In 1493 he accompanied Christopher Columbus on his second voyage to America. He heard from the Indians of an island called Bimini, where there was much gold and a treasure even more precious than gold — a fountain whose waters would make young forever all mortals who should drink of it. De Leon acquired a commission from the king of Spain to conquer Bimini and take possession of the land with its marvelous treasure. The commission was given in 1512, and he was to settle Bimini within three years after its discovery. He reached the Florida coast and sailing northward to land near St. Augustine. He named the place "Pescua Florida", "the place of flowers," perhaps in honor of Easter Sunday.

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US authorizes $10 Eagle, $5 half-Eagle & $2.50 quarter-Eagle gold coins & dollar, quarter, dime & half-dime. The first coin struck by the United States was the half dime (originally spelled “disme”) in July 1792, months before the Mint facility was fully completed. Legend has it that the silver to produce the half dime was donated by George and Martha Washington.
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In April 1800, his Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Opus 21 was performed as part of a public concert at the Burgtheater. The symphony was dedicated to Baron van Swieten, the arbiter of musical taste in Vienna. The program for what was in fact Beethoven's first benefit concert was a substantial one. A Mozart symphony was followed by an aria from Haydn's Creation. Then came a piano concerto by Beethoven, with the composer as soloist. The Schuppanzigh Quartet was joined by three wind-players to perform a septet by Beethoven. After this came the symphony.

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Joseph Dixon began his business in Salem, Massachusetts. He discovered the merits of graphite as a stove polish and an additive in lubricants, foundry facings, brake linings, oil less bearings, and non-corrosive paint and manufactured lubricants, pencils, stove polish and graphite crucibles; refractory vessels used for melting metals and minerals. During the 1860s, people still wrote with quill pens and ink, even though Joseph Dixon introduced the first graphite pencil in 1829. It wasn’t until the Civil War that the demand for a dry, clean, portable writing instrument became popular and led to the mass production of pencils. Joseph Dixon was the first to develop pencil automation. In 1872, the company was making 86,000 pencils a day.

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The original image was a little over 12 centimeters in diameter.
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George Brayton, an American engineer, developed an unsuccessful two-stroke kerosene engine (it used two external pumping cylinders). However, it was considered the first safe and practical oil engine.
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At daybreak on April 2, a small army of Belfast tugboats coaxed the Titanic out into the waters of Belfast Lough. Released, under her own steam, the great ship sped, manouvered, circled, braked and raced again through the choppy Irish Sea at the mouth of Belfast Lough. By evening, Titanic had passed her tests with flying colours and, with final papers signed, her time for departure had arrived. By midnight she must be at Southampton. Her maiden voyage had been extensively advertised for April 12 and there was the official naming and launch to be got through first. So they turned Titanic's back on Belfast and the great liner bade farewell to the land of her birth.

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A Republican and a lifelong pacifist, she was the only member of Congress to vote against United States entry in both World War I and World War II. She was also the only member of Congress to vote against the declaration of war on Japan after Pearl Harbor and led resistance to the Vietnam War.
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President Woodrow Wilson went before a joint session of Congress to seek a Declaration of War against Germany in order that the world "be made safe for democracy." "It is a fearful thing," he told Congress in his speech, "to lead this great peaceful people into war, into the most terrible and disastrous of all wars, civilization itself seeming to be in the balance." Wilson did not exaggerate; in 1917 the war in Europe had already lasted two-and-a-half bloody years and had become one of the most murderous conflicts in human history.

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The eleventh ransom note was delivered to Condon on April 2, 1932, by an unidentified taxi driver who said he received it from an unknown man. Dr. Condon found the twelfth ransom note under a stone in front of a greenhouse at 3225 East Tremont Avenue, Bronx, New York, as instructed in the eleventh note. Shortly thereafter, on the same evening, by following the instructions contained in the twelfth note, Condon again met whom he believed to be "John" to reduce the demand to $50,000. This amount was handed to the stranger in exchange for a receipt and the thirteenth note, containing instructions to the effect that the kidnapped child could be found on a boat named "Nellie" near Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts. The stranger then walked north into the park woods. The following day an unsuccessful search for the baby was made near Martha's Vineyard. The search was later repeated. Dr. Condon was positive that he would recognize "John" if he ever saw him again.

