1850 – City of San Francisco incorporated.
1861 – Federal army (75,000) mobilized by US President Abraham Lincoln (US Civil War)
1892 – General Electric Company formed by merger of Thomas Edison’s General Electric Company with Thomson-Houston Electric Company, arranged by J.P. Morgan and incorporated in NY.
1900 – An early 50 mile race is won by an electric car in over 2 hours.
1912 – RMS Titanic sinks at 2:27 AM off Newfoundland as the band plays on, with the loss of between 1,490 and 1,635 people.
1923 – Insulin becomes generally available for diabetics.
1929 – 33rd Boston Marathon won by Canadian Johnny Miles in 2:33:08.6; his second win in the event.
1941 – 1st helicopter flight of 1 hr duration, Stratford, Ct.
1947 – Jackie Robinson becomes 1st African-American to play in US major league baseball (Dodgers)
1955 – Ray Kroc opens first McDonald’s Inc. fast food restaurant in Des Plaines, Illinois.
1957 – Saturday mail delivery restored in the US after Congress gives the Post Office $41 million.
1962 – US national debt above $300,000,000.000.
1968 – Houston Astros beat NY Mets, 1-0, in 24 innings.
1975 – 1st appearance of San Diego Chicken.
1979 – 43rd US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Fuzzy Zoeller wins his only Masters with a birdie on the 2nd hole of a playoff with Ed Sneed and Tom Watson.
1986 – US air raids Libya, responding to La Belle disco, Berlin bombing.
1991 – Magic Johnson sets NBA record for career assists with 9,898.
1992 – Jay Leno’s final appearance as permanent guest host of Tonight.
1997 – Baseball honors Jackie Robinson by retiring #42 for all teams.
2012 – US Secret Service inappropriate conduct scandal begins with at least 11 people implicated.
2019 – Aretha Franklin posthumously receives the Pulitzer Prize Special Citation honor, first individual woman to win it since 1930.
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