Einstein in 1893, age 14
Albert Einstein (14 March 1879 – 18 April 1955)
Einstein was a German-born theoretical physicist
who is best known for developing the theory of
relativity.
On 17 April 1955, Einstein experienced internal
bleeding caused by the rupture of an abdominal
aortic aneurysm.
He died in the Princeton Hospital early the next
morning at the age of 76
On April 18, 1942, 16 American B-25 bombers, launched from
the aircraft carrier USS Hornet 650 miles east of Japan and
commanded by Lieutenant Colonel James H. Doolittle,
attacked the Japanese mainland.
The now-famous Tokyo Raid did little real damage to Japan
(wartime Premier Hideki Tojo was inspecting military bases
during the raid; one B-25 came so close, Tojo could see the
pilot, though the American bomber never fired a shot)—but
it did hurt the Japanese government’s prestige.
Believing the air raid had been launched from Midway Island,
approval was given to Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto’s plans for
an attack on Midway—which would also damage Japanese
“prestige.” Doolittle eventually received the Medal of Honor.
LT. COL. JIMMY DOOLITTLE (left) WITH TOKYO RAIDERS.
James Harold Doolittle (1896 – 1993)
Charles Frazier Stanley Jr.
(September 25, 1932 – April 18, 2023)
Charles Stanley was senior pastor of First Baptist Church
in Atlanta for 49 years and took on emeritus status in 2020.
He founded and was president of In Touch Ministries which
widely broadcasts his sermons through television and radio.
Stanley also served two one-year terms as president of the
Southern Baptist Convention, from 1984 to 1986.
Charles Stanley died at his home in Atlanta at age 90. No
cause of death was released.
On April 18, 1906, at 5:13 a.m., an earthquake estimated at close
to 8.0 on the Richter scale struck San Francisco, California, killing
an estimated 3,000 people as it topples numerous buildings.
The quake was caused by a slip of the San Andreas Fault over a
segment about 275 miles long, and shock waves could be felt from southern Oregon down to Los Angeles.
San Francisco’s brick buildings and wooden Victorian structures
were especially devastated. Fires immediately broke out and–
because broken water mains prevented firefighters from stopping
them–firestorms soon developed citywide.
At 7 a.m., U.S. Army troops from Fort Mason reported to the Hall
of Justice, and San Francisco Mayor E.E. Schmitz called for the enforcement of a dusk-to-dawn curfew and authorized soldiers
to shoot to kill anyone found looting.
Meanwhile, in the face of significant aftershocks, firefighters and
U.S. troops fought desperately to control the ongoing fire, often dynamiting whole city blocks to create firewalls.
By April 23, most fires were extinguished, and authorities
commenced the task of rebuilding the devastated metropolis.
It was estimated that some 3,000 people died as a result of the
Great San Francisco Earthquake and the devastating fires it
inflicted upon the city. Almost 30,000 buildings were destroyed,
including most of the city’s homes and nearly all the central
business district.
Charles Francis Richter (1900 – 1985)
was an American seismologist and
physicist. He is the namesake and
one of the creators of the Richter
scale.
