2010: The Deepwater Horizon drilling platform explodes.

1916: The Chicago Cubs play their first game in Weeghman Park (currently Wrigley Field), defeating the Cincinnati Reds 7-6 in 11 innings.

 2cats wrote: 
I have visited the site twice. It left me with a very disquieting sense of awe.

On this day (-1) in 1775, there occurred one of the best known yet most misunderstood
events in American history. Thanks to Longfellow's famous poem, popularly but
mistakenly called, "The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere," nearly every schoolchild has
heard of "that famous day and year."
But most of the image of the poem, while stirring, is not correct. Revere was not a
volunteer. He didn't ride alone. He never finished the ride and he didn't hang any
lanterns in the Old North Church.
Actually, Revere’s heritage was French. He was Appollos Rivoire before a name
change. Revere was a patriot, of course. He was one of the "Indians" at the Boston
Tea Party. He had been active in many pre-revolutionary groups. But that night he
was serving as a paid messenger, a role he had often before served. (He actually
submitted a bill for his famous ride.) Historians also believe the ride started at a time
earlier than midnight.
The lanterns signaling "one if by land and two if by sea" were actually set by church
sexton, Robert Newman. The signal meant the British regulars were setting out to
arrest John Hancock and Samuel Adams (two higher profile patriots) at Lexington and
then to seize a stash of revolutionary arms and gunpowder at Concord.
Revere and a co-rider William Dawes rented horses and set out on their ride. They
made it to Lexington, warning Adams and Hancock. They were joined by Dr. Samuel
Prescott. On the way to Concord, Dawes and Revere were arrested. (Speeding?)
Prescott, however got through and so the patriots were ready the next day to fire
"the shot heard round the world."
And sources say that Revere didn't shout, "The British are coming!" Rather it is
believed he called out - "Awake! The Regulars are out!" (How riveting.)
And finally despite thousands of barroom bets that Revere’s horse was “Brown
Betty”, no one knows the name of the horse. (Not even the Boston Historical Society
- it was rented after all!)

 triskele wrote: 

A terrible day.  My husband arrived in OKC that morning for a meeting, and they were told to get the hell out and go back home.  My baby sister worked at a bank 5 blocks south of the Murrah buidling.  We couldn't get in touch with her until late in the afternoon.  What a day.

1995- Oklahoma City bombing

1930: BBC Radio announces that there is no news today.

 gypsyman wrote: 

 pigtail wrote: 
What?

 gypsyman wrote: 

Ford Mustang debuts at World's Fair, 1964 (also in Ford showrooms)  22,000 Mustangs sold 1st day.

Strangely, I was at that World's Fair....

 Red_Dragon wrote: 
ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh

1986: The longest war in history ends

 DaveInVA wrote: 

Indeed a foreshadowing of what would eventually become Tax Day.

I'm surprised nobody posted this:

R.M.S. Titanic, perhaps the most famous ship that ever sailed, hit an iceberg, and the next morning - April 15, 1912 - sank beneath the North Atlantic waves. She took 1,517 women, men and children to the bottom of the ocean with her, including some of the most famous names of her time.

President Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States, dies from an assassin’s bullet. Shot by John Wilkes Booth at Ford’s Theater in Washington the night before, Lincoln lived for nine hours before succumbing to the severe head wound he sustained.

 Proclivities wrote: 
Wow, what a great photo of her!

1947- Jackie Robinson made his Major League baseball debut, breaking the race barrier by becoming the first black player in the League.

 Proclivities wrote: 

Elizabeth Montgomery born - 1933.