EVENTS
- 1500 – Brazil is discovered by Pedro Alvares Cabral.
- 1864 – “In God We Trust” was included on all newly minted U.S. coins by an Act of Congress.
- 1889 – The Oklahoma land rush began at noon with a single gunshot signaling the start of a mad dash by thousands of settlers. The were seeking to claim part of nearly two million acres made available by the federal government. The land originally belonged to Creek and Seminole Indian tribes.
Oklahoma land rush - 1906 – The 1906 Olympic Games begin in Athens. While the meet in practice was the second Olympic Games of the modern era, it is not recognized as such by the International Olympic Committee.
- 1945 – Adolf Hitler admits defeat. The German dictator announced in the underground Führerbunker that he plans to commit suicide after learning that Soviet forces had entered Berlin.
- 1970 – First Earth Day celebrated.
- 1977 – Optical fiber is used for telephone transmissions for the first time. Fiber-optic technology allows sending information over long distances by means of light pulses. It has played an important role in the development of modern-day global communications.
- 1978 – The Blues Brothers make their first appearance on Saturday Night Live.
- 1992 – A series of massive explosions destroys parts of Guadalajara. The disaster in the downtown district of Analco occurred after gasoline had leaked into the sewer system. At least 206 people died, nearly 500 were injured, and about 15,000 were left homeless.
- 1993 – The Holocaust Memorial Museum is dedicated in Washington DC.
- 1997 – The Japanese embassy hostage crisis ends after 126 days. The hero status of the Peruvian troops involved in the successful raid was later called into question when evidence of summary executions of captured insurgents emerged.
BIRTHDAYS
- 1724 – Immanuel Kant (Russian/German philosopher)
- 1870 – Vladimir Lenin (Founder of the Soviet Union)
- 1891 – Nicola Sacco (Italian/American criminal)
- 1899 – Vladimir Nabokov (Russian/American author)
Vladimir Nabokov - 1916 – Yehudi Menuhin (American/Swiss violinist, conductor)
- 1936 – Glen Campbell (Country singer)
- 1937 – Jack Nicholson (Actor)
- 1950 – Peter Frampton (Singer)
DEATHS
- 1616 – Miguel de Cervantes (Spanish author)
- 1983 – Earl Hines (American pianist)
Earl Hines - 1986 – Mircea Eliade (Romanian historian, author)
- 1994 – Richard Nixon (American politician, 37th President of the United States)
- 1999 – Munir Ahmad Khan (Austrian/Pakistani scientist, engineer)
