| 1657 |
|
English
Admiral Robert Blake fights his last
battle when he destroys the Spanish
fleet in Santa Cruz Bay. |
| 1769 |
|
Ottawa
Chief Pontiac is murdered by an
Indian in Cahokia. |
| 1770 |
|
Captain
Cook discovers Australia. |
| 1775 |
|
British
troops begin the siege of Boston. |
| 1792 |
|
France
declares war on Austria, Prussia,
and Sardinia. |
| 1809 |
|
Napoleon
defeats Austria at Battle of
Abensberg, Bavaria. |
| 1836 |
|
The
Territory of Wisconsin is created. |
| 1841 |
|
Edgar
Allen Poe's first detective story is
published. |
| 1861 |
|
Robert
E. Lee resigns from the U.S. Army. |
| 1879 |
|
The
first mobile home (horse-drawn) is
used in a journey from London to
Cyprus. |
| 1916 |
|
Wrigley
Field opens in Chicago. |
| 1919 |
|
The
Polish Army captures Vilno,
Lithuania from the Soviets. |
| 1940 |
|
The
first electron microscope is
demonstrated. |
| 1942 |
|
Pierre
Laval, the premier of Vichy France,
in a radio broadcast, establishes a
policy of "true reconciliation
with Germany." |
| 1945 |
|
Soviet
troops begin their attack on Berlin. |
| 1951 |
|
General
MacArthur addresses a joint session
of Congress after being relieved by
President Truman. |
| 1953 |
|
Operation
Little Switch begins in Korea, the
exchange of sick and wounded
prisoners of war. |
| 1962 |
|
The
New Orleans Citizens Committee gives
free one-way ride to blacks to move
North. |
| 1967 |
|
U.S.
planes bomb Haiphong for first time
during the Vietnam War. |
| 1999 |
|
Two
students enter Columbine High School
in Littleton, Colorado and open fire
with multiple firearms, killing 13
students and teachers, wounding 25
and eventually shooting themselves. |
Born on April 20 |
| 121 |
|
Marcus
Aurelius, 16th Roman emperor,
philosopher. |
| 1745 |
|
Philippe
Pinel, founder of psychiatry. |
| 1807 |
|
Aloysius
Bertrand ("Gaspard de la Nuit"),
French poet. |
| 1808 |
|
Louis-Napoleon
(Napoleon III), emperor of France. |
| 1850 |
|
Daniel
Chester French, sculptor. |
| 1889 |
|
Adolf
Hitler, Facist dictator of Nazi
Germany (1933-1945). |
| 1893 |
|
Harold
Lloyd, film comedian. |
| 1893 |
|
Joan
Miró, Spanish painter. |
| 1927 |
|
Alex
Muller, Nobel Prize-winning
physicist. |
