Today’s Highlights in History:
On April 26, 1986, an explosion and fire at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine caused radioactive fallout to begin spewing into the atmosphere. (Dozens of people died in the immediate aftermath of the disaster, while the long-term death toll from radiation poisoning is believed to be in the thousands.)
In this day:
In 1607, English settlers landed at present-day Cape Henry, Virginia, on an expedition to establish the first permanent English settlement in the Western Hemisphere.
In 1865, John Wilkes Booth, the assassin of President Abraham Lincoln, was surrounded by federal troops near Port Royal, Virginia, and assassinated.
In 1913, Mary Phagan, a 13-year-old Georgia pencil factory worker, was strangled to death; Leo Frank, the factory superintendent, was found guilty of her murder and sentenced to death. (Frank’s death sentence was commuted, but he was lynched by an anti-Semitic mob in 1915.)
In 1933, Nazi Germany’s infamous secret police, the Gestapo, was created.
In 1964, the African nations of Tanganyika and Zanzibar merged to form Tanzania.
In 1968, the United States exploded a 1.3-megaton nuclear device called the “Boxcar” under the Nevada desert.
In 1977, the legendary Studio 54 nightclub had its opening night in New York.
In 1984, 79-year-old gang leader Count Basie died in Hollywood, Florida.
In 1994, voting began in South Africa’s first all-race election, resulting in the victory of the African National Congress and the inauguration of Nelson Mandela as president.
In 2000, Vermont Governor Howard Dean signed the nation’s first bill allowing same-sex couples to form civil unions.
In 2009, the United States declared a public health emergency as more possible cases of swine flu emerged from Canada to New Zealand; Officials in Mexico City have shut down everything from concerts to sports games to churches in an effort to stop the spread of the virus.
In 2017 “The Handmaid’s Tale” Premieres on Hulu Starring elisabeth moss, Joseph Fiennes and Yvonne Strahovski, based on the book by Margaret Atwood.
In 2018, comedian Bill Cosby was convicted of drugging and sexually assaulting Temple University employee Andrea Constand at his suburban Philadelphia mansion in 2004. (Cosby was later sentenced to between three and 10 years in prison.) , but the Pennsylvania Supreme Court threw out the conviction and released him from prison in June 2021, ruling that the prosecutor in the case was bound by his predecessor’s agreement not to charge Cosby).
Ten years ago: Former Liberian President Charles Taylor became the first head of state since World War II to be convicted by an international war crimes tribunal, as he was found guilty of arming Sierra rebels Leona in exchange for “blood diamonds” mined by slave laborers and smuggled across the border. (Taylor was sentenced to 50 years in prison.)
Five years ago: Dismissing concerns about mounting federal deficits, President Donald Trump proposed sweeping tax cuts for US businesses and individuals. NASA’s Cassini spacecraft survived an unprecedented journey between Saturn and its rings, and he sent amazing pictures to prove it. Jonathan Demme (DEM’-mee), the Oscar-winning director of “The Silence of the Lambs” and “Philadelphia,” has died in New York at the age of 73.
A year ago: The Census Bureau said US population growth had slowed to its lowest rate since the Great Depression; Americans continued their march south and west, as Texas and Florida added enough population to gain seats in Congress, while New York and Ohio experienced slow growth and lost political strength. The Justice Department has opened a wide-ranging police investigation in Louisville, Kentucky, into the March 2020 death of Breonna Taylor, who was shot by police during a raid on her home. Apple launched a new privacy feature, making good on its promise to crack down on Facebook and other nosy apps that secretly follow people on their iPhones to target more advertising to users.
Today’s Birthday: Actress and comedian Carol Burnett is 89 years old. R&B singer Maurice Williams is 84. Songwriter and musician Duane Eddy is 84. Rock musician Gary Wright is 79. Actress Nancy Lenehan is 69. Actor Giancarlo Esposito is 64. Rock musician Roger Taylor (Duran Duran ) is 62 years old. Actor Joan Chen is 61 years old. Rock musician Chris Mars is 61 years old. Actor and singer Michael Damian is 60 years old. Actor Jet Li (lee) is 59 years old. Actor and comedian Kevin James is 57 years old. Author and former US Poet Laureate Natasha Trethewey (TREHTH’-eh-way) is 56 years old. Actress Marianne Jean-Baptiste is 55. Rapper T-Boz (TLC) is 52. Former First Lady Melania Trump is 52. Actress Shondrella Avery is 51. Actor Simbi Kali is 51 Country musician Jay DeMarcus (Rascal Flatts ) is 51 years old. Rock musician José Pasillas (Incubus) is 46. Actor Jason Earles is 45. Actor Leonard Earl Howze is 45. Actor Amin Joseph is 45. Actor Tom Welling is 45. Actor Pablo Schreiber is 44. The actor Nyambi Nyambi is 43. Actress Jordana Brewster is 42. Actress Stana Katic is 42. Actress Marnette Patterson is 42. A ctor Channing Tatum is 42 years old.
American/roots singer-songwriter Lilly Hiatt is 38 years old. Actress Emily Wickersham is 38 years old. Actor Aaron Meeks is 36. Electro pop musician James Sunderland (Frenship) is 35. New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge is 30.
Reference-wausaupilotandreview.com