1828 – First American Dictionary: Its author, Noah Webster, registers its copyright for publication.
1896 – Patent Office issues Patent No. 558,393 to Dr John Harvey Kellogg of Battle Creek, Michigan for “flaked cereal, and process of making same”
1902 – James Cash Penney opens his first store, The Golden Store, in Kemmerer, Wyoming.
1910 – President William Howard Taft begins the tradition of throwing ceremonial first pitch on Opening Day of the baseball season.
1912 – RMS Titanic, the world’s largest ocean liner, hits an iceberg at 11:40 pm off Newfoundland, sinks in the early hours of April 15.
1928 – Maddus Airlines starts 1st regular passenger flights between San Francisco and Los Angeles.
1935 – Black Sunday: Severe dust storm ravages the Midwest, led to the region being named “The Dust Bowl”
1944 – General Dwight Eisenhower becomes the Supreme Allied Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force.
1955 – 26-year-old catcher/outfielder Elston Howard becomes first African-American to play for New York Yankees; hits single with 1 RBI in 8-4 loss to Boston Red Sox.
1960 – American record company Motown, founded by Berry Gordy Jr., incorporated as Motown Record Corporation.
1968 – 32nd Masters Tournament, Augusta National Golf Club: Bob Golby shoots a final round 66 (-6) to win his only major title, 1 stroke ahead of Roberto De Vicenzo who has his card famously marked incorrectly.
1971 – US Supreme court upheld busing as means of achieving racial desegregation.
1980 – 52nd Academy Awards: Best Picture “Kramer vs Kramer”, Dustin Hoffman & Sally Field win.
1983 – President Ronald Reagan signs $165 billion Social Security rescue.
1989 – In the Iran-Contra trial, Oliver North’s case goes to the jury.
1992 – Court throws out Apple’s lawsuit against Microsoft.
1994 – US F-15 accidentally shoots down 2 US helicopters over Iraq, 26 die.
2005 – The Oregon Supreme Court nullifies marriage license issued to gay couples a year earlier by Multnomah County.
2019 – 11 tornadoes hit southern states killing eight in Mississippi, Texas, and Louisiana.
2021 – President Joe Biden says “It’s time to end America’s longest war,” confirming his decision to withdraw all US troops from Afghanistan by September 11.
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