Wednesday, April 27

This Day In History

• 1509   Pope Julius II excommunicated the Italian state of Venice.
• 1521   Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan was killed in the Philippines.
• 1805   A force led by U.S. Marines captured the city of Derna, on the shores of Tripoli.
• 1865   The steamer Sultana exploded on the Mississippi River near Memphis, Tenn., killing more than 1,400 Union prisoners of war.
• 1822   Ulysses S. Grant, the 18th president of the United States, was born in Point Pleasant, Ohio.
• 1938   Geraldine Apponyi was the first American woman to become a Queen. She married King Zog of Albania.
• 1968   Muhammad Ali's successor was finally decided after an eight-month runoff. Jimmy Ellis defeated Jerry Quarry of Atascadero, CA for the World Boxing Association?s heavyweight title.
• 1978   Convicted Watergate defendant John D. Ehrlichman was released from an Arizona prison after serving 18 months.
• 1982   John W. Hinckley Jr., went on trial in Washington, D.C., in the shooting of President Ronald Reagan. Hinckley was acquitted by reason of insanity.
• 1987   The Justice Department barred Austrian President Kurt Waldheim from entering the United States, saying he had aided in the deportation and execution of thousands of Jews and others as a German Army officer during World War II.
• 1992   The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was proclaimed in Belgrade by the Republic of Serbia and its lone ally, Montenegro.
• 1992   Russia and 12 other former Soviet republics won entry into the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.
• 2002   The creator of the Barbie doll, Mattel toy company co-founder Ruth Handler, died at age 85.

Happy Birthday To

• 1791   Samuel F.B. (Finley Breese) Morse (inventor: electromagnetic telegraph: 1st telegraph message: ?What hath God wrought??; died Apr 2, 1872)
• 1822   Ulysses S. Grant (18th U.S. President [1869-1877]; married to Julia Dent [three sons, one daughter]; Lt. General in command of all Union armies during U.S. Civil War; nickname: Hero of Appomattox; died July 23, 1885)
• 1896   Rogers ?Rajah? Hornsby (baseball: SL Cardinals [League MVP Award: 1925/World Series: 1926, 1929], NY Giants, Boston Braves, Chicago Cubs, SL Browns; died Jan 5, 1963)
• 1922   Jack Klugman (Emmy Award-winning actor: The Defenders: Blacklist [1963-1964], The Odd Couple [1970-1971, 1972-1973]; Quincy, M.E., Twelve Angry Men, Days of Wine and Roses, Goodbye Columbus)
• 1927   Coretta Scott King (civil rights leader: wife of Dr. Martin Luther King)