Saturday History
From Staff Reports
Today is the 116th day of 2020 and the 38th day of spring.
TODAY’S HISTORY:
— In 1859, British, French and German engineers began construction on the Suez Canal in Egypt.
— In 1898, the United States declared war on Spain.
— In 1945, U.S. and Soviet troops met at the Elbe River in Germany, signaling the defeat of German defenses.
— In 1953, Francis Crick and James D. Watson published an article describing the double helix structure of DNA.
— In 2011, a four-day tornado outbreak in the southern United States began, producing 358 confirmed tornadoes and killing more than 300 people.
TODAY’S BIRTHDAYS: Oliver Cromwell (1599-1658), soldier/politician; Edward R. Murrow (1908-1965), journalist; Ella Fitzgerald (1917-1996), singer; Meadowlark Lemon (1932-2015), basketball player; Jerry Leiber (1933-2011), songwriter/producer; Al Pacino (1940- ), actor; Hank Azaria (1964- ), actor; John Henson (1965-2014), puppeteer; Joe Buck (1969- ), sportscaster; Renee Zellweger (1969- ), actress; Jason Lee (1970- ), actor; Tim Duncan (1976- ), basketball player.
TODAY’S FACT: In 1901, New York became the first state to begin requiring automobile license plates.
TODAY’S SPORTS: In 1950, Chuck Cooper became the first African American drafted into the NBA when he was selected by the Boston Celtics with the first pick of the second round.
TODAY’S QUOTE: “No one can terrorize a whole nation, unless we are all his accomplices.” — Edward R. Murrow
TODAY’S NUMBER: 26,723 — nautical miles traveled by the U.S. Navy’s nuclear-powered submarine USS Triton during its 60-day, 21-hour submerged circumnavigation of the world, completed on this day in 1960.
TODAY’S MOON: Between new moon (April 22) and first quarter moon (April 30).
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