President Abraham Lincoln died in Washington, D.C., on this day in history, April 15, 1865, one day after he was shot by actor John Wilkes Booth. Lincoln, who was elected president in 1860, was the first U.S. president to be assassinated. He was survived by his wife, Mary Todd, whom he married in 1842, and his sons Robert and Tad. …
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Opening Day welcomes the new spring baseball season each year, a uniquely American tradition steeped in history and fanfare. And on this day in history, April 14, 1910, President William Howard Taft became the first U.S. president to throw out the first pitch at a Major League Baseball game. Taft was first in a long line of presidents to have …
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Eldrick “Tiger” Woods, a prodigy since the time he was a toddler, delivered on his destiny of golf greatness with a jaw-dropping 12-stroke victory in the Masters Tournament on this day in history, April 13, 1997. “A win for the ages!” broadcaster Jim Nantz enthused, as the gallery erupted when Woods’ final putt dropped in the 18th hole. His 12-shot …
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Bill Haley and His Comets lit up the skies of global pop culture with a meteoric new sound when they recorded “(We’re Gonna) Rock Around the Clock” in New York City on this day in history, April 12, 1954. It became rock ‘n’ roll’s first hit song — on both sides of the Atlantic. “Rock Around the Clock” topped the …
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Elements of George Patton’s Third Army confronted the human horror inflicted by Hitler’s National Socialist Workers Party when American GIs entered the Buchenwald concentration camp on this day in history, April 11, 1945. “We are told that the American soldier does not know what he is fighting for,” Supreme Allied Commander U.S. Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower said after visiting another …
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The short but winding road that made the Beatles the greatest recording act and pop-culture sensation of all time ended publicly on this day in history, April 10, 1970. Paul McCartney announced a “break with the Beatles” in press materials that accompanied the scheduled release of his first solo album a week later. His announcement confirmed months of rumors about …
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Former British Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill, the son of an American mother whose composed yet combative leadership in World War II inspired the United Kingdom‘s “finest hour,” was declared an honorary United States citizen on this day in history, April 9, 1963. The proclamation was issued by President John F. Kennedy under the authority of act by the 88th …
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Baseball superstar Hank Aaron hit his 715th home run, breaking Babe Ruth’s career home run record, on this day in history, April 8, 1974. Known as “Hammerin’ Hank” for his impressive home run abilities, Aaron hit his record-breaking home run off Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Al Downing, according to the National Baseball Hall of Fame website. The ball went into …
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Jack Nicklaus, just two years removed from dominating amateur golf as a student at The Ohio State University, bested a star-studded field of the game’s greatest professionals to capture his first Masters Tournament title on this day in history, April 7, 1963. The victory sparked an enduring love affair between the gallery at Augusta National in Georgia, America’s most celebrated …
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The United States plunged ferociously into World War I following a vote in the House of Representatives on this day in history, April 6, 1917. President Woodrow Wilson requested a declaration of war against Germany before a joint session of Congress on April 2, as the United States faced both the threat of unrestricted submarine warfare from Germany and the …
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