1303 ~ The UNiVERSiTY of ROME La Sapienza was instituted by Pope Boniface VIII on the 20th April in 1303. It was formerly known as Università degli studi di Roma “La Sapienza”, and is the largest European university by enrollment, and the oldest of Rome’s 4 state-funded universities. In Italian, sapienza means wisdom or knowledge.

1535 ~ The SUN DOG phenomenon was first observed over Stockholm on this 20th day of April in 1535, and depicted in the famous Vädersolstavlan painting. A Sundog is an atmospheric phenomenon that creates bright spots of light in the sky, often on a luminous ring or halo on either side of the sun.

1818 ~ HEiNRiCH GöBEL the German mechanic and inventor was born on the 20th April 1818 (died 1893 aged 75). In 1893 the public in the USA and in Europe took notice of Henry Goebel, when magazines and newspapers reported that he had developed incandescent light bulbs comparable to those invented by Thomas Edison 25 years earlier, in the year 1879, but Henry didn’t apply for a patent. In 1893 the Edison Electric Light Co. brought suit against three manufacturers of incandescent lamps for infringing Edison´s patent, but the defense of these companies claimed the Edison patent was void because of the same invention of Henry Goebel 25 years earlier (Goebel-Defense).

1840 ~ ODiLON REDON the French Artist was born on the 20th April 1840 (died 1916). Odilon Redon was a symbolist painter, printmaker, draughtsman and pastellist.

1850 ~ DANiEL CHESTER FRENCH the American sculptor was born on the 20th April 1850 (died 1931). He was best known for his sculpture of a seated Abraham Lincoln at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. See the statue sculpted by Daniel Chester French of President Abraham Lincoln in the photo below. The 170 ton statue sits at the Lincoln Memorial at the National Mall in Washington, D.C, USA. The colossal seated figure is 9.1metres (30 feet) of carved white Georgia marble (craving by the Piccirilli Brothers) in the Beaux Arts & American Renaissance traditions.

1893 ~ HAROLD LIOYD the American actor and producer was born on the 20th April 1893 (died 1971). Harold Lloyd was most famous for his silent comedies. He ranked alongside Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton as one of the most popular and influential film comedians of the silent film era. Harold made almost 200 comedy films (silent & talkies) between 1914 and 1947, which were not as commercially successful individually as Charlie Chaplin’s on average, but he as far more prolific with the release of 12 feature films in the 1920s compred to Charlie’s 3 films, making more money overall ($15.7 million compared to Chaplin’s $10.5 million). Harold is well known for one of the most enduring images of cinema, where he is hanging from the hands of a clock high above the street in the 1923 movie Safety Last!. He did most of the dangerous stunts himself, despite the loss of his thumb and index finger on his right hand in 1919, while doing publicity pictures with a bomb mistaken as a prop.

1893 ~ JOAN MiRó the Spanish painter was born on the 20th April 1893 (died 1983).

1889 ~ ADOLF HiTLER the dictator of Nazi Germany was born on the 20th April 1889 (died in 1945 aged 56). Hitler originally wanted to be an artist, but was rejected twice by the The Academy of Fine Arts Vienna artist. Millions of lives could’ve been saved if only Adolf Hitler got over his rejection, and continued with his artistic side…

1908 ~ The NSWRL: New South Wales Rugby League opening day of competition was on the 20th April in 1908. The official website: www.nswrl.com.au 

1912 ~ BRAM STOKER the Irish author best known for his 1897 Dracula novel, died on the 20th April 1912, at the age of 64. See Bram Stoker’s Dracula 1992 official movie trailer starring Gary Oldman, Winona Ryder, Anthony Hopkins, Keanu Reeves and Tom Waits. This is director Francis Ford Coppola’s visually stunning, passionately seductive version of Bram Stoker’s classic legend. 

1919 ~ RiCHARD HiLLARY the Australian pilot and author was born in Sydney on the 20th April 1919 (died 1943). Richard Hillary is best known for his book The Last Enemy, which is based upon his experiences as a Battle of Britain pilot during World War II.

1926 ~ ViTAPHONE was announced by Western Electric & Warner Bros. on the 20th April in 1926. Vitaphone was a process to add sound to film.

1939 ~ PETER S. BEAGLE the American author was born on this 20th day of April in 1939. His best known work is the 1968 fantasy novel The Last Unicorn.  Peter S. Beagle won the World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement in 2011.

1939 ~ Adolf Hitler’s 50th birthday was celebrated as a national holiday in Nazi Germany on the 20th April in 1939.

1939 ~ BiLLiE HOLiDAY recorded the 1st Civil Rights song Strange Fruit on the 20th April in 1939.

1947 ~ BJöRN SKiFS the Swedish singer from BLUE SWEDE was born on the 20th April 1947. Blue Swede originallly called Blåblus (blue blouse) formed in 1973, when Björn Skifs was a top vocalist in Sweden looking for a band for his concerts. The band had an international hit in 1974 with their cover of the 1969 B. J. Thomas song Hooked on a Feeling, which reached #1 in USA staying in the Billboard Hot 100 charts for 18 weeks, and also topped charts in Canada, Australia and the Netherlands.

1948 ~ CRAiG FROST the American keyboardist in GRAND FUNK RAiLROAD was born on the 20th April 1948.

1949 ~ JESSiCA LANGE the American actress was born on the 20th April 1949. Jessica Lang has won 2 Oscars, 2 Emmys, 5 Golden Globes, and 1 SAG Award. She was discovered by producer Dino De Laurentiis while modeling part-time for the Wilhelmina modelling agency. Jessica made her professional film debut in Dino’s 1976 remake of the 1933 classic King Kong. In 1982 Jessica Lange became the 1st performer in 40 years to receive 2 Oscar nominations within the same year. She won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as a soap opera star in Tootsie.

