April 01
1778
Oliver Pollack created the dollar sign: $.
1789
Frederick Muhlenberg of Pennsylvania was elected the first Speaker of the House of Representatives.
1933
The Nazi persecution of Jews began in Germany with a boycott of Jewish businesses.
1945
American forces landed on Okinawa during World War II.
1960
Tiros I, the world’s first meteorological satellite, was launched.
1963
The daytime soap opera General Hospital first aired on ABC-TV.
1970
President Nixon signed a bill into law banning cigarette ads from radio and television.
1976
Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs founded Apple Computer.
1979
Ayatollah Khomeini proclaimed Iran to be an Islamic Republic.
2001
Former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic arrested on corruption charges.
2003
Pvt. Jessica Lynch was rescued by U.S. commandos in a raid on an Iraqi hospital.
2004
President Bush signed the “Laci Peterson” bill making it a separate federal crime to harm a fetus during an attack on the mother.
2009
Sweden becomes the fifth European country to legalize same-sex marriage. The other countries with the same rights are The Netherlands, Norway, Belgium and Spain.
Birthdays
Sergei Rachmaninoff
Pronunciation: [syirgA´ vusE´lyivich räkhmä´nEnôf]
1873–1943, Russian pianist, composer, and conductor.
He became known as one of the greatest pianists of his generation, and he was also successful as a conductor and composer.
William Harvey
physician (1578)
Otto von Bismarck
statesman (1815)
James Fisk
financial speculator (1834)
Edmond Rostand
poet (1868)
Toshiro Mifune
actor (1920)
Milan Kundera
writer (1929)
Debbie Reynolds
singer, dancer, actress (1932)