1621 – Hugo Grotius arrives in France after escaping prison in a book chest
1817 – 1st American school for the deaf opens (Hartford, Connecticut)
1865 – Abraham Lincoln dies nine hours after he is shot by John Wilkes Booth while attending the play “Our American Cousin” at Ford’s Theatre in Washington
1896 – I (modern) Summer Olympic Games close at the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens, Greece; USA wins gold medal count, 11; Greece wins total medal count, 46; IOC has retroactively assigned gold, silver and bronze medals to 3 best placed athletes in each event
1912 – RMS Titanic sinks at 2:27 AM off Newfoundland as the band plays on, with the loss of between 1,490 and 1,635 people
1920 – Sacco and Vanzetti Trial: paymaster shot and killed along with his guard
1924 – WHO-AM in Des Moines Iowa begins radio transmissions
1963 – 67th Boston Marathon won by Aurèle Vandendriessche of Belgium in race record 2:18:58
1997 – Baseball honors Jackie Robinson by retiring #42 for all teams
2020 – US’s deadliest day during COVID-19 pandemic with 2,752 deaths reported
Author: gil7
Today in History for 15th April 2025
Historical Events
1862 – American poet Emily Dickinson first corresponds with author and future literary mentor Thomas Wentworth Higginson, a relationship that lasts the rest of her life
1971 – John Kander and Fred Ebbs’ musical “70, Girls, 70”, starring Hans Conried and Mildred Natwick, opens at Broadhurst Theater, NYC; runs for 35 performances
1991 – East-Europe Bank forms in London
1992 – Lincoln Hospital in Bronx. New York loses its accreditation
2023 – Indian Atiq Ahmed, former lawmaker and convicted criminal, assassinated live on TV along with his brother Ashraf in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, while under police guard
Famous Birthdays
1874 – Johannes Stark, German physicist (Stark Effect; Nobel Prize in Physics -1919), and Nazi sympathizer, born in Schickenhof, German Empire (d. 1957)
1892 – Corrie ten Boom, Dutch author (The Hiding Place) and Holocaust survivor, born in Amsterdam, Netherlands (d. 1983)
1940 – Jeffrey Archer, Baron Archer of Weston-super-Mare, English novelist, born in Finsbury, London
1947 – Cristina Husmark Pehrsson, Swedish politician, born in Uddevalla, Sweden
1970 – Flex Alexander, American actor and comedian (Mark ‘Flex’ Washington in “One to One”), born in New York City, New York
Famous Deaths
1854 – Arthur Aikin, English scientist and writer (b. 1773)
1943 – Raffaele Casimiri, Italian composer, and musicologist dies at 62
1997 – Sam Moskowitz, American writer and historian of science fiction, dies at 76
1999 – Harvey Postlethwaite, British engineer and racing car designer, dies at 55
2008 – Krister Stendahl, Swedish Lutheran theologian and bishop, dies at 86
Famous Deaths for 14th April 2025
911 – Sergius III, Italian Pope (904-11), dies
1578 – James Hepburn, 4th Earl of Bothwell, consort of Mary I of Scotland
1692 – Carlos de Gurrea, Spanish viceroy (Spanish Netherlands), dies
1865 – Rafael Carrera, Guatemalan military commander and Dictator of Guatemala (1844–48, 1851–65), dies at 50
1914 – Hubert Bland, English author and socialist (co-founder of the Fabian Society), dies of a heart attack at 59
1974 – Al Morgan, American jazz double-bassist (Cab Calloway; Fats Waller; Louis Jordan), dies at 65
1990 – Thurston Harris, American pop vocalist (The Sharps, Little Bitty Pretty One), dies of a heart attack at 58
2000 – Phil Katz, American computer programmer (Zip file format), dies from the effects of alcoholism at 37
2004 – Micheline Charest, French Canadian television producer (b. 1953)
2023 – Ken Archer, Australian cricket batsman (5 Tests; Queensland CA), dies at 95
Historical Events for 14th April 2025
193 – Lucius Septimius Severus crowned Emperor of Rome
1699 – Khalsa: Birth of Khalsa, the brotherhood of the Sikh religion, in Northern India in accordance with the Nanakshahi calendar
1836 – US Congress forms Territory of Wisconsin