1951 ~ LUTHER VANDROSS the American singer songwriter who sold over 25 million albums, and won 8 Grammy Awards, was born on the 20th April 1951 (died in 2005 aged 54). The video below features the 1992 hit Luther Vandross had with Janet Jackson ~ “The Best Things in Life Are Free”… 

1953 ~ ROBERT CRAiS the American author of detective fiction was born on the 20th April 1953. Robert Crais began his career writing TV scripts for Hill Street Blues, Cagney & Lacey, Quincy, Miami Vice and L.A. Law.

1955 ~ DON PETTiT the American astronaut and engineer was born on the 20th April 1955.

1962 ~ HANK The ANGRY DRUNKEN DWARF American radio personality was born on the 20th April 1962 (died 2001).

1964 ~ CRiSPiN GLOVER the American actor, director and screenwriter, recording artist, publisher, and author was born on the 20th April 1964. Crispin Glover is known on screen as George McFly in Back to the Future, Layne in River’s Edge, Rubin Farr in Rubin and Ed, Andy Warhol in The Doors, The Knave of Hearts in Alice in Wonderland, and Phil in Hot Tub Time Machine,

1966 ~ DAViD CHALMERS the Australian philosopher was born on the 20th April 1966.

1966 ~ DAViD FiLO the American businessman and co-founder of Yahoo! was born on the 20th April 1966.

1967 ~ MiKE PORTNOY the American drummer from DREAM THEATER was born on the 20th April 1967

1968 ~ JULiA MORRiS the Australian comedian and television presenter was born on the 20th April 1968. Visit the official Julia Morris website: www.JuliaMorris.com.au Like her Facebook page: www.facebook.com/LadyJuliaMorris & follow her on www.Twitter.com/Ladyjmo. See Julia Morris at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival on this 2012 YouTube video…

1969 ~ FELiX BAUMGARTNER the Austrian skydiver and BASE jumper was born on the 20th April 1969. Felix Baumgartner is best known for setting 3 world records while free falling and skydiving from the Red Bull Stratos helium balloon, at a height of 39 kilometres, reaching a speed of 1,342 kilometres per hour (834 mph / Mach 1.24) on the 14th October 2012.

1972 ~ APOLLO 16 commanded by John Young, landed on the moon on the 20th April 1972.

1972 ~ STEPHEN MARLEY the Jamaican American singer and musician was born on the 20th April 1972. Stephen Marley is a 5 time Grammy award winner as an artist, producer, and member of Ziggy Marley & The Melody Makers. He is the son of Bob Marley and Rita Marley. See Stephen Marley singing Mother and Child Reunion from Paul SImon and Friends Live Concert in 2007 on this YouTube video…

1972 ~ CARMEN ELECTRA the American model, actress and singer was born on this 20th day of April in 1972.

1974 ~ TiNA COUSiNS the English singer was born on this 20th day of April in 1974.

1983 ~ MiRANDA KERR the Australian supermodel was born on the 20th April 1983. Visit the Miranda Kerr Official Facebook page.

1992 ~ BENNY HiLL the British comedian died on the 20th April 1992 aged 68.

1996 ~ The DAY OF SiLENCE was first held on this 20th of April 1996, for the action to protest the bullying and harassment of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students and their supporters. Visit the official website: www.DayOfSilence.org

1999 ~ The COLUMBiNE HiGH SCHOOL MASSACRE was on the 20th April 1999, when Eric Harris & Dylan Klebold killed 13 people and injured 24 before committing suicide at Columbine High School in Columbine, Colorado.

2008 ~ Danica Patrick won the Indy Japan 300 on the 20th April 2008, becoming the 1st female driver in history to win an Indy car race.

2011 ~ The PlayStation Network sufferred an outage affecting 77 million users on the 20th April 2011, when users accounts were stolen, preventing them to play online.

2013 ~ 2013 Lushan earthquake of 6.6-magnitude hit Lushan County, Ya’an, in China’s Sichuan province, killing over 150 people and injuring thousands.

1613 – Christoph Bach the German pianist was born on the 19th April 1613 (died 1661).

1734 – Karl von Ordóñez the Austrian composer was born on the 19th April 1734 (died 1786).

1770 ~ CAPTAiN JAMES COOK sighted the eastern coast of Australia on the 19th April 1770. Point Hicks is where the continent of Australia was first sighted by the men on Captain Cook‘s Endeavour voyage. Captain  James Cook records that it was Lieutenant Zachary Hickes who first saw land, and James Cook named the point after him.

1770 – Marie Antoinette married Louis XVI on the 19th April 1770, in a proxy wedding.

1885 – Karl Tarvas the Estonian architect was born on the 19th April 1885 (died 1975).

1895 ~ Anton Pieck the Dutch painter, artist and graphic artist was born on the 19th April 1895 (died 24th November 1987).

1897 – Léo Taxil exposed his own fabrications concerning Freemasonry on the 19th April 1897.

1897 – Peter de Noronha the Indian businessman and philanthropist was born on the 19th April 1897 (died 1970).

1903 – Eliot Ness the American lawman was born on the 19th April 1903 (died 1957).

1927 ~ MAE WEST was sentenced to 10 days in jail for obscenity for her play Sex on the 19th April 1927.

1927 – Kenneth the American hairdresser was born on the 19th April 1927 (died 2013).

1928 – The 125th and final fascicle of the Oxford English Dictionary was published on the 19th April 1928.

1928 – Alexis Korner the French-English singer-songwriter and guitarist from Blues Incorporated and Collective Consciousness Society was born on the 19th April 1928 (died 1984).

1930 ~ DiCK SARGENT the American actor was born on the 19th April 1930 (died 1994).

