ED DONAHUE

The world’s worst nuclear disaster to date occurred at Chernobyl, in Kiev
on this day in 1986.. Thirty-one people died in the incident and thousands
more were exposed to radioactive material.

SANDY KOZEL

Reba Nell McEntire is 64 years young today.

Reba McEntire is a country singer and actress known as
‘The Queen of Country’. Some of her well-known songs
include How Blue and Somebody Should Leave. She is
one of the best-selling artists of all time.

She started her musical career performing with her family
singing group. While in college, she was hired to perform
the National Anthem at the National Rodeo in Oklahoma
City. It was during this performance that her talent was
spotted by country artist Red Steagall who helped her
sign a recording contract with Mercury Records.

ED DONAHUE

The world’s worst nuclear disaster to date occurred at Chernobyl, in
Kiev on this day in 1986. Thirty-one people died in the incident and thousands more were exposed to radioactive material.

John Wilkes Booth was killed by the U.S. Federal Cavalry on this day 
in 1865.

On April 14, 1865, actor John Wilkes Booth (above) assassinated President Abraham Lincoln while he was watching the play ‘Our American Cousin’ at Ford Theater in Washington, D.C.

The British established an American colony at Cape Henry, Virginia 
on this day in 1607. It was the first permanent English establishment
in the Western Hemisphere.

On this day in 1937, German planes attacked Guernica, Spain, during
the Spanish Civil War for the Spanish nationalist government. This
raid is considered one of the first to be attacks on a civilian
population by a modern air force.

Spanish Civil War: the Spanish town of Guernica, after the bombing
by German and Italian aircraft.

The state of Vermont  enacted same-sex unions on this day in 2000.

It was on this day in 1989.

Lucille Désirée Ball Morton (August 6, 1911 – April 26, 1989)

Lucille Ball was an actress, comedian, model, film-studio executive, and
producer. She was best known as the star of the self-produced sitcoms
I Love Lucy (1951-1967) on CBS, The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour (1957-1960)
on CBS, The Lucy Show (1962-1968) CBS, Here’s Lucy (1968-1974) CBS,
and Life with Lucy for only one season in 1986 on ABC.

SANDY KOZEL

A major accident occurred at Pennsylvania’s Three Mile Island
nuclear power plant on this day in 1979. A nuclear power reactor overheated and suffered a partial meltdown.

Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969)

The Spanish Civil War ended as Madrid fell to Francisco Franco
(left) on this day in 1939.

Maria Augusta von Trapp (January 26, 1905 – March 28, 1987) 

Baroness von Trapp, as she was also know as, was the stepmother 
and matriarch of the Trapp Family Singers and wrote the story about
the singers in 1949. It later inspired the Broadway musical The Sound
of Music (1959) and the 1965 film of the same name.

The Trapp Family Singers, pictured in 1948, rehearse. From
left they are Baroness Maria von Trapp and her daughters,
Johanna, Eleanore, Agathe, Hedwig, Rosmary, Martina, and
Maria.

Reba Nell McEntire was born in McAlester, Oklahoma. She
is 63 years young today.

Multi-platinum singer, musician, and actress Reba McEntire
released more than three dozen #1 singles and more than a
dozen #1 albums since the 1990s, including Whoever’s in
New England. She was in the family singing group "the
Singing McEntires" as a child. Red Steagall discovered her
during her performance of the National Anthem at a Rodeo
in Oklahoma City when she was a sophomore in college.

Reba McCentire (above) as KFC’S first female Colonel Sanders.

 
ED DONAHUE

Chernobyl reactor number four after the disaster, showing the
extensive damage to the main reactor hall (image centre) and
turbine building (image lower left)

          
              John Wilkes Booth (May 10, 1838 – April 26, 1865)

Colonists Landing at what would become Jamestowne occurred
on this day in 1607.

Lucille Désirée Ball (August 6, 1911 – April 26, 1989)