1896 – US Patent Office issues Patent No. 558,393 to Dr John Harvey Kellogg of Battle Creek, Michigan for “flaked cereal, and process of making same”
1910 – US President William Howard Taft begins tradition of throwing ceremonial first pitch on Opening Day of baseball season
1949 – International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg’s last judgment
1961 – Cuban-American invasion army departs Nicaragua
1989 – In the Iran-Contra trial, Oliver North’s case goes to the jury
2007 – At least 200,000 demonstrators in Ankara, Turkey protest against the possible candidacy of incumbent Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
2021 – Coinbase becomes the first major cryptocurrency company to trade shares on the New York Stock Exchange
Today in History for 14th April 2025
Historical Events
1862 – Battle of Fort Pillow, Tennessee
1872 – Dominion Lands Act passed: Canada’s Homestead Act
1910 – Pan American Union forms
1991 – 55th US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Welshman Ian Woosnam wins his only major title, 1 stroke ahead of José María Olazábal; 4th straight year the Masters champion is from the UK
2013 – 33 people are killed after a bus tumbled off a cliff in Trujillo, Peru
Famous Birthdays
1897 – Olga Chekhova, Russian-German actress (Italian Strawhat, Cry of the Children), born in Aleksandropol, Erivan Governorate, Russian Empire (d. 1980)
1907 – Otto Frans Antoine Hubert van Nispen, Dutch mayor (Pannerden), born in Pannerden, Netherlands (d. 1992)
1945 – Tuilaepa Aiono Sailele Malielegaoi, 8th Prime Minister of Samoa, born in Lepa, Samoa
1949 – John Shea, American actor (Honeymoon, New Life, Lois and Clark), born in North Conway, New Hampshire
1975 – Avner Dorman, Israeli composer (Variations Without A Theme; Dialogues of Love), conductor, and educator, born in Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel
Famous Deaths
1910 – Mikhail Vrubel, Russian Symbolist painter, one of the first modern Russian artists (The Demon Cast Down), dies from the effects of syphilis at 54
1917 – L. L. Zamenhof, Polish physician and linguist (Esperanto), dies at 57
1965 – Perry Edward Smith, US murderer (In Cold Blood), hanged at 36
1986 – Horst Bastian, German writer and screenwriter, dies at 46
2008 – Esbjörn Svensson, Swedish jazz pianist (Seven Days Of Falling), dies in scuba diving accident at 44
Famous Deaths for 13th April 2025
1822 – Gaetano Valeri, Italian composer, dies at 61
1919 – Phoebe Hearst, American philanthropist and suffragist, dies at 76
1925 – Elwood Haynes, American automotive pioneer (built one of 1st US autos), dies at 67
1944 – Cécile Chaminade, French pianist and 1st female composer awarded with Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur (1913), dies at 86
1952 – [Rosalie] Julia Cuypers, Flemish actress (Adelaarsjong), dies at 79
1960 – Beverly Kenney American jazz singer (“I Hate Rock n’ Roll”; “Born To Be Blue”), takes her on life at 28
1986 – Stephen Stucker, American actor (Trading Places, Airplane), dies at 38
1996 – George Mackay Brown, Scottish poet and playwright, dies at 74
2005 – Johnnie Johnson, American blues and jazz piano player (Chuck Berry’s band), dies of kidney problems and pneumonia at 80
2022 – Gloria Parker [Rosenthal], American marimbist, glasspiel player, songwriter (Clap Your Hands and Shake Your Blues Away), and bandleader, dies at 100
Historical Events for 13th April 2025
1256 – The Grand Union of the Augustinian order formed when Pope Alexander IV issues papal bull Licet ecclesiae catholicae
1863 – Society for the Relief of the Ruptured and Crippled is incorporated in the State of New York
1870 – Metropolitan Museum of Art forms in NYC, opening in the Dodworth Building at 681 Fifth Avenue
1925 – Virginia Theater (ANTA, Guild) opens at 245 W 52nd St NYC
1934 – US Congress passes Johnson Debt Default Act
1941 – Heavy German assault on Tobruk
1969 – Closure of the Brisbane tramway network.