1932 – Fernando Botero the Colombian painter and sculptor was born on the 19th April 1932.

1933 – Jayne Mansfield the American model, actress, and singer was born on the 19th April 1933 (died 1967).

1934 – Dickie Goodman the American record producer was born on the 19th April 1934 (died 1989).

1935 ~ DUDLEY MOORE the English actor, comedian and composer was born on the 19th April 1935 (died 2002).

1942 – Alan Price the English keyboard player from The Animals was born on the 19th April 1942.

1942 – Bas Jan Ader the Dutch-American photographer and director was born on the 19th April 1942 (died 1975).

1943 ~ BiCYCLE DAY as it is now known, originated on the day that Swiss chemist Dr. Albert Hofmann deliberately took LSD for the first time on the 19th April 1943.

1943 – Eve Graham the Scottish singer from The New Seekers was born on the 19th April 1943.

1944 – Bernie Worrell the American keyboardist from Parliament-Funkadelic was born on the 19th April 194.

1947 – Mark Volman the American singer-songwriter and guitarist from The Turtles, Flo & Eddie and The Mothers of Invention was born on the 19th April 1947.

1948 – Burma joined the United Nations on the 19th April 1948.

1949 – Paloma Picasso the French-Spanish fashion designer was born on the 19th April 1949.

1953 ~ RUBY WAX the American comedian was born on the 19th April 1953.

1956 – Actress Grace Kelly married Prince Rainier of Monaco on the 19th April 1956.

1956 – Sue Barker the English tennis player and journalist was born on the 19th April 1956.

1957 – Tony Martin the English singer-songwriter from Black Sabbath was born on the 19th April 1957.

1959 – Donald Markwell the Australian sociologist and educator was born on the 19th April 1959.

1966 – Brett J. Gladman the Canadian astronomer was born on the 19th April 1966.

1969 – Jesse James the American motorcycle builder and founder of West Coast Choppers was born on the 19th April 1969.

1971 – Launch of Salyut 1, the first space station on the 19th April 1971.

1971 – Sierra Leone became a republic on the 19th April 1971, and Siaka Stevens became the president.

1975 – India‘s first satellite, Aryabhata, was launched on the 19th April 1975.

1976 – Kim Young-oh the South Korean illustrator was born on the 19th April 1976.

1978 – James Franco the American actor, director, producer and screenwriter was born on the 19th April 1978.

1978 – Amanda Sage the American-Austrian painter was born on the 19th April 1978.

1979 – Kate Hudson the American actress, singer and daughter of Goldie Hawn was born on the 19th April 1979.

1984 – Advance Australia Fair was proclaimed as Australia’s national anthem, with green and gold as the national colours on the 19th April 1984.

1985 – U.S.S.R performed nuclear tests at Eastern Kazakhstan/Semipalatinsk on the 19th April 1985.

1987 – The Simpsons premiered on the 19th April 1987, as a short cartoon on The Tracey Ullman Show.

1995 – Oklahoma City bombing: The Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA, was bombed on the 19th April 1995, killing 168 people.

1999 – The German Bundestag returned to Berlin on the 19th April 1999, the first German parliamentary body to meet there since the Reichstag was dissolved in 1933.

2011 – Fidel Castro resigned from the Communist Party of Cuba‘s central committee on the 19th April 2011, after 45 years of holding the title.

2012 ~ GREG HAM the Australian musician and songwriter from Men at Work died on the 19th day of April in 212 (b. 1953) R.i.P.

2013 – Boston Marathon bombings suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev killed in a shootout with police. His brother Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is captured while hiding in a boat inside a backyard in Watertown, Massachusetts.

1929 ~ JAMES LAST the German big band leader and composer of “happy music” was born on this 17th day of April in 1929. James Last also known as Hansi, has sold over 70 million albums.

1954 ~ MiCHAEL SEMBELLO the American musician was born on this 17th day of April in 1954. His 1983 song “Maniac” from the Grammy Award winning film Flashdance become the 3rd highest grossing song from a soundtrack.

1955 ~ PETE SHELLEY the lead singer of the Buzzcocks was born on this 17th day of April in 1955. In 1981 Pete Shelley released his 1st solo single “Homosapien”…

1959 ~ Sean Bean the English actor was born on the 17th April 1959.

1964 ~ The FORD MUSTANG was introduced to the North American market on this 17th day of April in 1964.

1964 Ford Mustang advertisement

1972 ~ JENNiFER GARNER the American actress was born on this 17th day of April in 1972..

1974 ~ ViCTORiA BECKHAM from the Spice Girls was born on this 17th day of April in 1974.

1977 ~ PHiL JAMiESON the Australian lead singer of GRiNSPOON was born on this 17th day of April in 1977. “Better Off Alone” was released as the 2nd single from Grinspoon’s 4th album Thrills, Kills & Sunday Pills…

1987 ~ JACQUELiNE WOOD the Canadian actress best known for her role as Steffy Forrester on The Bold and the Beautiful was born on the 17th April 1987.

1988 ~ Eliza Doolittle the British singer-songwriter was born Eliza Caird on the 17th April 1988.

1990 ~ Gia Mantegna the American actress was born in Manhattan, New York on the 17th April 1990.

1998 ~ Linda McCartney the American singer from Wings, photographer, and activist died on the 17th April 1998, aged 56 (born 24th September 1941)

1495 ~ Petrus Apianus the German mathematician and astronomer was born on the 16th April 1495 (died 1557).

1646 ~ Jules Hardouin Mansart the French architect and designer of the Château de Dampierre and Grand Trianon was born on the 16th April 1646 (died 1708).

1682 ~ John Hadley the English mathematician and inventor of the octant was born on the 16th April 1682 (died 1744).

