pettyfer is 22. Singer/Songwriter/Guitarist/Actress AJ Michalka (born Amanda Joy Michalka)(the pop duo "78violet" formerly known as "Aly & AJ") is 21.

Thought for Today: "Take from me the hope that I can change the future, and you will send me mad." – Israel Zangwill, English dramatist (1864-1926).