Today In History


Today is Thursday, April 1, the 91st day of 2010. There are 274 days left in the year. This is April Fools' Day.

On April 1, 1960, the first true weather satellite, TIROS-1, was launched from Cape Canaveral. (TIROS stood for "Television Infrared Observation Satellite.")

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 1946, tidal waves struck the Hawaiian islands, resulting in more than 170 deaths.

In 1958, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed a $1.85 billion emergency housing measure.

In 1963, most of New York City's daily newspapers resumed publishing after settlement was reached in a 114-day strike.

In 1970, President Richard M. Nixon signed a measure banning cigarette advertising on radio and television, to take effect after Jan. 1, 1971.

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.)

Ten years ago: President Bill Clinton, speaking at a fund-raiser for his wife's Senate campaign, accused New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani of enlisting a "right-wing venom machine" against Hillary Rodham Clinton. Michelle Kwan won her third World Figure Skating title.

Five years ago: The Vatican reported that Pope John Paul II was near death, his breathing shallow and his heart and kidneys failing. President Bill Clinton's former national security adviser, Sandy Berger, pleaded guilty to sneaking classified documents out of the National Archives; he was later sentenced to two years' probation.

One year ago: President Barack Obama, in London for an economic crisis summit, sought to rally the world's top and emerging powers to help cope with a global downturn; chanting protesters clashed with riot police in the British capital. Benjamin Netanyahu took office as Israel's prime minister. Sixteen people were killed when a Super Puma helicopter crashed into the North Sea off Scotland's northeast coast. In a college baseball blowout, Eastern Kentucky was leading Kentucky State 49-1 when the teams stopped playing after five innings (they also agreed to cancel the second game of a scheduled double-header).

Today's Birthdays: Actress Jane Powell is 82. Actress Grace Lee Whitney is 80. Actress Debbie Reynolds is 78. Country singer Jim Ed Brown is 76. Actor Don Hastings is 76. Blues singer Eddie King is 72. Actress Ali MacGraw is 72. Rhythm-and-blues singer Rudolph Isley is 71. Reggae singer Jimmy Cliff is 62. Jazz musician Gil Scott-Heron is 61. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito is 60. Rock musician Billy Currie (Ultravox) is 60. Actress Annette O'Toole is 58. Movie director Barry Sonnenfeld is 57. Singer Susan Boyle (TV: "Britain's Got Talent") is 49. Country singer Woody Lee is 42. Rapper-actor Method Man is 39. Movie directors Allen and Albert Hughes are 38. Political commentator Rachel Maddow is 37. Tennis player Magdalena Maleeva is 35. Actor David Oyelowo is 34. Singer Bijou Phillips is 30. Actor Sam Huntington is 28. Country singer Hillary Scott (Lady Antebellum) is 26. Actor Josh Zuckerman is 25.

Thought for Today: "Our wisdom comes from our experience, and our experience comes from our foolishness." -- Sacha Guitry, Russian-born French actor-writer-director (1885-1957). (AP)