1755 ~ Louise Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun the French painter was born on the 16th April 1755 (died 1842).

1780 ~ The University of Münster in Münster, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany was founded on the 16th April 1780.

1818 ~ The Rush-Bagot Treaty was ratified by the United States Senate on the 16th April 1818, establishing the border with Canada.

1821 ~ Ford Madox Brown the French-English painter was born on the 16th April 1821 (died 1893).

1847 ~ Hans Auer the Swiss-Austrian architect and designer of the Federal Palace of Switzerland was born on the 16th April 1847 (died 1906).

1853 ~ India’s 1st passenger rail opened on the 16th April 1853, from Bori Bunder, Bombay to Thane.

1867 ~ WiLBUR WRiGHT aka one of the Wright Brothers, best known for inventing and building the world’s first successful airplane, was born on the 16th April 1867. Wilbur Wright and his brother Orville were American aviation pioneers and also made the first controlled, powered and sustained heavier-than-air human flight in 1903. They were the first to invent aircraft controls, making fixed wing powered flight possible. Wilbur died in 1912 at the age of 45, due to typhoid fever.

1889 ~ CHARLiE CHAPLiN the silent film comic actor and film director, aka Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin was born on the 16th April 1889 (died 1977 aged 88).

1890 ~ Gertrude Chandler Warner the American author was born on the 16th April 1890 (died 1979).

1905 ~ Frits Philips the Dutch businessman and 4th chairman of the board of directors of the Dutch electronics company Philips was born on the 16th April 1905 (died 2005). Frits Phillips was the only son of the Philips co-founder Anton Philips.

1907 ~ Joseph-Armand Bombardier the Canadian inventor of the snowmobile, businessman and founder of Bombardier was born on the 16th April 1907 (died 1964). Official website: www.bombardier.com

1908 ~ Natural Bridges National Monument was established in Utah on the 16th April 1908.

1910 ~ Berton Roueché the American journalist and author was born on the 16th April 1910 (died 1994).

1912 ~ Garth Williams the American illustrator was born on the 16th April 1912 (died 1996). Garth Williams is best known for his illustrations in Stuart Little, Charlotte’s Web, and the Little House series of books of Laura Ingalls Wilder.

1915 ~ Joan Alexander the American actress was born on the 16th April 1915 (died 2009).

1917 ~ Barry Nelson the American actor was born on the 16th April 1917 (died 2007). Barry Nelson is noted as the 1st actor to portray Ian Fleming‘s secret agent James Bond.

1918 ~ SPiKE MiLLiGAN the Irish comedian best known as the co-creator, main writer and a principal cast member of The Goon Show, was born on the 16th April 1918. Spike was also a musician, poet, playwright, writer, soldier and actor. He died in 2002 aged 83. See Spike in fine form in this video at the age of 76 in 1994…  

1919 ~ Gandhi organized a day of prayer and fasting on the 16th April 1919, in response to the killing of Indian protesters in the Amritsar Massacre by the British.

1919 ~ Pedro Ramírez Vázquez the Mexican architect and designer of the Tijuana Cultural Center and Museo Nacional de Antropología was born on the 16th April 1919 (died 2013).

1919 ~ Thomas Willmore the English geometer was born on the 16th April 1919 (died 2005).

1921 ~ PETER USTiNOV the English actor, writer, dramatist, filmmaker, theatre & opera director, stage designer, author, screenwriter, comedian, humourist, newspaper and magazine columnist, radio broadcaster and television presenter was born on the 16th April 1921. Peter was a respected intellectual with great wit, and was seen regularly on television talk shows and lecture circuits. He was also a diplomat who served many including being the Goodwill Ambassador for UNiCEF, and President of the World Federalist Movement. Peter Ustinov died in 2004 aged 82.

1922 ~ Kingsley Amis the English author, poet, and critic was born on the 16th April 1922 (died 1995).

1924 ~ HENRY MANCiNi the American composer, conductor and arranger, best known for his film and television scores such as The Pink Panther Theme, the Peter Gunn Theme, Moon River from and Breakfast at Tiffany’s, was born on the 16th April 1924. Henry won 20 Grammy Awards. He died in 1994 aged 70.

1924 ~ Rudy Pompilli the American saxophonist from Bill Haley & His Comets was born on the 16th April 1924 (died 1976).

1924 ~ John Harvey-Jones the English businessman was born on the 16th April 1924 (died 2008).

1927 ~ POPE BENEDiCT XVI the Pope was born Joseph Ratzinger on the 16th April 1927.

1927 ~ Edie Adams the American actress and singer was born on the 16th April 1927 (died 2008).

1929 ~ Roy Hamilton the American singer was born on the 16th April 1929 (died 1969).

1930 ~ Herbie Mann the American flute player was born on the 16th April 1930 (died 2003).

1935 ~ Bobby Vinton the American singer and actor was born on the 16th April 1935.

1939 ~ DUSTY SPRiNGFiELD the English singer dubbed The White Queen of Soul, was born Mary O’Brien on the 16th April 1939. Dusty died in 1999 aged 59.

1940 ~ Margrethe II of Denmark was born on the 16th April 1940.

1941 ~ Bob Feller of the Cleveland Indians threw the only Opening Day no-hitter in the history of Major League Baseball on the 16th April 1941, beating the Chicago White Sox 1-0.

1942 ~ Frank Williams the English businessman and founder of the Williams F1 Racing Team was born on the 16th April 1942.

1943 ~ Dave Peverett the English singer-songwriter and guitarist from Foghat and Savoy Brown was born on the 16th April 1943 (died 2000).

1947 ~ GERRY RAFFERTY the Scottish singer-songwriter best known for his hit Baker Street in 1978, was born on the 16th April 1947. Gerry died on the 4th January in 2011 aged 63.

