TIM MAGUIRE

John William King

Jasper County Assistant District Attorney Pat Hardy displays the
chain allegedly used to drag James Byrd.

The Communists completed their takeover of Czechoslovakia on
this day in 1948.

Czechoslovakian Communist Party leader Klement Gottwald,
addressing the crowds in Wenceslas Square, Prague, on 25
February 1948.

Israeli F-16 fighter-bombers destroyed Iraq’s only nuclear reactor on
this day in 1981.

On this  day in 1972, the musical “Grease” opened
on Broadway. It had been playing off-Broadway for
about 4 months.

Prince Rogers Nelson (June 7, 1958 – April 21, 2016)

Prince released ten platinum-selling albums and won multiple Grammy
Awards for Purple Rain (1984), including Best Performance and Best
Soundtrack. He became known for releasing over thirty Top Forty single
hits.  He suffered from epilepsy as a child, and began writing music at
age seven. One of the first groups he worked with was 94 East.

SANDY KOZEL

Charles A. Lindberg completed the first solo nonstop airplane flight across the Atlantic Ocean on this day in 1927. The trip began May 20.

The American branch of the Red Cross was founded by Clara Barton
on this day in 1881.

Clarissa "Clara" Harlowe Barton (December 25, 1821 – April 12, 1912)

Fourteen-year-old Bobby Franks (above) was murdered in a
"thrill killing" committed by Nathan Leopold Jr. and Richard
Loeb (below) on this day in 1924. The killers were students
at the University of Chicago.

On this day in 1959, the musical "Gypsy" opened on Broadway
and played 702 performances, closing on March 25, 1961 at the
Imperial Theatre.

From left: Sandra Church as Louise, Ethel Merman starred as
Rose, and Jack Klugman as Herbie.

CAMILLE
BOHANNON

On this day in 1980, Mount St. Helens in Washington erupts, causing
a massive avalanche and killing 57 people on this day in 1980. Ash
from the volcanic eruption fell as far away as Minnesota. Seismic
activity at Mount St. Helens, which is 96 miles south of Seattle,
began on March 16.

USGS geologist Don Swanson (in red) and his colleague, Jim
Moore, view a car filled with ash deposits from the eruption of
Mount St. Helens.

On this day in 1896, the U.S. Supreme court upheld the "separate but equal" policy in the Plessy vs. Ferguson decision. The ruling was overturned 58 years later with Brown vs. Board of Education.

Pope Saint John Paul II (Karol Józef Wojtyła)
(May 18, 1920 – April 2, 2005)

Pope John Paul was the second longest-serving pope
in history who was the leader of the Catholic Church
from 1978 to 2005. He was one of the most influential
leaders of the 20th century who worked to bring Jews,
Christians, and Muslims together. He was canonized
as a Saint in April of 2014.

Frank Russell Capra (Francesco Rosario Capra)
(May 18, 1897 – September 3, 1991)

Capra became one of America’s most influential directors during
the 1930s, winning three Oscars from his six nominations as 
Best Director, along with three other Oscar wins from nine
nominations in other categories. Among his leading films
were It Happened One Night (1934), You Can’t Take It with You
(1938), and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington(1939); Capra was
nominated as Best Director and as producer for Academy
Award for Best Picture on all three films, winning both
awards on the first two.

1946

On this day in 2003, "Les Miserables" closed after 6,680 shows and
16 years on Broadway.

Les Misérables has been voted the greatest musical of all time in
a public poll conducted by a new online radio station dedicated
to musical theatre.

CAMILLE BOHANNON

Mark Twain was lauded as the "greatest humorist this country has produced",
and William Faulkner called him "the father of American literature".

Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary) is 92 today.

The Queen celebrates two birthdays each year, her actual birthday on April
21 and her official birthday usually on the second Saturday in June. This
year that official birthday will fall on Saturday, June 9.

The musical "Annie" opened on Broadway on this day in 1977.

Opening night Curtain Call.

On this day in 1918, German fighter ace Manfred von Richthofen,
"The Red Baron," was shot down and killed during World War I.

Some of the remains of Richthofen’s plane are inspected by British
officers and soldiers.

ED DONAHUE

The Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, OK, was destroyed by a bomb on this day in 1995. It was the worst bombing
on U.S. territory. 168 people were killed including 19 children, and
500 were injured. Timothy McVeigh (below) was found guilty of the bombing on June 2, 1997.

The American Revolution began on this day in 1775 as fighting broke
out at Lexington, MA.

The Branch-Davidian’s compound in Waco, TX, burned to the ground
on this day in 1993. It was the end of a 51-day standoff between the
cult and U.S. federal agents. A total of 86 people were killed including
17 children. Nine of the Branch Davidians escaped the fire.

Cult leader David Koresh.

Actress Grace Kelly became Princess Grace of Monaco when she married Prince Rainier III of Monaco on this day in 1956.

The musical debuted on Broadway on this day in 2001.