BC-History-April 22,0616
Today in History
By The Associated Press
Today is Sunday, April 22, the 112th day of 2007. There are 253 days left in the year.
Today’s Highlight in History:
On April 22, 1889, the Oklahoma Land Rush began at noon as thousands of homesteaders staked claims.
On this date:
In 1509, Henry VIII became king of England following the death of his father, Henry VII.
In 1707, novelist Henry Fielding was born in Sharpham Park, Somerset, England.
In 1864, Congress authorized the use of the phrase “In God We Trust” on U.S. coins.
In 1944, during World War II, U.S. forces began invading Japanese-held New Guinea with amphibious landings at Hollandia and Aitape.
In 1954, the televised Senate Army-McCarthy hearings began.
In 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson opened the New York World’s Fair.
In 1970, millions of Americans concerned about the environment observed the first Earth Day.
In 1983, the West German news magazine Stern announced the discovery of 60 volumes of personal diaries purportedly written by Adolf Hitler. However, the diaries turned out to be a hoax.
In 1994, Richard M. Nixon, the 37th president of the United States, died at a New York hospital four days after suffering a stroke. He was 81.
In 2000, in dramatic pre-dawn raid, armed immigration agents seized Elian Gonzalez from his relatives’ home in Miami; Elian was reunited with his father at Andrews Air Force Base near Washington.
Ten years ago: In Peru, government commandos stormed the Japanese ambassador’s residence, ending a 126-day hostage crisis; all 14 Tupac Amaru rebels were killed, 71 hostages were rescued. President Clinton flew over the flooded town of Grand Forks, N.D. A jury of seven men and five women was chosen in Denver to hear the Oklahoma City bombing trial of Timothy McVeigh.
Five years ago: Actor Robert Blake was charged with murder, solicitation of murder and conspiracy in the shooting death of his wife, Bonny Lee Bakley, outside a Los Angeles restaurant; Blake’s bodyguard, Earle Caldwell, was charged with conspiracy to commit murder; both men pleaded innocent. (Both were acquitted at criminal trial; Blake was later found liable in a civil trial.) Linda Boreman, once known as porn star Linda Lovelace, died in Denver of injuries from a car crash; she was 53.
One year ago: The Iraqi parliament elected Jalal Talabani to another term as president. New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin and Louisiana Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu won spots in a runoff election for Nagin’s job (Nagin won the runoff). Italian actress Alida Valli died in Rome at age 84.
Today’s Birthdays: Actor George Cole is 82. Actress Charlotte Rae is 81. Actress Estelle Harris (“Seinfeld”) is 75. Singer Glen Campbell is 71. Actor Jack Nicholson is 70. Singer Mel Carter is
64. Country singer Cleve Francis is 62. Movie director John Waters is 61. Singer Peter Frampton is 57. Rock singer-musician Paul Carrack (Mike and the Mechanics; Squeeze) is 56. Actor Joseph Bottoms is 53. Actor Ryan Stiles is 48. Comedian Byron Allen is 46. Actor Chris Makepeace is 43. Actor Jeffrey Dean Morgan is 41. Actress Sheryl Lee is 40. Actress Sherri Shepherd is 40. Country singer-musician Heath Wright (Ricochet) is 40. Country singer Kellie Coffey is 36. Actor Eric Mabius is 36. Actor Ingo Rademacher is 36. Rock musician Shavo Odadjian (System of a Down) is 33. Rock singer-musician Daniel Johns (Silverchair) is 28.
Thought for Today: “Adversity is the trial of principle. Without it a man hardly knows whether he is honest or not.” — Henry Fielding, English novelist (1707-1754).