1947 ~ Bernard Baruch coined the term Cold War on the 16th April 1947, to describe the relationship between the United States and the Soviet Union.

1949 ~ Ann Romney the American wife of Mitt Romney was born on the 16th April 1949.

1950 ~ David Graf the American actor was born on the 16th April 1950 (died 2001).

1953 ~ Queen Elizabeth II launched the Royal Yacht HMY Britannia on the 16th April 1953.

1953 ~ PETER GARRETT the Australian singer from MiDNiGHT OiL was born on the 16th April 1953.

1953 ~ KURT MALOO the Swiss lead singer and songwriter from the pop-jazz duo DOUBLE was born Kurt Meier in Zurich on the 16th April 1953. Kurt first achieved international success in 1986 as the frontman of Double with the hit single The Captain of Her Heart. YouTube: Double – Devils Ball, featuring Herb Alpert (Official Video) | Kurt Maloo’s official website: www.KurtMaloo.com |Kurt Maloo’s YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/user/kumaloo | YouTube video: Double ~ The Captain Of Her Heart (Official Video 1986)…

1955 ~ Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg was born on the 16th April 1955.

1956 ~ David M. Brown the United States Navy captain and astronaut was born on the 16th April 1956 (died 1st February 2003 age 46). David M. Brown died on his 1st spaceflight when the Space Shuttle Columbia (STS-107) disintegrated during orbital re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere on the 1st February 2003.

1956 ~ Lise-Marie Morerod the Swiss skier was born on the 16th April 1956.

1959 ~ Robert Casilla the American illustrator was born in Jersey City on the 16th April 1959. Robert Casilla’s Official websites: www.RobertCasilla.com & www.RobertCasillaFineArt.com

1959 ~ Scott McKinsey the American director was born on the 16th April 1959.

1962 ~ Walter Cronkite took over as the lead news anchor of the CBS Evening News on the 16th April 1962, during which time he became known as the most trusted man in America.

1962 ~ Ian MacKaye the American singer-songwriter and guitarist from Fugazi, Minor Threat and The Teen Idles was born on the 16th April 1962.

1963 ~ Jimmy Osmond the American singer from The Osmonds was born on the 16th April 1963.

1963 ~ Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. penned his Letter from Birmingham Jail on the 16th April 1963, while incarcerated in Birmingham, Alabama for protesting against segregation.

1964 ~ DAVE PiRNER the American lead singer of SOUL ASYLUM was born on the 16th April 1964. Soul Asylum are best known for their hit song Runaway Train which won a Grammy Award for the best rock song in 1994.

1964 ~ David Kohan the American screenwriter and producer was born on the 16th April 1964. David Kohan is bast known for writing The Wonder Years and the Dennis Miller Show, and co-creating and producing Will & Grace, Boston Common, Good Morning, Miami, Twins and Four Kings with Max Mutchnick.

1964 ~ Esbjörn Svensson the Swedish pianist  from the Esbjörn Svensson Trio was born on the 16th April 1964 (died 2008).

196# ~ ANTON K. Kressnig the Australian artist, designer, photographer, radio broadcaster, writer and founder of AntonK.com and TheARTofLOOKiNGatLiFE.com, was born in Upper Ferntree Gully in Australia on the 16th April in the late 1960s.

Anton K’s creative career started with sign writing in 1985, followed by professional photography in the music industry, and over a decade in the advertising industry. Anton K also worked as an illustrator on A Bucket Of Toads book published in 2000. In April 2003 Anton K started writing, producing and presenting the sHaMoZzLe radio show, which led to the development of many characters, and regular segments live on Radio London. Anton K also had a short career as a stand up comedian, before starting work behind the scenes on film and movie projects. Eventually Anton K returned to his roots and original passion, creating AntonK.com and The ART of LOOKiNG at LiFE ~ a philosophical look at life through art, design, photography and writing.

1970 ~ Dero Goi the German poet, writer, lead singer and songwriter of German rock band Oomph! was born in Wolfsburg on the 16th April 1970. Oomph Online: official website: www.Oomph.de | Facebook.com/OomphBand | Twitter.com/OomphBand | Spotify | YouTube Oomph Channel | YouTube video: Oomph! – Auf Kurs (official music video)…

1971 ~ SELENA the American singer-songwriter from Selena y Los Dinos was born Selena Quintanilla-Pérez in Lake Jackson, Texas on the 16th April 1971 (murdered on the 31st March 1995 aged 23). Selena was named the Top Latin artist of the ’90s and Best selling Latin artist of the decade by Billboard for her 14 Top 10 singles in the Top Latin Songs chart, including 7 number 1 hits.  In 1997 a biographical musical drama film about the life and career of Selena (played by Jennifer Lopez) was released, and grossed $60,000,000 at the box office. See the Selena Biography… Official website: Q-Productions.com | YouTube video: Selena The Last Concert 1995-Completo: Un recuerdo inolvidable,Ultimo Concierto de la Gran cantante Selena Quintanilla…

1971 ~ Natasha Zvereva the Russian tennis player was born on the 16th April 1971.

1972 ~ APOLLO 16 was launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida on this 16th April 1972. This was the 5th space program to land on the Moon, and the 1st to land in the lunar highlands.

1972 ~ Conchita Martínez the Spanish-American tennis player was born on the 16th April 1972.

1973 ~ AKON the American singer and song writer was born on the 16th April in 1973.

1973 ~ Bonnie Pink the Japanese singer-songwriter was born on the 16th April 1973.

1973 ~ Gary Delaney the English writer and stand-up comedian was born on the 16th April 1973. Gary Delaney’s official website: www.GaryDelaney.com

1975 ~ Sean Maher the American actor was born on the 16th April 1975.