1979 – Longest doubles ping-pong match ends after 101 hours
1980 – 44th US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: 23-year-old Spaniard Seve Ballesteros wins his first Masters, 4 strokes ahead of Jack Newton and Gibby Gilbert
1992 – American Airlines reduce its 1st-class fares 20%-50%
Today in History for 13th April 2025
Historical Events
1865 – Raleigh, North Carolina, captured by Union forces
1904 – Battle of Oviumbo (in modern Namibia): Herero tribesmen rise up against German colonists
1920 – 1st woman US Civil Service Commissioner, Helen Hamilton appointed
1989 – “Welcome to the Club” opens at Music Box Theater NYC for 12 performances
2000 – “When Louis Met…” documentary by Louis Theroux premieres on BBC2 in the UK featuring Jimmy Saville
Famous Birthdays
1891 – Nellallitea “Nella” Larsen [Nellie Walker], African-American Harlem Renaissance novelist (Quicksand, Passing), born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 1964)
1927 – Maurice Ronet, French film actor, director, and writer (Frantic, Sphinx, Circle of Love), born in Nice, France (d. 1983)
1954 – Niels Olsen, Danish singer and songwriter (The Olsen Brothers; Eurovision Song Contest, 2000), born in Odense, Denmark
1960 – Bob Casey, Jr., American lawyer and politician (Senator-D-Pennsylvania 2007-), born in Scranton, Pennsylvania
1963 – Mark Leiter, American baseball pitcher (SF Giants), born in Joliet, Illinois
Famous Deaths
1970 – William H. Johnson, African-American artist of the Harlem Renaissance (Flowers; Training for War), dies of pancreatic hemorrhage at 67
1984 – Ralph Kirkpatrick, American musician, musicologist and harpsichordist (Domenico Scarlatti), dies at 72
1994 – Taleb Ali al-Suheil, Iran sheik, murdered in Lebanon at 64
1995 – Edward Henderson, British diplomat, dies at 77
2005 – Yuri Anatoyevich Ponomaryov, Russian cosmonaut (Soyuz 18 backup), dies at 73
Famous Deaths for 12th April 2025
238 – Gordian II, Roman co-Emperor with his father Gordian I, killed in battle at Carthage
1777 – Claude Prosper Jolyot de Crébillon, French satirical novelist (The Skimmer), dies at 70
1878 – William Magear Tweed “Boss Tweed”, American politician and corrupt New York fraudster, dies in prison of pneumonia at 55
1921 – William Strang, Scottish painter and engraver (illustrated Bunyan, Coleridge and Kipling), dies at 62
1946 – August Borms, Flemish nazi collaborator, executed at 67
2000 – Niaz Ahmed, Pakistani cricket fast bowler (2 Tests, 3 wickets; Dacca, Public Works Dep’t, East Pakistan, Railways; only East Pakistani to play Test cricket), dies at 54
2006 – Puggy Pearson, American poker player (World Series of Poker Main Event 1973; 4 x World Series of Poker bracelets), dies from heart failure at 77
2013 – Robert Byrne, American chess player (FIDE Grandmaster), dies from Parkinson’s disease at 84
2016 – Anne Jackson, American stage actress (Twice Around the Park), dies at 90
2019 – Georgia Engel, American actress (The Mary Tyler Moore Show, 1972-77 – “Georgette”; Hot In Cleveland, 2011-15 -“Mamie-Sue”), dies at 70
Historical Events for 12th April 2025
1862 – James Andrews steals Confederate train (General) at Kennesaw, Georgia
1900 – The US Congress passes the Foraker Act, establishing Puerto Rico as an unincorporated territory (effective 1 May)
1905 – French Dufaux brothers test helicopter
1927 – Kuomintang leader Chiang Kai-shek begins a counter-revolution by violently suppressing Communist groups
1938 – First US law requiring medical tests for marriage licenses in New York
1954 – Joe Turner releases “Shake, Rattle and Roll”
1983 – Harold Washington elected Chicago’s 1st black mayor
1992 – Lynn Gunther of California threatens to blow herself up in front of UN
1992 – Euro Disney (Disneyland Paris) opens in Marne-la-Vallee, France
2009 – President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian National Authority makes a courtesy phone call to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, restarting the Palestinian-Israeli dialogue