Wednesday, April 1, 1998
Today's events
|
U.S. President Clinton continues his tour of Africa.
|
On the horizon
|
On Thursday, April 2, the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland opens a new
exhibit -- the "Ultimate Jukebox."
On Friday, April 3, People Against Racism is to hold its first annual
conference on the elimination of what it deems racist mascots.
On Saturday, April 4, Memphis, Tennessee, holds all-day events commemorating the 30th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination.
On Sunday, April 5, most of the United States returns to daylight-saving time.
On Monday, April 6, the National Association of Broadcasters meets in Las Vegas.
|
On this day
|
In 1204, Eleanor of Aquitaine, Queen of France and of England,
died; she led troops in the Second Crusade.
In 1621, the first colonial treaty with American Indians was
signed between Massasoit, chief of the Wampanoags and English
pilgrims on behalf of King James I at Strawberry Hill,
Massachusetts.
In 1697, Abbe Prevost, French writer and journalist, was born;
he was best known for his "Manon Lescaut," which was turned into
operas by Jules Massenet and Giacomo Puccini.
In 1789, the U.S. House of Representatives was able to
transact business when a quorum of its members was present for
the first time.
In 1815, Prince Otto von Bismarck, German statesman, was born.
Appointed first German chancellor of a unified Germany in 1871,
he presided over the Congress of Berlin (1878) and was known as
the "Iron Chancellor."
In 1865, in the U.S. Civil War, the battle of Five Forks ended
with the defeat of the Confederate Army.
In 1873, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Russian composer and virtuoso
pianist, was born. Best known for his preludes and his music for
piano and orchestra, including "Rhapsody on a Theme of
Paganini."
In 1875, the Times of London became the first newspaper to
print a daily weather chart.
In 1883, Lon Chaney, U.S. dramatic actor and film star, was born;
known as the "Man of a Thousand Faces" for his effective
makeup while playing characters in the films of "The Hunchback
of Notre Dame" and "Phantom of the Opera."
In 1885, Wallace Beery, U.S. film star and character actor,
was born. Famed for his roles in "Grand Hotel" and "Dinner at
Eight," he won an Oscar for his portrayal of a boxer in the
film "The Champ."
In 1917, Scott Joplin, U.S. jazz musician famous for his
ragtime pieces, notably "The Entertainer," died.
In 1918, in Britain, the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal
Naval Air Force merged to form the Royal Air Force.
In 1924, a court sentenced Adolf Hitler to five years in jail
for high treason after his abortive 1923 putsch; he was released
December 20.
In 1933, in Germany, the state ordered a boycott of businesses
belonging to Jewish people and seized their bank accounts.
In 1945, an assault by 50,000 U.S. troops led by Gen.
Buckner on the Japanese-held island of Okinawa heralded the
beginning of the last major battle of the Pacific. It ended on
July 2 with 7,000 U.S. and 100,000 Japanese dead.
In 1947, King George II of Greece died; he was king from
1922-1924 and restored twice to the throne. He
was succeeded by his brother, Paul I.
In 1948, the blockade of Berlin started when the Russians
began checking all road and rail traffic between Berlin and the
Western Zones.
In 1950, Italy assumed trusteeship of Somaliland, taking over
from the British administration.
In 1960, Tiros I, the world's first meteorological satellite
which transmitted cloud cover pictures, was launched from the
United States.
In 1962, in a referendum the Swiss people rejected a proposed
amendment to the Constitution prohibiting manufacture of atomic
weapons on Swiss territory.
In 1965, King Hussein of Jordan appointed his younger brother
Prince Hassan as his heir.
In 1975, Cambodian President Lon Nol, leader of the
U.S.-backed government, fled to Indonesia as Khmer Rouge
guerrillas closed in on the capital, Phnom Penh.
In 1976, Max Ernst, German painter and sculptor and founder of
the Dada group, died. He was also involved in the Surrealist
movement and invented the frottage technique (pencil rubbings on
canvas).
In 1981, heavy fighting broke out in Beirut and Zahle between
an Arab peace-keeping force and Lebanese right-wing militia.
In 1984, U.S. singer Marvin Gaye was shot dead by his
father during a violent argument.
In 1995, Irma Hadzimuratovic, the Bosnian girl whose plight
came to symbolize the tragedy of Sarajevo, died in a London
hospital.
In 1996, in Japan, the world's largest bank was created when
the merger of the Mitsubishi Bank and the Bank of Tokyo was
completed.
|
Newslink
|
Hot dog vendors and peanut barkers are gearing up as baseball season returns. Take a virtual tour of the nation's ballparks.
|
Holidays and more
|
Today is National Day in San Marino.
It is Tamil New Year in Sri Lanka.
Author David Eisenhower ("Eisenhower at War") is 51.
Actress Ali McGraw ("Love Story") is 59.
Actress Annette O'Toole ("48 Hours") is 45.
Actress Debbie Reynolds ("Singin' in the Rain") is 66.
|
Sources: Associated Press,
Chase's Calendar of Events 1998, J.P. Morgan
|
