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, attack 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.

James Harold Doolittle
(December 14, 1896 – September 27, 1993)

SANDY KOZEL

survivors of the Titanic making their way to safety.

SANDY KOZEL

On this day in 1912, the ocean liner Titanic sank in the North Atlantic after hitting an iceberg the evening before. 1,517 people died and
more than 700 people survived.

Lifeboat 6 from the Titanic, as it approached the Carpathian
on the morning of April 15, 1912.

On this day in 1865, President Abraham Lincoln died from injuries inflicted by John Wilkes Booth.

The above photograph was taken by Petersen House
boarder Julius Ulke shortly after the president died in
this bed. (Source: Chicago History Museum)

On this day in 1912, the ocean liner Titanic sank in the
North Atlantic after hitting an iceberg the evening
before. 1,517 people died and more than 700 people
survived.

On this day in 1865, President Abraham Lincoln died
from injuries inflicted by John Wilkes Booth.

Jackie Robinson played his first major league baseball
game for the Brooklyn Dodgers on this day in 1947. He
previously he had only appeared in exhibition games.

U.S. F-111 warplanes attacked Libya on this day in 1986
in response to the bombing of a discotheque in Berlin on
April 5, 1986.

Pol Pot died at the age of 73 on this day in 1998. The leader
of the Khmer Rouge regime thereby evaded prosecution for
the deaths of 2 million Cambodians.

   
    
   
                  SANDY KOZEL