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He first studied meteorology using short-wave radio to detect the location of thunderstorms. He then designed a system that was capable of detecting airplanes. He called this system Radio Detection and Ranging (RADAR). By 1940 during the Battle of Britain, radar was able to detect enemy aircraft at any time of the day in any weather conditions. In 1940, Watson-Watt became the scientific advisor to the Air Ministry and in 1941 he set up radar systems in the United States.

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Glenn Miller's reign as the most popular bandleader in the U.S. came relatively late in his career and was relatively brief, lasting only about three and a half years, from the spring of 1939 to the fall of 1942. But during that period he utterly dominated popular music, and over time he has proven the most enduring figure of the swing era. Miller developed a distinctive sound in which a high-pitched clarinet carried the melody, doubled by a saxophone section playing an octave lower, and he used that sound to produce a series of hits that remain definitive examples of swing music. This hit was recorded at the RCA Victor Studios in Hollywood, California.

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In 1936 he formed his own band, using the stage name of Blue Barron. Billed as "Music of Yesterday and Today, styled the Blue Barron Way'. Drafted during WWII, he served in an Airborne Division. While in the Army his band continued to work under the leadership of singer Tommy Ryan. His biggest hit, "Cruisin' Down The River" (MGM 10346) came in 1949. It was the country's #1 record for 7 weeks.
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Back in the early 1950s, Anaheim was a sleepy little town, and the area around it was nothing more than acres and acres of orange groves. Enter Walt Disney, the original Imagineer. Disney's initial idea was to build a park near his Burbank studio for his employees and their families, but those plans changed over time and his dream grew. He bought over 160 acres of those sleepy orange groves around Anaheim and set about, in 1954, building his "Magic Kingdom." Original plans called for a 9 million dollar 45-acre park, but by opening day the park covered 160 acres and had cost 17 million.

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His 1955 recording of "The Ballad of Davy Crockett" soon hit #1 and sold over 3 million copies. He has sung with big bands and headlined at supper clubs. Bill hosted NBC Radio's Monitor show for a year. Although best known for his role as Doug Williams on "Days of Our Lives" he has guest starred on numerous television shows. He has also appeared in several films, including "Stop, You're Killing Me!"

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President Eisenhower sent his special message to the Congress on April 2, 1958 recommending "that aeronautical and space science activities sponsored by the United States be conducted under the direction of a civilian agency, except for those projects primarily associated with military requirements." NASA Mission Statement To advance and communicate scientific knowledge and understanding of the Earth, the solar system, and the universe and use the environment of space for research. To explore, use, and enable the development of space for human enterprise. To research, develop, verify, and transfer advanced aeronautics, space, and related technologies.

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In 1958, a tornado in Dean, just east of Wichita Falls, killed only one man, though it damaged more than 300 homes and damage was in the millions of dollars. Tornado stats-Path Length: 16 miles; Width: 1000 yards, Killed: 1, Injured: 14, Damage: $500K.
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Percy Faith was one of the most popular easy listening recording artists of the '50s and '60s. Not only did he have a number of hit albums and singles under his own name, but Faith was responsible for arranging hits by Tony Bennett, Doris Day, Johnny Mathis, and Burl Ives, among others, as the musical director for Columbia Records in the '50s. His late-1959 recording of Max Steiner's "The Theme From 'A Summer Place'" became a number one hit in 1960 and earned Faith his first Grammy.

