BC-History-April 30,0607
Today in History
By The Associated Press
Today is Monday, April 30, the 120th day of 2007. There are 245 days left in the year.
Today’s Highlight in History:
On April 30, 1945, as Russian troops approached his Berlin bunker, Adolf Hitler committed suicide along with his wife of one day, Eva Braun.
On this date:
In 1789, George Washington took office in New York as the first president of the United States.
In 1803, the United States purchased the Louisiana Territory from France for 60 million francs, the equivalent of about $15 million.
In 1812, Louisiana became the 18th state of the Union.
In 1900, engineer John Luther “Casey” Jones of the Illinois Central Railroad died in a train wreck near Vaughan, Miss., after staying at the controls in a successful effort to save the passengers.
In 1904, the Louisiana Purchase Exposition opened in St. Louis.
In 1939, the New York World’s Fair officially opened.
In 1947, President Truman signed a measure officially changing the name of Boulder Dam to Hoover Dam.
In 1970, President Nixon announced the U.S. was sending troops into Cambodia, an action that sparked widespread protest.
In 1973, President Nixon announced the resignations of top aides H.R. Haldeman and John Ehrlichman, along with Attorney General Richard G. Kleindienst and White House counsel John Dean.
In 1975, the South Vietnamese capital of Saigon fell to Communist forces.
Ten years ago: The Senate approved the nomination of Alexis Herman to be labor secretary. ABC TV aired the “coming out” episode of the situation comedy “Ellen” in which the title character, played by Ellen DeGeneres, acknowledged her homosexuality. President Clinton reopened the newly renovated Thomas Jefferson Building of the Library of Congress in Washington.
Five years ago: Benevolence International Foundation, an Islamic charity based in suburban Chicago, and its director were charged with perjury; authorities accused the charity of supporting terrorists. (Enaam Arnaout later pleaded guilty to racketeering, admitting he had defrauded donors by diverting some of the money to Islamic military groups in Bosnia and Chechnya.)
One year ago: Thousands of people joined celebrities and lawmakers at a rally on the National Mall in Washington, urging the Bush administration and Congress to help end genocide in Sudan’s Darfur region.
Today’s Birthdays: Actress Cloris Leachman is 81. Singer Willie Nelson is 74. Actor Gary Collins is 69. Actor Burt Young is 67. Singer Bobby Vee is 64. Actress Jill Clayburgh is 63. Movie director Allan Arkush is 59. Actor Perry King is 59. Singer Merrill Osmond is 54. Movie director Jane Campion is 53. Actor Paul Gross is 48. Basketball executive Isiah Thomas is 46. Country musician Robert Reynolds (The Mavericks) is 45. Actor Adrian Pasdar is 42. Rapper Turbo B (Snap) is 40. Rock musician Clark Vogeler is 38. Rhythm-and-blues singer Chris “Choc” Dalyrimple (Soul For Real) is 36. Rock musician Chris Henderson (3 Doors Down) is 36. Country singer Carolyn Dawn Johnson is 36. Rock singer J.R. Richards (Dishwalla) is 35. Actress Lisa Dean Ryan is 35. Rhythm-and-blues singer Akon is 34. Rhythm-and-blues singer Jeff Timmons (98 Degrees) is 34. Actor Johnny Galecki is 32. Rapper Lloyd Banks is
25. Actress Kirsten Dunst is 25. Country singer Tyler Wilkinson (The Wilkinsons) is 23.
Thought for Today: “Love demands infinitely less than friendship.” — George Jean Nathan, American author and critic (1882-1958).