1975 ~ Nick Pickard the English actor was born on the 16th April 1975.

1976 ~ Robert Dahlqvist the Swedish singer-songwriter and guitarist from The Hellacopters, Dundertåget, and Thunder Express was born on the 16th April 1976.

1976 ~ Lukas Haas the American actor was born on the 16th April 1976.

1976 ~ David Lyons the Australian actor was born on the 16th April 1976.

1976 ~ Kelli O’Hara the American actress and singer was born on the 16th April 1976.

1978 ~ Nikki Griffin the American actress was born on the 16th April 1978.

1978 ~ Matthew Lloyd the Australian footballer was born on the 16th April 1978.

1979 ~ Sean Costello the American singer-songwriter and guitarist was born on the 16th April 1979 (died 2008).

19** ~ NiCOLE CHRiSTiNE the Australian entertainer from ASYLUM TV, RiCKY The Movie and ABBASESSiON, was born on the 16th April. Nicole has performed to crowds of 4 people to 40,000 people, and is also a music presenter for The Australian institute of music & childhood development. Nicole has been featured on international and Australian television. Some of Nicole’s interviews have been with Richard Branson, Kiss members, Toto, Status Quo, Molly Meldrum, Lobby Loyde, Billy Thorpe, Michael Gudinski and many others. Nicole Christine’s official website: www.NicoleChristine.com

YouTube video: Nicole Christine performing as blonde Agnetha Fältskog from ABBA in the ABBASESSiON tribute band… 

1983 ~ Marié Digby the American singer-songwriter and guitarist was born on the 16th April 1983.

1984 ~ Natalie Blair the Australian actress was born on the 16th April 1984.

1984 ~ Amelia Atwater-Rhodes the American author was born on the 16th April 1984.

1990 ~ Jack Kevorkian the Doctor of Death participated in his 1st assisted suicide on the 16th April 1990.

2007 ~ The Virginia Tech massacre was on the 16th April 2007, when Seung-Hui Cho killed 32 people, and injured 23 before committing suicide.

2012 ~ Trevta.com provided a major rebuild of the computer system that creates the AntonK.com website, on the 16th April 2012.

Today in History for April 16th on video by the Associated Press…

Here’s a look at This Day in History on video by History.com …

1452 ~ LEONARDO da ViNCi the Italian Renaissance polymath considered to be the most diversely talented person to ever live, and one of the greatest painters of all time, was born on this 15th day of April in 1452.

Leonardo was a great example of a polymath, he was a successful architect, painter, writer, cartographer, sculptor, inventor, musician, anatomist, geologist, botanist, scientist, mathematician and engineer. His genius was considered superhuman. Leonardo da Vinci died in 1519 aged 67.

1755 ~ SAMUEL JOHNSON‘s A Dictionary of the English Language was published in London on this 15th day of April in1755. Sometimes it is published as Johnson’s Dictionary, and is one of the most influential dictionaries in the history of the English language.

1912 ~ The RMS TiTANiC sank in the North Atlantic at 2:20am 100 years ago on this 15th day of April in 1912, 2.5 hours after hitting an iceberg, causing 1,517 people to die.

1933 ~ DAViD HAMiLTON the  British-born French photographer, director and producer was born on this 15th day of April in 1933.

1933 ~ ELiZABETH MONTGOMERY best known as Samantha Stephens in Bewitched was born on this 15th day of April in 1933 (died 1995 aged 62)

1952 ~ KYM GYNGELL the Australian comedian best known as Col’n Carpenter in The Comedy Company was born on this 15th day of April in 1933.

1965 ~ LiNDA PERRY the lead singer of 4 NON BLONDES was born on this 15th day of April in 1965.

1966 ~ SAMANTHA FOX the buxom English model, singer, and actress was born on this 15th day of April in 1966.

1990 ~ EMMA WATSON the English actress best known as Hermione Granger in Harry Potter was born on this 15th day of April in 1990. Emma Watson official website: www.EmmaWatson.com Verified Twitter: Twitter.com/EmWatson & Verified Facebook: www.facebook.com/EmmaWatson

2013 ~ The BOSTON MARATHON BOMBiNGS occurred during the Boston Marathon on the 15th April 2013, when 2 bombs exploded at 2:49 p.m.(EDT), killing 3 people and injuring 282 others.  The bombs exploded near the finish line on Boylston Street, Boston. The Federal Bureau of Investigation took over the investigation, and asked the public for assistance on the 18th April, before and after releasing photographs and videos of the 2 suspects. The 2 men identified as brothers that day with help from the public, were Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev.

1828 ~ NOAH WEBSTER copyrighted the 1st edition of his dictionary on this 14th day of April in 1828.

1912 ~ The RMS TiTANiC hit an iceberg in the North Atlantic at 11:40pm on this 14th day of April in 1912. The Titanic sank the following morning with a loss of 1,517 lives. Sorry to spoil it if you didn’t know the ending…

1912 ~ ROBERT DOiSNEAU the French photographer was born on this 14th day of April in 1912 (died on April the 1st in 1994 aged 81). He is renowned for his 1950 image Le baiser de l’hôtel de ville (Kiss by the Town Hall), a photo of a couple kissing in the busy streets of Paris.

1927 ~ The 1st VOLVO car premieres in Sweden on this 14th day of April in 1927.

1986 ~ The BiGGEST HAiLSTONES in the World fell on Gopalganj in Bangladesh, killing 92 people on this 14th day of April in 1986. The hailstones were 1 kilogram (2.2 lb), the heaviest hailstones ever recorded.

1977 ~ SARAH MiCHELLE GELLAR the American actress best known as Buffy the Vampire Slayer was born on this 14th day of April in 1977.

