1932 – US President Herbert Hoover suggests five-day work week
1954 – 7-time winner of Boston Marathon, 65-year-old Clarence Demar, runs his last race at Boston finishing 78th
1959 – Uprising in La Paz Bolivia, fails
1971 – Charles Manson sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Sharon Tate
1972 – US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
1974 – Oriole Al Bumbry hits an inside-the-park HR against NY Yankees
1982 – Former Cuban marathon cheat Rosie Ruiz is arrested for embezzling $60,000
1987 – Brendon Kuruppu scores 201* on Test Cricket debut (Sri Lanka v NZ)
Author: gil7
Today in History for 19th April 2026
Historical Events
1923 – New Egyptian law allows suffrage for men, except soldiers
1926 – 30th Boston Marathon won by Canadian Johnny Miles in 2:25:40.4
1944 – 1944 NFL Draft: Angelo Bertelli from University of Notre Dame first pick by Boston Yanks
1965 – 1st all news radio station (WINS 1010 AM in NYC) begins operating
1965 – T.A.M.I. Show premieres in London
Famous Birthdays
1821 – Mortimer Dormer Leggett, American Major General (Union Army), born in Ithaca, New York (d. 1896)
1931 – Walter Stewart, Canadian writer and journalist, born in Toronto, Ontario (d. 2004)
1945 – Michael Stewart, American folk music producer, arranger, banjo player and guitarist (We Five – “You Were On My Mind”), born in Riverside County, California (d. 2002)
1972 – Jeff Wilkins, American football kicker (Super Bowl XXXIV St Louis Rams; Pro Bowl and NFL scoring leader 2003), born in Youngstown, Ohio
1977 – Lucien Mettomo, Cameroonian footballer (2002 World Cup), born in Douala, Cameroon
Famous Deaths
1776 – Jacob Israel Emden [Jacob ben Tswi], German rabbi, dies at 78
1870 – William Henry Havergal, composer, dies at 77
1874 – Owen Jones, architect, dies
1949 – Stephen Samuel Wise, American Rabbi and President of Zionist Org of America, dies at 75
2022 – Mike Gregory, English darts player (BDO World C’ship 1992 runner-up), dies from dementia at 65
Famous Deaths for 18th April 2026
1863 – Job Plimpton, American composer and organ builder, dies at 79
1917 – Moritz von Bissing, Prussian general, dies at 73
1947 – Benny Leonard, American boxer (world lightweight title 1917-25), dies from a heart attack at 51
1949 – Will Hay [William Thomson Hay], British comedian, actor and amateur astronomer, dies from a stroke at 60
1956 – Floyd Smith, American aviator and inventor of the modern parachute, dies at 71
1996 – Hubert Opperman, Australian road cyclist, politician (multi-distance world records), dies of heart failure at 91
2013 – Storm Thorgerson, British graphic designer and music video director (Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Genesis, The Cranberries), dies of cancer at 69
2015 – Joseph Lechleider, American electrical engineer (invented DSL/high speed internet technology), dies at 82
2020 – François Lafortune Jr., Belgian rifle shooter (7 x Olympic Games 1952-1976, 50m Rifle, Prone Position), dies from Parkinson’s disease at 87
2022 – Sid Mark [Fliegelman], American disc jockey and ‘Frank-ophile’ (The Sounds of Sinatra, 1960-2022), dies at 88
Historical Events for 18th April 2026
1738 – Real Academia de la Historia (“Royal Academy of History”) founded in Madrid
1869 – 1st international cricket match, held in San Francisco, won by California
1922 – Netherlands soccer team defeats Denmark 2-0
1939 – Hubert Pierlot forms Belgian government
1946 – Jackie Robinson debuts as second baseman for the Montreal Royals, the minor league affiliate of the Brooklyn Dodgers
1956 – Egypt and Israel agree to a cease fire
1966 – 70th Boston Marathon: Kenji Kimihara of Japan wins in 2:17:11; American Bobbi Gibb first woman in 3:21:40 (unsanctioned)
2013 – 28th Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees: Heart; Albert King; Randy Newman; Public Enemy; Rush; Donna Summer; Quincy Jones; and Lou Adler
Today in History for 18th April 2026
Historical Events
1868 – San Francisco Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals forms in San Francisco, California
1950 – 1st opening night-game, Cards beat Pirates, 4-2
1963 – Dr. James Campbell performs the first human nerve transplant
1974 – Red Brigade kidnaps Italian attorney general Mario Sossi
1996 – In Lebanon, at least 106 civilians are killed when the Israel Defense Forces accidentally shell the UN compound at Quana.
