Anniversaries and commemorations come and go daily. Most of us, even the best historians, miss most occasions. If we think of history as events then we are faced with a continually showering in the grains of sand. Nevertheless, we do pick out certain patterns in the remembrance of historical dates. The blog here reminds us of some dates where the local, state, national, and global perspectives entwine.
On 4, Sunday April 1869, Mary Colter, American architect, born (d. 1958)
On 4, Friday April 1919, Charles O. Porter, American politician, born (d. 2006)
On 4, Friday April 1919, Francisco Marto, Beatified, claimed to witness apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary in 1917 at Fátima, Portugal, died (b. 1908)
On 4, Friday April 1919, William Crookes, British chemist and physicist, died (b. 1832)
On 4, Tuesday April 1944, WWII: An Allied photoreconnaissance aircraft of 60 Squadron SAAF photographs part of Auschwitz concentration camp.
On 4, Tuesday April 1944, Faisal bin Musaid, assassin and nephew of King Faisal of Saudi Arabia, born (d. 1975)
On 4, Tuesday April 1944, Magda Aelvoet, Belgian politician, born
On 4, Tuesday April 1944, Craig T. Nelson, American actor, born
On 4, Saturday April 1959, Phil Morris, American actor, born
On 4, Friday April 1969, Dr. Denton Cooley implants the first temporary artificial heart.
On 4, Friday April 1969, Félix Conde Falcón, American army soldier, recipient of the Medal of Honor, died (b. 1938)
On 4, Wednesday April 1979, Domico Speranza hijacks a Pan-Am plane at Sydney Airport for 4 1/2 hours until shot dead by police.
On 4, Wednesday April 1979, Heath Ledger, actor, born (died 2008)
On 4, Wednesday April 1979, Rebecca Stoyel, gymnast, born
On 4, Wednesday April 1979, Heath Ledger, Australian actor and music video director, born (d. 2008), born
On 4, Wednesday April 1979, Roberto Luongo, Canadian ice hockey goaltender, born
On 4, Wednesday April 1979, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, 9th Prime Minister of Pakistan and 4th President of Pakistan (executed), died (b. 1928)
On 4, Wednesday April 1979, Edgar Buchanan, American actor, died (b. 1903)
On 4, Tuesday April 1989, Chris Herd, soccer player, born
On 4, Tuesday April 1989, A failed coup attempt against Prosper Avril, President of Haiti, leads to a standoff between mutinous troops and the government which ends on April 10, with the government regaining control of the country.
On 4, Tuesday April 1989, In Brussels, Belgium, NATO celebrates its fortieth anniversary.
On 4, Tuesday April 1989, Chris Herd, Australian footballer who currently plays for Premier League team Aston Villa, born
On 4, Monday April 1994, Risako Sugaya, Japanese singer, born
On 4, Sunday April 1999, Faith Domergue, American actress, died (b. 1924)
On 4, Sunday April 1999, Jumabek Ibraimov, 5th Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan, died (b. 1944)
On 4, Saturday April 2009, Three Pittsburgh Police Officers are shot and killed responding to a domestic dispute in the Stanton Heights (Pittsburgh) section of the city.
On 4, Friday April 2014, Len Ardill, 83, politician, member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly for Salisbury (1986–1992) and Archerfield (1992–1998)., died
On 4, Friday April 2014, Kumba Ialá, President of Guinea-Bissau (2000–2003), died (b. 1953)
Other On This Day days in history
Neville Buch
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