2013 ~ PSY’s GENTLEMAN MUSiC ViDEO broke another Guinness World Record on the 14th April 2013. Psy was awarded the Most viewed video online in 24 hours Guinness World Record on the 14th April 2013 with his new music video Gentleman, which received 38.4 million views on YouTube within it’s first 24 hours (actual total views = 38,409,306)

1796 ~ The 1st ELEPHANT went to live in the United States (from India) on this 13th day of April in 1796.

1808 ~ ANTONiO MEUCCi an Italian-American inventor, known by several sources as the original inventor of the the telephone, was born on this 13th day of April in 1808 (died 1889 aged 81). Antonio set up a form of voice communication link in his home at Staten Island, connecting his 2nd floor bedroom to his laboratory, in which he submitted a patent caveat to the U.S. Patent Office in 1871, for his telephonic device. But there was no mention of electromagnetic transmission of vocal sound in his caveat. In 1876, Alexander Graham Bell was granted a patent for the electromagnetic transmission of vocal sound by undulatory electric current.

1870 ~ The New York City METROPOLiTAN MUSUEM of ART, one of the world’s largest art galleries was founded on this 13th day of April in 1870. It contains more than 2 millionworks in its permanent collection.

1899 ~ ALFRED BUTTS an American architect who invented SCRABBLE was born on this 13th day of April in 1899 (died in 1993 aged 93, only 9 days before his 94th birthday)

1933 ~ The 1st flight over MOUNT EVEREST was made by Lord Clydesdaleon this 13th day of April in 1933.

1923 ~ DON ADAMS best known as Maxwell Smart aka Agent 86 in Get Smart  was born on this 13th day of April in 1923 (died in 2005 aged 82). This is the 1st episode from 1965…

1941 ~ Alan Jones the Australian radio broadcaster was born on the 13th April 1941.

1945 ~ JUDY NUNN the Australian actress and author, best known as Ailsa in Home and Away, was born on this 13th day of April in 1945.

1946 ~ AL GREEN the American soulsinger and pastor was born on this 13th day of April in 1946. “Let’s Stay Together” from 1971 was Al’s biggest hit, it’s still a great song to this day…

1951 ~ PEABO BRYSON the American singer was born on this 13th day of April in 1951.

1970 ~ An oxygen tank aboard APOLLO 13 exploded, putting the crew in great danger while causing major damage to the spacecraft on the way to the Moon, on this 13th day of April in 1970.

1975 ~ LOU BEGA the musician and artist, most famous for his song “Mambo No. 5 (A Little Bit of…)” was born in Germany on this 13th day of April in 1975. 

1997 ~ TiGER WOODS became the youngest golfer to win the Masters Tournament on this 13th day of April in 1997, aged 21.

2012 ~ FRiDAY THE 13TH MOON photographed today by Anton K. Kressnig… 

2013 ~ PSY’s GENTLEMAN MUSiC ViDEO was uploaded on YouTube on the 13th April 2013. The following day Psy was awarded the Most viewed video online in 24 hours Guinness World Record on the 14th April 2013, after his new music video Gentleman, received 38.4 million views on YouTube within it’s first 24 hours (actual total views = 38,409,306).

1557 ~ Cuenca was founded in Ecuador on the 12th April 1557.

1606 ~ The UNiON FLAG was adopted as the flag of Great Britain on the 12th April 1606.

1932 ~ TiNY TiM the singing ukulele player who tiptoed us through the tulips in 1968, was born on the 12th April 1932 (died in 1996 aged 64).

1934 ~ The strongest surface wind gust in the world was measured at 231 mph on the 12th April 1934, on the summit of Mount Washington, New Hampshire.

1935 ~ 1st flight of the Bristol Blenheim was on the 12th April 1935.

1937 ~ Sir Frank Whittle ground-tested the 1st jet engine designed to power an aircraft on the 12th April 1937, at Rugby, England.

1945 ~ U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt died while in office on the 12th April 1945. Vice-president Harry Truman was then sworn in as the 33rd President.

1955 ~ The Polio vaccine developed by Dr. Jonas Salk, was declared safe and effective on the 12th April 1955.

1940 ~ HERBiE HANCOCK the American pianist, keyboardist, bandleader and composer was born on the 12th April 1940.

1946 ~ ED O’NEiLL aka Al Bundy on Married… with Children and Jay Pritchett on Modern Family, was born on the 12th April 1946.

1947 ~ DAViD LETTERMAN the American talk show host was born on the 12th April 1947.

1947 ~ ALEX BRiLEY the G.i singer from the ViLLAGE PEOPLE was born on the 12th April 1947. Alex arranged most of the vocals and harmonies for the Village People.

1950 ~ DAViD CASSiDY the singer aka Keith Partridge from The PARTRiDGE FAMiLY was born on the 12th April 1950.

1961 ~ MAGDA SZUBANSKi the Australian actress from The D-Generation, Fast Forward, Kath & Kim and the film Babe, was born on the 12th April 1961.

1971 ~ SHANNEN DOHERTY the American actress best known as Brenda Walsh in Beverly Hills 90210 and Prue Halliwell in Charmed, was born on the 12th April 1971.

1974 ~ BELiNDA EMMETT the Australian actress and singer, married to Rove McManus , best known for her roles on Home and Away and All Saints, was born on the 12th April 1974 (died 11 November 2006 aged 32) R.i.P. Also see The Channel 7 Tribute to Belinda Emmett YouTube video

1980 ~ Terry Fox began his Marathon of Hope at St. John’s, Newfoundland on the 12th April 1980.

1981 ~ The first launch of a SPACE SHUTTLE (Columbia) was launched on the STS-1 mission on the 12th April 1981.

1990 ~ Jim Gary‘s Twentieth Century Dinosaurs exhibition opened at the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History on the 12th April 1990, in Washington, D.C..

