Today In History

Today is Wednesday, April 4, the 94th day of 2018. There are 271 days left in the year.

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHT

› 1968: Civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., 39, was shot and killed while standing on a balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee; his slaying was followed by a wave of rioting (Washington, D.C., Baltimore and Chicago were among cities particularly hard hit).

ON THIS DATE

› 1818: Congress decided the flag of the United States would consist of 13 red and white stripes and 20 stars, with a new star to be added for every new state of the Union.

› 1841: President William Henry Harrison succumbed to pneumonia one month after his inaugural, becoming the first U.S. chief executive to die in office.

› 1859: “Dixie” was performed publicly for the first time by Bryant’s Minstrels at Mechanics’ Hall in New York.

› 1917: The U.S. Senate voted 82-6 in favor of declaring war against Germany (the House followed suit two days later by a vote of 373-50).

› 1949: Twelve nations, including the United States, signed the North Atlantic Treaty in Washington, D.C.

› 1975: Microsoft was founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

› 1983: The space shuttle Challenger roared into orbit on its maiden voyage.

TODAY’S BIRTHDAYS

Former Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., is 86. Recording executive Clive Davis is 86. Actor Craig T. Nelson is 74. Actor Walter Charles is 73. Actress Mary-Margaret Humes is 64. Writer-producer David E. Kelley is

62. Actress Constance Shulman is 60. Actor Phil Morris is 59. Actress Lorraine Toussaint is 58. Actor Hugo Weaving is

58. Rock musician Craig Adams (The Cult) is 56. Actress Nancy McKeon is 52. Actor Barry Pepper is 48. Country singer Clay Davidson is 47. Rock singer Josh Todd (Buckcherry) is 47. Singer Jill Scott is 46. Rock musician Magnus Sveningsson (The Cardigans) is 46. Magician David Blaine is 45. Country musician Josh McSwain (Parmalee) is 43. Actor James Roday is 42. Actress Amanda Righetti is 35. Actress-singer Jamie Lynn Spears is 27. Actress Daniela Bobadilla is 25. Pop singer Austin Mahone is 22.