African American taxi driver Rodney King was severely beaten by Los Angeles police officers on this day in 1991 during an arrest that followed a pursuit through the streets of Los Angeles. The scene was captured on amateur video, one of the first police brutality videos of its kind. It forever changed the conversation about police and race in America.
Over six nights in April, 53 people were killed and more than 2,000 injured; property damage topped $1 billion.
National Guardsmen patrol Los Angeles during the rioting after the acquittal of officers involved in the beating of Rodney King.
The first issue of Time magazine was published on this day in 1923 by Briton Hadden and Henry Luce. It was the first weekly news magazine in the United States. The distinctive red border for which the magazine has come to be known was lacking. On the cover was the now-obscure Joseph G. Cannon, former House Speaker. .