SANDY KOZEL

Central Pacific and Union Pacific Rail Roads meet in Promontory, UT. 
on this day in 1869. A golden spike was driven in the rail during the      
celebration of the first transcontinental railroad in the U.S.

The Nazis staged massive public book burnings in Germany on this
day in 1933. The books targeted for burning were those viewed as
being subversive or representing ideologies opposed to Nazism.

On this day in 1941, Rudolf Hess, Adolf Hitler’s deputy, parachuted
into Scotland on what he claimed was a peace mission.

Allied military and locals pose with the remains of Rudolph Hess’ Messerschmitt ME-110 after it crash-landed near the Scottish
village of Eaglesham.

Nelson Mandela made history by becoming the first black president
of South Africa after more than three centuries of white rule. He was sworn in to office on this day in 1994.

Convicted of 33 murders, John Wayne Gacy Jr. was sentenced to
death on March 13, 1980, for 12 of those killings. He spent 14 years
on death row before he was executed by lethal injection at Stateville Correctional Center on this day in 1994.  

Gacy during a TV interview in 1992.

Bono (Paul David Hewson) is 58 today. Born in Dublin, Ireland.

Bono is best known as the lead vocalist and primary lyricist of rock band U2
which earned over 20 Grammy Awards and has sold of 150 million records.

SANDY KOZEL

On this day in 1992, rioting began after a jury decision to acquit four
Los Angeles policemen (below) in the Rodney King beating trial. A
total of 54 people were killed in 3 days.

Rodney King, central figure in L.A. riots.

On this day in 1945, the Nazi death camp, Dachau, was liberated and
on the same day in a bunker in Berlin, Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun
(below) were married. 
    
    
    
   

President Nixon announced he was releasing edited transcripts of secretly made White House tape recordings related to the Watergate scandal.

Jerome Allen "Jerry" Seinfeld is 64 years old today. He was born in
Brooklyn, New York.

Stand-up comedian, producer, actor, and writer Jerry Seinfeld co-created
and starred in the NBC sitcom Seinfeld, which became one of the most
popular television comedies of all time, winning ten Emmy Awards during
its run which began in 1989 and aired for nine seasons. In 2012, he began
the internet comedy series Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, where he
chats with other comedians. 

Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974)

One of the jazz worlds most influential figures. He led his famed orchestra
from 1923 until his death. He called his music American Music, not jazz. He
helped compose more than 1,000 original pieces, many of which became
standards. Ellington was called Duke by his friends growing up because
his suave sophistication reminded them of a nobleman.

Carol Creighton Burnett was born in San Antonio, Texas.

Carol Burnett Hosted The Carol Burnett Show on CBS for a decade after
winning Tony, Emmy, and Golden Globe Awards for her work in various
genres. Her show is called one of the greatest TV shows of all time by
various outlets. Carol Burnett once worked as an usherette and hat-
check girl while living in a boarding house for women pursuing an
careers in acting.

Carol Burnett as the hopeless klutz Agnes Grep in “Cavender Is
Coming” Season Three, Episode 101 of “The Twilight Zone”, 
Original Air Date: May 25, 1962.

Darrell Waltrip

Richard Petty

During the Rebel 500 event at Darlington Raceway in South Carolina, drivers
Darrell Waltrip and Richard Petty swap the lead four times in a last-lap battle
before Waltrip finally wins the race.

The race also featured a pit stop mishap in which driver David Pearson,
following a miscommunication with his crew, drove away with only two of
his four tires properly changed. Pearson’s car flipped over and had to be
removed from the race. The embarrassing incident led to Pearson, who
was a top driver, being released from his team, Wood Brothers.

MIKE GRACIA

A discotheque in Berlin was bombed by Libyan terrorists on this day
in 1986. The U.S. attacked Libya with warplanes in retaliation on April
15, 1986.

Ground crew prepares a 48th Tactical Fighter Wing F-111F aircraft
for an air strike on Libya.

Douglas MacArthur (January 26, 1880 – April 5, 1964) 

It was on this day in 1964.

Douglas General MacArthur Address a Joint session of the U.S.
Congress on April 19, 1951 in Washington D. C.

It was on this day in 1976.

Hughes was an American business magnate, investor, record-setting pilot,
film director, and philanthropist, known during his lifetime as one of the
most financially successful individuals in the world.

Howard Robard Hughes Jr. (December 24, 1905 – April 5, 1976)

Booker Taliaferro Washington (April 5, 1856 – November 14, 1915)

Booker T. Washington was a educator, author, orator, and advisor to
presidents of the United States. Between 1890 and 1915, Washington
was the dominant leader in the African-American community. He was
from the last generation of black American leaders born into slavery
and became the leading voice of former slaves and their descendants.

Booker T. Washington giving a lecture in Carnegie Hall, 1906. 

On this day in 1984, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Los Angeles Lakers)
became the all-time NBA regular season scoring leader when he
broke Wilt Chamberlain’s record of 31,419 career points.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr.) will be 71
April 16.

Katie Couric became a CBS news anchor on this day in 2006.