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Highlight in History
On April 30, 1812, Louisiana (formerly the Territory of Orleans) became the 18th state of the Union.
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 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 1911, a fire broke out in Bangor, Maine, destroying much of the downtown area before it was brought under control the next morning; two deaths were blamed on the blaze.
In 1912, Universal Studios had its beginnings as papers incorporating the Universal Film Manufacturing Co. were filed and recorded in New York State.
In 1939, the New York World’s Fair officially opened with a ceremony that included an address by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
In 1945, as Russian troops approached his Berlin bunker, Adolf Hitler committed suicide along with his wife of one day, Eva Braun.
In 1958, the American Association of Retired Persons (later simply AARP) was founded in Washington, D.C.
In 1968, New York City police forcibly removed student demonstrators occupying five buildings at Columbia University.
In 1973, President Richard M. 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 1980, Queen Juliana of the Netherlands abdicated; she was succeeded by her daughter, Princess Beatrix.
In 1997, 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.
Ten 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’d defrauded donors by diverting some of the money to Islamic military groups in Bosnia and Chechnya.)
Five years ago
A British judge sentenced five al-Qaida-linked men, all British citizens, to life in prison for plotting to attack London targets, including a nightclub, power plants and shopping mall with bombs. An Israeli government probe faulted Prime Minister Ehud Olmert for what it called “very severe failures” in Israel’s war with Hezbollah militants in Lebanon. Actor Tom Poston died in Los Angeles at age 85.
One year ago
A Libyan official said Moammar Gadhafi had escaped a NATO missile strike in Tripoli that killed one of his sons and three young grandchildren. (There have been conflicting accounts about whether Gadhafi’s relatives even died in the airstrike.) In Moscow, Japan’s Miki Ando defeated Olympic champion Kim Yu-na of South Korea at the world figure skating championships originally scheduled for Japan, which had been devastated by an earthquake and tsunami.
Top News
Today in History for Monday, April 30, 2012
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Bombs targeting Sunnis kill at least 76 in Iraq
Bombs ripped through Sunni areas in Baghdad and surrounding areas Friday, killing at least 76 people in the deadliest day in Iraq in more than eight months. The major spike in sectarian bloodshed heightened fears the country could again be veering toward civil war.
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Tornado-ravaged Texas town to start recovery
Residents whose homes were torn apart or blown away by a North Texas deadly tornado can soon return to retrieve what belongings may be left and start cleaning up, authorities said Friday.
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Conn. commuter trains collide; 60 go to hospitals
Two commuter trains serving New York City collided in Connecticut during Friday’s evening rush hour, sending 60 people to the hospital, including five with critical injuries, Gov. Dannel Malloy said.
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Record Powerball jackpot inspires office pools
In workplaces across the nation, Americans are inviting their colleagues to chip in $2 for a Powerball ticket and a shared daydream.
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Today in History for Saturday, May 18, 2013
Today is Saturday, May 18, the 138th day of 2013. There are 227 days left in the year.
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Authorities arrest man in Idaho in terrorism case
Federal authorities in Idaho said Thursday they have arrested an Uzbekistan national accused of conspiring with a designated terrorist organization in his home country and helping scheme to use a weapon of mass destruction.
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Ricin letters suspect evaded police
The man suspected of sending poison-laced letters to President Barack Obama and other officials appears to have attempted to evade law enforcement just days before his arrest, according to FBI documents made public Thursday.
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O.J. back in court
The lead defense attorney in O.J. Simpson’s armed robbery trial had a conflict of interest because he could have been a witness in the case, a lawyer who worked on Simpson’s unsuccessful appeal to the Nevada Supreme Court testified Thursday.
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Weekend Update: Morven Peach Festival
News reporter Caitlin Barker speaks to representatives Sandy Rentz and Dawana Nunnally from the Morven Peach Committee, about the Peach Festival taking place this Saturday from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. The band Trailer of Tears will play from 10:30 a.m. until 2 p.m., followed by a parade taking place at 2 p.m.
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Tornadoes tear through East Texas; six people killed
A pack of tornadoes killed at least six people and injured dozens more in East Texas Wednesday night.
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