Famous Birthdays
1918 – Róbert Zimonyi, Hungarian rowing coxswain (Olympic gold USA men’s eight 1964; bronze Hungary coxed pair 1948), born in Sárvár, Hungary (d. 2004)
1925 – Bob Hastings, American actor (McHale’s Navy; All in the Family), born in Brooklyn, New York City(d. 2014)
1946 – Tommy Shannon [Smedley], American blues-rock bassist (Johnny Winter; Stevie Ray Vaughn and Double Trouble), born in Tucson, Arizona
1950 – Kenny Ortega, American film and television producer (High School Musical trilogy), born in Palo Alto, California
1966 – Valeri Kamensky, Russian NHL left wing (Avalanche, Olympic silver 1998), born in Voskresensk, Russia
Famous Deaths
1587 – John Foxe, English historian (Book of Martyrs), dies
1674 – John Graunt, English statistician and founder of science of demography, dies at 53
1960 – Emory Johnson, American actor and director (Phantom Express, Shield of Honor), dies at 66
1974 – John Henry Lewis, American boxer (World Light-Heavyweight champion, 1935-38), dies of emphysema and Parkinson’s at 59
1997 – Edward Barker, English cartoonist, dies at 46
Famous Deaths for 17th April 2026
485 – Proclus, Greek mathematician, dies in Athens [or Apr 14]
1835 – William Henry Ireland, English forger (Shakespearean manuscripts), dies
1896 – Sophus Tromholt, Danish astrophysicist and photographer (portraits of the Kven and Sami people), dies at 44
1941 – Al Bowlly, South African-British dance band vocalist (“Midnight, The Stars, And You”), and bandleader, dies in a German bombing raid of London at 43
1975 – Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, Indian philosopher and leader, Second President of India (1962-67), dies at 86
1983 – Felix Pappalardi, American rock music producer, songwriter, vocalist, and bassist (Mountain – “Mississippi Queen”), shot and killed by his wife, Gail, at 43
1992 – Arthur “Skeets” Herfurt, American jazz and session saxophonist and clarinetist (Dorsey Brothers; Benny Goodman; Lawrence Wlek), dies at 80
2004 – [Andrew] Bruce Boa, Canadian actor (The Empire Strikes Back), dies of cancer at 73
2008 – Danny Federici, American rock organist, accordionist, and glockenspieler (E Street Band), dies of melanoma at 58
2018 – Tom McBride, Irish traditional and country music singer-songwriter, and band leader (Big Tom and the Mainliners), dies at 81
Historical Events for 17th April 2026
1930 – Abkhazian ASSR forms in Georgian SSR
1950 – 54th Boston Marathon won by Kee Yong Ham of South Korea in 2:32:39
1956 – Willie Mosconi sinks 150 consecutive balls in a billiard tournament
1961 – 1,400 Cuban exiles land in the Bay of Pigs in a doomed attempt to overthrow Fidel Castro
1964 – 1st game at Shea Stadium, NY Mets lose to Pittsburgh Pirates, 4-3
1987 – USSR performs nuclear test at the Semipalatinsk Test Site in northeast Kazakhstan
1993 – Two Los Angeles police officers convicted in federal court of violating Rodney King’s civil rights and sentenced to prison, while two others are acquitted,
2006 – 110th Boston Marathon: Kenyan double; Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot wins 2nd men’s title in 2:07:14; Rita Jeptoo takes women’s title in 2:23:38
