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 […]

This Day In History: April 7, 1891 “Every crowd has a silver lining” – P.T. Barnum “The Great American Showman”, P.T. Barnum, died on April 7, 1891. Considered one of the most important figures in America’s entertainment history, LIFE magazine also dubbed him “the patron saint of promoters.” Always the consummate businessman, it’s said that his last thoughts were about […]

This Day In History: April 6, 1896 On April 6, 1896, King George I of Greece proclaimed the opening of the first international Olympic Games held since Roman Emperor Theodosius I banned them about 1,500 years earlier. A crowd of 60,000 gathered in Athens to welcome athletes from 13 nations gathering to compete in 43 events, including swimming, wrestling, track-and-field, […]

This Day In History: April 3, 1955 “I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness, starving hysterical naked” – Allen Ginsberg, “Howl” On April 3, 1955, the American Civil Liberties Union announced it would defend Beat poet Allen Ginsberg’s book “Howl” against obscenity charges. A few weeks previously, the U.S. Customs Department had seized 520 copies of […]

This Day In History: April 2, 742 Charlemagne, son of Pepin III and grandson of Charles Martel, is believed to have been born on April 2, 742. The first emperor in the West since Romulus Augustulus in 476, Charlemagne’s influence did much to shape the future of medieval Europe. When Pepin died in 768, his kingdom was split between Charlemagne […]

This Day In History: April 1, 1984 On April 1, 1984, Marvin Gaye, Motown pioneer and one of the most influential R&B artists of all time, was shot and killed by his father during a heated altercation between the two men. Marvin was one day shy of his 45th birthday. Marvin’s love of music developed early in childhood. It was […]

This Day In History: March 31, 1918 The concept of daylight saving time (or at least something like it) was first bandied about, albeit jokingly, by that American sage Benjamin Franklin during his sojourn in Paris in 1784. The idea was included in a satirical essay he wrote called ‘An Economical Project” published anonymously in Journal de Paris. By the […]

This Day In History: March 30, 1905 On March 30, 1905, an unassuming and dapper Englishman named Albert Pierrepoint was born who would one day own a pub in Lancashire called “Help the Poor Struggler.” He would also have another job that was a bit more unusual – Great Britain’s Chief executioner. His atypical trade was a family affair. The […]

This Day In History: March 27, 1973 In one of the most memorable, if controversial, moments in Academy Award history, iconic actor Marlon Brando refused a best actor Oscar for his role in “The Godfather.” Brando sent Sacheen Littlefeather, a 26-year-old aspiring actress in his stead. Attired in full Apache dress, Littlefeather explained that Brando could not accept the award […]

This Day In History: March 26, 1904 “Life is like arriving late for a movie, having to figure out what was going on without bothering everybody with a lot of questions, and then being unexpectedly called away before you find out how it ends.” – Joseph Campbell Joseph John Campbell, the renowned professor, author, anthropologist, speaker and mythologist was born […]

This Day In History: March 25, 1150 The Tichborne Dole dates back to medieval England during the reign of Henry II. The story began in 1150, when Lady Mabella, the wife of the miserly and cruel Sir Roger Tichborne, asked her husband to fulfill her one dying wish. She warned that he and his heirs would suffer dire consequences if […]

This Day In History: March 24, 1765 On March 24, 1765 the British Parliament passed the Quartering Act, which specified the obligation of the American colonists to provide British troops with shelter and provisions. The Act ordered the colonists to provide barracks for the soldiers stationed nearby, and if they did not have ample space in the barracks, housing must […]