Ella Jane Fitzgerald was born on April 25, 1917, in Newport News, Virginia. She was one of the leading jazz singers of all time. Continue reading.

On April 25,1898, the United States formally declared war against Spain. Continue reading.

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Today, the Library of Congress celebrates its birthday. On April 24, 1800, President John Adams approved the appropriation of $5,000 for the purchase of “such books as may be necessary for the use of congress.” Continue reading.

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U.S. congressman, senator, and presidential candidate Stephen A. Douglas was born in Brandon, Vermont, on April 23, 1813. Short in stature but influential in Congress, Douglas was nicknamed the "Little Giant." Continue reading.

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A bit of April 23rd history…

1014 - King Brian Boru of Ireland defeats vikings at Battle of Clontarf, freeing Ireland from foreign control (pictured)

1900 - 1st known occurrence of word “hillbillie” in NY Journal 

1977 - Dr Allen Bussey completes 20,302 yo-yo loops

1984 - AIDS virus identified as HTLV-III (acquired immune deficiency syndrome)

2003 - Beijing closes schools for 2 weeks because of SARS virus

2019 - World’s 1st malaria vaccine, giving partial protection to children, begins in Malawi by WHO

2020 - US President Trump suggests COVID-19 might be treated by injecting disinfectant into a human body at a White House press briefing; government officials and disinfectant companies quickly state doing so is not only extremely dangerous but potentially deadly 

Earth Day was first observed on April 22, 1970, when an estimated 20 million people nationwide attended events at tens of thousands of locations including elementary and secondary schools, universities, and community sites across the United States. Continue reading.

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A bit of April 22nd history…

1370 - Building begins on Bastille Fortress in Paris

1793 - President Washington attends the opening of Rickett’s Circus - 1st in US 

1823 - RJ Tyers patents roller skates (pictured)

1914 - Babe Ruth’s 1st professional game

1994 - Denmark makes the largest lollipop, weighing 3011 pounds

2016 - Paris Agreement on climate change signed in NY binding 195 nations to an increase in the global average temperature to less than 2 C above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit the increase to 1.5 degrees C 

Robert M. T. Hunter was born on April 21, 1809, at “Mount Pleasant,” Essex County, Virginia. In the U.S. Congress he emerged as a major spokesman of the Democratic party’s states rights faction. Continue reading.

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A bit of April 21st history…

753BC - Romulus and Remus found Rome 

1526 - 1st battle of Panipat - central Asian conqueror Babur defeats Sultan Lodi, establishing Mughal Empire in India

1863 - Baha’u’llan, founder of Baha’i Faith enters garden of Rivden near Baghdad; he makes his declaration as a Messenger of God during the 12 days spent there

1918 - German fighter “The Red Baron” is shot down and killed in France (pictured)

1989 - Thousands of Chinese crowd into Beijing’s Tiananmen Square cheering students demanding greater political freedom

1994 - 1st discovery of extrasolar planets announced

1997 - Ashes of Timothy Leary and Gene Roddenberry launched into orbit 

American sculptor Daniel Chester French was born in Exeter, New Hampshire, on April 20, 1850. Continue reading.

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