1992 ~ Euro Disneyland officially opened on the 12th April 1992. The resort and its park’s name were subsequently changed to Disneyland Paris.

1994 ~ Saoirse Ronan the Irish actress was born on the 12th April 1994. Saoirse is one of the youngest actresses ever to receive an Academy Award, BAFTA and Golden Globe Award nominations for Best Supporting Actress. Saoirse Ronan is known for her roles in the film Atonement (2001), I Could Never Be Your Woman (2007), The City of Ember (2008), Death Defying Acts (2008), The Way Back (2010), Hanna (2011), The Lovely Bones (2009) and The Host (2013).

1994 ~ Canter & Siegel posted the 1st commercial mass Usenet spam on the 12th April 1994.

1999 ~ US President Bill Clinton was cited for contempt of court on the 12th April 1999, for giving “intentionally false statements” in a sexual harassment civil lawsuit.

2009 ~ Zimbabwe officially abandoned the Zimbabwe Dollar as its official currency on the 12th April 2009.

2012 ~ GLOBAL DAY OF ACTiON ON MiLiTARY SPENDiNG is promoted on on the 12th April annually. The aim of promoting awareness of the problems associated with military expenses, with the suggestion of such monies instead being used to promote human development. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute estimated military spending as being US $1.531 billion worldwide in 2010. Research shows that bigger armies are built to keep a county safe from warfare during conflict, but the funds spent on weapons tend to drain resources from social, political, and economic development, that may actually be the root cause of conflict.

“Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed”. ~ Dwight D. Eisenhower

The negative effects not only include the direct ones of money and resources being spent on the weapons systems, but also the associated costs of negative health consequences of research, development, testing and the safe decommissioning of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons. So let us start to practice and promote PEACE, let’s make LOVE, not war, and then there’ll be more money for the community at an individual level, such as building and maintaining infrastructure, education, health and psychological welfare, not warfare!

~ By Anton K. Kressnig

1869 – Gustav Vigeland the Norwegian sculptor was born on the 11th April 1869 (died 1943).

1876 – Paul Henry the Irish painter was born on the 11th April 1876 (died 1958).

1887 – Jamini Roy the Indian painter was born on the 11th April 1887 (died 1972).

1906 – Dale Messick the American illustrator was born on the 11th April 1906 (died 2005).

1919 – The International Labour Organization was founded on the 11th April 1919.

1930 – Anton LaVey the American occultist and founder of the Church of Satan was born on the 11th April 1930 (died 1997).

1935 ~ Father Abraham aka Pierre Kartner the Dutch singer-songwriter and musician was born Petrus Antonius Laurentius Kartner on the 11th 1935. Father Abraham has written about 1600 songs, and is best known for writing The Smurf Song in 1977. Father Abraham’s Smurf works have sold about 25 million copies. YouTube video: Father Abraham ~ The Smurf Song…

1958 ~ Stuart Adamson the English-Scottish singer-songwriter, guitarist and original lead singer of Big Country was born on the 11th April 1958, and sadly took his life on the 16th December 2001, aged 43. YouTube video: Big Country ~ In a Big Country (1983) ~ co-written by Stuart Adamson…

1960 – Jeremy Clarkson the English journalist was born on the 11th April 1960.

1963 – Nigel Pulsford the English guitarist from Bush was born on the 11th April 1963.

1966 ~ Lisa Stansfield the English singer and songwriter, was born on the 11th April 1966.

1970 – Apollo 13 was launched on the 11th April 1970.

1972 – The 1st edition of the BBC comedy panel game I’m Sorry I Haven’t A Clue was broadcast on the 11th April 1972, becoming one of the longest running British radio shows in history.

1976 ~ The APPLE I personal computer was created on the 11th April 1976. The original Apple Computer was released by the Apple Computer Company, now known as Apple Inc. They were designed and hand-built by Steve Wozniak, while Steve Jobs had the idea of selling them. To finance this venture, Steve Wozniak sold his HP-65 calculator for $500, while Steve Jobs sold his VW van.

The Apple I sold for a price of US$666.66, because Wozniak “liked repeating digits”. There were estimated to be less than 50 Apple I computers in existence as of 2008, making it a very rare collector’s item, with a value of $14,000 – $16,000. However, in 2010, an Apple I sold for GB£133,250 ($210,000) at Christie’s auction house in London, but it also came with rare documents, original packaging with the return label showing Steve Jobs’ garage headquarters for Apple Computer Inc at his parents’ address, a personally typed and signed letter from Jobs answering technical questions about the computer, and the original invoice showing ‘Steven’ as the salesman.

1977 – London Transport‘s Silver Jubilee buses were launched on the 11th April 1977.

1979 – Ugandan dictator Idi Amin was deposed on the 11th April 1979.

1987 ~ Joss Stone the English soul singer, songwriter and actress, was born Jocelyn Stoker was born on the 11th April 1987.

1987 ~ Michelle Phan the American make-up demonstrator and entrepreneur who became notable as a YouTube celebrity was born the 11th April 1987. Michelle Phan’s official website: www.MichellePhan.com | Facebook: www.facebook.com/MichellePhanOfficial | Twitter: www.Twitter.com/MichellePhan | YouTube channel with over 5 million subscribers: www.youtube.com/user/MichellePhan |  YouTube video: Draw My Life by Michelle Phan (over 3.5 million views)…YouTube video: Barbie Transformation Tutorial by Michelle Phan (over 48 million views)…

2001 ~ Sir Harry Secombe the Welsh entertainer best known for playing Neddie Seagoon in the BBC radio comedy series The Goon Show (1951–60) died on the 11th April 2001, aged 79.  

Today in History for April 11th ~ video presented by the Associated Press…