This Day In History: April 30, 1904 For much of history, eating was a very formal affair and the concept of food you could grab and eat on the go was not terribly common. This all began to change in the 19th century, with the advent of things like hot dogs in a bun and, of course, ice cream in […]

Today in History: April 29, 534 Believed to have been born on April 29, 534, C.E.,Taliesin was a renowned bard who served at the courts of three British Celtic kings. It is purported that his work in a Middle Welsh manuscript is preserved today as the Book of Taliesin. At least 11 of the poems have been confirmed to date […]

This Day In History: April 28, 1945 Mussolini rose to power after the March on Rome in 1922. Just six years later he had established himself as absolute dictator and took the title of “Duce.” He conquered Ethiopia in 1935 and annexed Albania in 1939 – the same year he joined a Tripartite Pact with Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan. […]

This Day In History: April 27, 1865 The greatest commercial maritime disaster (just edging out the Titanic by death-toll) occurred on April 27, 1865 when the steamboat Sultana exploded and sank on the Mississippi River near Memphis Tennessee. Approximately 1,700 passengers, most of them recently discharged Union soldiers on their way home, lost their lives. The Sultana was considered a […]

This Day In History: April 24, 1800 On April 24, 1800, President John Adams established the Library of Congress by approving legislation to appropriate $5,000 (about $68,000 today) “for the purchase of such books as may be necessary for the use of Congress … and for fitting up a suitable apartment for containing them.” The legislation was enacted along with […]

This Day In History: April 23, 1348 The Most Noble Order of the Garter is the oldest and most exclusive British civil and military honor. At any given time, the Order consists only of the Monarch, the Prince of Wales, and 25 hand-picked knights who have served the country in an exemplary manner, held public office, or have served the […]

This Day In History: April 22, 1923 Bettie Page, legendary pin-up girl and pop culture icon, was born in Nashville, Tennessee on April 22, 1923. Gracing millions of garage walls and locker rooms, blued-eyed, raven-haired beauty Bettie Page was the most famous pin-up model of the 1950s. Although she disappeared from the public eye in 1957, she continues to influence […]

This Day In History: April 21, 1930 On April 21, 1930, a fire at the Ohio State Penitentiary killed 320 inmates, many who died trapped in their cells, unable to escape the flames. Those that didn’t burn to death perished from smoke inhalation and breathing poisonous fumes. It was the most lethal prison fire in American history. The prison itself […]

This Day In History: April 20, 1999 On April 20, 1999, two teenagers clad in trenchcoats began a shooting rampage outside Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado. The pair continued the carnage inside the building, killing 12 students,1 teacher and wounding at least 20 others. The two young gunmen then committed suicide. In the aftermath of the shootings, everyone searched […]

This Day In History: April 17, 1397 April 17, 1397 marked a turning point in the history of English literature and culture when Geoffrey Chaucer read from his book “The Canterbury Tales” at the court of King Richard II. He read it in English, the language of the common man, instead of the Norman French usually spoken at court. Since […]

This Day In History: April 16, 73 C.E. On a desolate mountaintop in Judea overlooking the Red Sea, a bitter battle of nerves was about to reach its conclusion. On April 16, 73 C.E., Jewish zealots finally succumbed to the Roman siege at Masada after at least three years of resistance; but they refused to be taken alive. According to […]

This Day In History: April 15, 1990 “There are many things in your heart you can never tell to another person. They are you, your private joys and sorrows, and you can never tell them. You cheapen yourself, the inside of yourself, when you tell them.” – Greta Garbo Greta Garbo, the beautiful, talented, iconic Swedish import who set the […]

This Day In History: April 14, 1975 As it became clear that the communists were going to overtake South Vietnam in the closing days of the Vietnam War, fear began to spread about what was in store for those left behind. It was rumored that Vietnamese children fathered by American servicemen would be dealt with especially harshly by the NVA. […]

This Day In History: April 13, 1985 On April 13, 1985, “We are the World,” a song recorded by the Who’s Who of ‘80s music royalty billing themselves as “USA for Africa”, took the number one spot on Billboard’ Hot 100. The single was produced to provide relief for the victims of the devastating famine ravaging Ethiopia. It was the […]

This Day In History: April 10, 1866 “Mercy to animals means mercy to mankind” – Henry Bergh On April 10, 1866, one man became a hero for millions who could not advocate for themselves. Countless animals were saved from abuse, torture, and death when New York philanthropist Henry Bergh took up their cause and founded the American Society for the […]

This Day In History: April 9, 1483 The War of the Roses between the House of York and the House of Lancaster over the English throne is no doubt one of the most notorious – and deadly – family feuds in human history. The participants were so self-serving and cold-hearted that the lives of two young boys were sacrificed to […]

This Day In History: April 8, 1820 On April 8, 1820, Oliver Voutier was digging on the island of Milos in the Aegean Sea with two French soldiers under his command at the site of an ancient Greek theater. He happened to see local farmer Yorgos Kentrotas stop and stare in awe while out gathering stones. The officer followed the […]