Today in History for 17th April 2026
Historical Events
1933 – 37th Boston Marathon won by Leslie Pawson in 2:31:01.6
1939 – 43rd Boston Marathon won by Ellison Brown in 2:28:51.8; his second victory in the event
1981 – New York Islander Dennis Potvin’s 3 playoff power-play goals vs Edmonton Oilers tie NHL record
1995 – 99th Boston Marathon: Cosmas Ndeti of Kenya claims 3rd straight title in 2:09:22; Uta Pippig of Germany wins 2nd consecutive women’s event in 2:25:11
1997 – NJ Devil Martin Brodeur is 2nd NHL goalie to score in a playoff game
Famous Birthdays
1863 – Johannes Petrus Boskaljon, Curacaoian composer and conductor, born in Willemstad (d. 1936)
1885 – Isak Dinesen [Karen Blixen-Finecke], Danish baroness and writer (Out of Africa), born in Rungsted, Zealand, Denmark (d. 1962)
1956 – Elizabeth Lindsey, American explorer, filmmaker (Then There Were None), and actress (China Beach; The Byrds of Paradise), born in Oahu, Territory of Hawaii
1962 – Nancy Hogshead, American swimmer (Olympic gold 1984), born in Iowa City
1980 – Lee Hyun-il, South Korean badminton player, born in Seoul
Famous Deaths
1967 – Giorgio Cesana, Italian coxswain (Olympic gold 1906), dies at 75
1987 – Dick Shawn [Richard Schulefand], American character actor and comedian (The Producers – “L.S.D.”; Maid to Order), suffers a fatal heart attack on stage in San Diego on stage at 57
2008 – Danny Federici, American rock organist, accordionist, and glockenspieler (E Street Band), dies of melanoma at 58
2011 – Everard Goodman, English real estate developer (Tops Estates), dies at 79
2024 – Raman Subba Row, English cricket batsman (13 Tests, 3 x 100, HS 137; Surrey CCC, Northamptonshire CCC), dies at 92
Famous Deaths for 16th April 2026
1113 – Sviatopolk II of Kiev, Russian prince (b. 1050)
1687 – George Villiers, 2nd duke of Buckingham, English statesman and poet, dies at 59
1993 – Jan Meefout, Dutch sculptor (Resting Woman, Elephant), dies at 77
1995 – Iqbal Masih, Pakistani child slave labourer, activist (b. 1982)
1997 – Ray Green, American composer and publisher, dies at 88
1999 – Nicholas Cayzer, British shipping magnate (British and Commonwealth Shipping), dies at 89
2002 – Ruth Fertel, American restaurateur (Ruth’s Chris Steak House in Louisiana), dies at 75
2010 – Daryl Gates, LAPD Chief, dies at 83
2011 – Harold Volkmer, American politician, U.S. House of Representatives from Missouri, dies at 80
2016 – Peter Tolson, English rock guitarist (Pretty Things), dies at 64
Historical Events for 16th April 2026
1818 – US Senate ratifies Rush-Bagot Agreement, limiting naval armaments on the Great Lakes
1854 – Franz Liszt’s symphonic poem “Mazeppa” premieres at the Court Theatre in Weimar
1924 – 1st radio-transmission of wireless: Mattheus Passion
1940 – New York Yankees dedicate a plaque to Jacob Ruppert in Monument Park, Yankee Stadium
1977 – Alex Haley finds his Roots in Juffure, Gambia
1982 – Queen Elizabeth proclaims Canada’s new constitution
1983 – Steve Garvey sets NL record by playing in 1,118 consecutive games
2003 – Treaty of Accession is signed in Athens, admitting 10 new member states to the European Union