Basketball giant Kareem Abdul-Jabbar dominated the NBA in the
1970s and ’80s with his signature sky hook. Led the L.A. Lakers
to five championships. He’s 78 years old today.

From Cape Canaveral, Florida, Apollo 16, the fifth of six U.S.
lunar landing missions, was successfully launched on its
238,000-mile journey to the moon.

Four days later, the three astronauts returned to Earth, safely
splashing down in the Pacific Ocean.

Cove City, Craven County — The mystery of D.B. Cooper, the
infamous hijacker who vanished with $200,000 after leaping
from a plane in 1971, may be closer to being solved.

The FBI is examining a parachute rigging discovered in a barn
in Craven County, which could potentially identify Cooper.

The case, the FBI’s only unsolved air piracy incident, has
intrigued the nation for over 50 years. Recent findings
suggest that Cooper might have had ties to Eastern North
Carolina, specifically pointing to a man named Richard
Floyd McCoy Jr.

This development is part of the ongoing investigation known
as the "Cooper Vortex," as authorities and enthusiasts alike
continue to delve into the mystery of D.B. Cooper’s true identity.
(by Brian North & Ciara Blosser)

From left: Disc jockey Dewey Phillips, Wink Martindale 
and Elvis Presley.   

1964

Winston Conrad "Wink" Martindale
(December 4, 1933 – April 15, 2025)

(FOX NEWS) – Martindale, who was surrounded by family,
including his wife Sandra, at the time of his death, had a 74-
year career in Hollywood, hosting a number of game shows
such as "Tic-Tac-Dough," "High Rollers" and "Gambit." He
was also a radio personality and  a close friend of Elvis Presley.

In 2019, Martindale told Fox News Digital he "met Elvis Presley
on a hot July night in 1954." In 1956, Martindale was hosting
"Teenage Dance Party" when Presley made an appearance.
Martindale died from lymphoma at a hospital in Rancho Mirage, California. He was 91.

1959

SANDY KOZEL

On April 15, 1947, Jackie Robinson, at age 28, became the first
African American player in Major League Baseball’s modern
era when he steps onto Ebbets Field in Brooklyn to compete
for the Brooklyn Dodgers. Robinson broke the color barrier
in a sport that had been segregated for more than 50 years.

Exactly 50 years later, on April 15, 1997, Jackie Robinson’s groundbreaking career was honored and his uniform number,
42, was retired from Major League Baseball by Commissioner
Bud Selig in a ceremony attended by over 50,000 fans at New
York City’s Shea Stadium.

1972