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After serving in the Air Force, Barry Sadler reinlisted, this time in the Army. Barry thrived in the military environs, reveling in the mental and physical competition. He earned his silver wings from jump school at Fort Benning, GA and said, "I began to think about writing a song involving the airborne. I had no idea what it would be, but I wanted it to include the line, silver wings upon their chests." Barry soon shipped out to Vietnam. Then fate stepped in. Covered in red clay and muck, Barry was ordered to Saigon. An Army Public Information Officer was looking for him. He filmed and taped Barry singing The Ballad. During May of ‘65 Barry was leading a patrol in the tall grass of the Central Highlands southeast of Pleiku and ran his knee into a VC punji stick. Thousands of these razor sharp bamboo sticks were everywhere. A major infection set in. His leg hung in the balance. Resting in the hospital Barry promised to give away the rights to his song just so America could hear it and know about the sacrifices going on in Vietnam. The Ballad was released as a single on January 11, 1966 and the album on January 20th. "They took off like wildfire," said Barry. The Ballad sold two million copies in five weeks. The media was all over Barry. Stories appeared in Life, Time, Newsweek, Variety, Billboard and Cash Box magazines. On Martha Raye’s Hollywood Palace show Barry received two industry gold records marking the record sales of one million copies for both the single and the album.

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From their first hit in 1974 through their heyday in the '80s, Daryl Hall and John Oates' smooth, catchy take on Philly soul brought them enormous commercial success — including six number one singles and six platinum albums — yet little critical success. After they moved to RCA in 1975, the duo landed on its successful mixture of soul, pop, and rock, scoring a Top Ten single with "Sara Smile." The success of "Sara Smile" prompted the re-release of "She's Gone," which rocketed into the Top Ten as well. In early 1977, "Rich Girl" became the duo's first number one single.

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Stevie Wonder has been a major figure within the Black Music scene over the last forty years. The double album 'Songs In The Key Of Life', in 1976, was widely greeted as his most ambitious and satisfying work to date. It demonstrated a mastery and variety of musical forms and instruments, offering a tribute to Duke Ellington on 'Sir Duke', and paying tribute to major black figures on 'Black Man'.
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Dallas was set in the Texas town of the same name and concerned itself with the machinations of the Ewing family who were heavily involved in the oil business. Starting as a 5-week miniseries, the show became incredibly popular throughout the world with the (almost certainly) evil J.R. quickly becoming the star attraction. J.R. and Bobby came into regular conflict with rival oil man Cliff Barnes (who was Pam's brother) who believed the Ewings had cheated his father Digger out of his millions. Massive storylines included the infamous 'Who Shot J.R.' campaign (for the record it was Kristin) when J.R.'s machinations and schemings almost led to his death.

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In 1941, George de Mestral and his Irish pointer were hunting game birds in the ancient Jura mountains of Switzerland. All day long, he had to pull off sticky cockleburs clinging to the dog's coat and his own trousers. De Mestral marvelled at the tenacity of these hitchhiking seedpods that were difficult to disentangle from animal fur or woolen cloth. That evening, this Swiss engineer placed a burr under a microscope and was stunned to see that the exterior of the seedpod was covered with masses of tiny hooks that acted like hundreds of grasping hands. De Mestral wondered whether it would be possible to mimic nature and create a fastener for fabric. When he succeeded he gave the creation a memorable name by splicing together the first syllable of two French words: velour (velvet) and crochet (hook): Velcro. He anticipated hundreds of uses ­ replacing zippers and laces and buttons, and enabling arthritic seniors and clumsy toddlers to get in and out of clothing with ease. And skiing, scuba, and marine gear … Velcro wallets and book bags for kids … watchbands, blood pressure cuffs, and child-safe dart boards … and then the barroom pastime of tossing midgets onto hook-and-loop walls.

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Wayne "The Great One" learned to play hockey in a backyard rink with his father Walter Gretzky. Even at the young age of eleven, Wayne Gretzky raised many eyebrows on the ice by collecting 517 points in a season. As a seventeen year old in 1978, he led team Canada to a bronze medal in the World Junior championship, topping the tournament with 17 points in six games. Wayne Gretzky began his professional career with the Indianapolis Racers of the World Hockey Association (WHA) in 1978. He was traded to the Edmonton Oilers in 1978-79 and began his National Hockey League (NHL) career when the Edmonton Oilers moved from the WHA to the National Hockey League in the 1979-80 season. He scored his record-breaking 50th goal of the season against Minnesota.

