1861 – Fort Sumter in South Carolina is attacked by the Confederacy, beginning the American Civil War.
1869 – North Carolina legislature passes anti-Ku Klux Klan Law.
1900 – Congress passed the Foraker Act, establishing Puerto Rico as an unincorporated territory (effective 1 May)
1932 – “Grand Hotel” directed by Edmund Goulding and starring Greta Garbo and John Barrymore premieres in New York, includes the line “I want to be alone” (Best Pictured/Production, 1932)
1938 – 1st US law requiring medical tests for marriage licenses (New York)
1945 – President Franklin D. Roosevelt dies in office and Vice President Harry Truman is sworn in as 33rd US President.
1953 – 17th US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Ben Hogan shatters the Masters scoring record by 5 strokes with a 274 (-14) to finish 5 strokes ahead of runner-up Ed Oliver; Hogan’s second Masters.
1954 – Bill Haley and the Comets record “Rock Around the Clock”
1955 – Polio vaccine tested by Jonas Salk announced to be ‘safe and effective’ and is given full approval by the US Food and Drug Administration.
1961 – 3rd Grammy Awards: Theme From a Summer Place, Ray Charles wins 4.
1970 – Yankees dedicate plaques to Mickey Mantle & Joe DiMaggio.
1978 – 13th Academy of Country Music Awards: Kenny Rogers and Crystal Gayle win.
1982 – 3 CBS employees shot to death in a New York City parking lot.
1988 – Frank Robinson replaces Cal Ripken Sr. as manager of Baltimore Orioles.
1991 – US announces closing of 31 major military bases.
1999 – President Bill Clinton is cited for contempt of court for giving “intentionally false statements” in a sexual harassment civil lawsuit.
2015 – 79th US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Jordan Spieth leads wire-to-wire to win his 1st major title by 4 strokes from Phil Mickelson and Justin Rose.
2020 – Huge storm system produces more than 40 tornadoes in the US, Texas to South Carolina killing 32 people across six states.
2020 – OPEC and other major oil companies agree to the largest-ever drop in production to stabilize world prices.
2022 – Global COVID-19 known cases pass 500 million, with 5.1 billion (66%) having received at least one vaccine shot.
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