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During an inter-league exhibition game between the Oakland Athletics and the San Diego Padres, A's pitcher Steve McCatty stepped up to the plate swinging a children's toy bat on the instructions of manager Billy Martin, who was upset that his club was not allowed to use a DH in spring training games at National League ballparks. Jim Quick, the home plate umpire, refused to allow the 15" bat and McCatty was called out on three strikes.

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The most important video from Thriller isn't the title track; it's "Billie Jean," one of the masterpieces of the form. The Off the Wall videos introduced the basic ideas of performance and dance to Jackson's film palette, as well as that can't-be-neglected formalwear — these elements all appear in "Billie Jean."
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The PS/2 series of personal computers was heralded (in 1987) as IBM's answer to the clone manufacturers. Although in most respects identical to other Intel-based machines (they use all generations of the 80x86 family of Intel processors and run DOS and Windows applications in the same way), PS/2s use more proprietary hardware than most conventional PCs, with the specific intention of making them harder to clone. It was also IBM's hope that they would be a winning vehicle for their new (and Microsoft-independent) operating system, OS/2.

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"Man In The Mirror" Featuring Siedah Garret, The Winans and The Andrae Crouch Choir Written and Composed by Siedah Garrett and Glen Ballard.
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Yesterday	Archives	Tomorrow	About

1513 Spanish explorer Ponce De Leon sighted Florida at the site of present day St. Augustine More ...
1792 Congress establishes Philadelphia mint More ...
1800 First performance of Ludwig von Beethoven's 1st Symphony in C More ...
1827 Joseph Dixon begins manufacturing lead pencils More ...
1845 H L Fizeau & J Leon Foucault take first photo of Sun More ...
1863 Bread revolt in Richmond VA More ...
1872 George B Brayton patents gasoline powered engine More ...
1877 First Easter egg roll held on White House lawn More ...
1889 Charles Hall patented an inexpensive method for the production of aluminum More ...
1902 First motion picture theater opens (Los Angeles CA) More ...
1908 Mills Committee declares baseball was invented by Abner Doubleday More ...
1912 Titanic undergoes sea trials under its own power More ...
1917 Jeannette Rankin becomes first woman member of US House of Representatives More ...
1917 President Woodrow Wilson asks Congress to declare war against Germany More ...
1921 Professor Albert Einstein lectures in NYC on his new theory of relativity
1932 Aviator Charles Lindbergh and Dr. John Condon turns over $50,000 in ransom More ...
1935 Mary Hirsch, becomes first woman licensed as a horse trainer
1935 Sir Watson-Watt patents RADAR More ...
1942 Glenn Miller and his orchestra recorded "American Patrol" More ...
1947 "The Big Story" was first heard on NBC radio. It stayed on the air for eight years.
1949 "Cruising Down the River" by Blue Barron topped the charts. More ...
1954 Plans to build Disneyland 1st announced More ...
1955 "Ballad of Davy Crockett" by Bill Hayes topped the charts More ...
1956 Soap operas "As the World Turns" & "Edge of Night" premiere on TV More ...
1958 National Advisory Council on Aeronautics renamed NASA More ...
1958 Wind speed reaches 286 mph in tornado in Wichita Falls TX (record) More ...
1960 Theme from "A Summer Place" by Percy Faith topped the charts. More ...
1966 "The Ballad of the Green Berets" by SSgt Barry Sadler topped the charts More ...
1973 CBS radio begins on the hour news 24 hours a day
1977"Rich Girl" by Daryl Hall & John Oates topped the charts More ...
1977 Stevie Wonder’s tribute to Duke Ellington, "Sir Duke", was released. More ...
1978 TV show "Dallas" premieres on CBS More ...
1978 Velcro was first marketed More ...
1980 Wayne Gretzky becomes first teenager to score 50 goals in a season More ...
1982 In exhibition game A's pitcher Steve McCatty comes to bat using a toy bat More ...
1983 "Billie Jean" by Michael Jackson topped the charts More ...
1987 IBM introduces PS/2 & OS/2 More ...
1988 "Man in the Mirror" by Michael Jackson topped the charts More ...
1995 Owners accept baseball players proposal, agree to delay start of season until April 26 More ...