SUNDAY, APRIL 21 TODAY IN HISTORY

2016

Prince, one of the most inventive and influential musicians of modern times, was found dead at his home in suburban Minneapolis; he was 57.

On this date 1649

The Maryland Toleration Act, providing for freedom of worship for all Christians, was passed by the Maryland assembly.

1836

An army of Texans led by Sam Houston defeated the Mexicans at San Jacinto, assuring Texas independence.

1910

Author Samuel Langhorne Clemens, better known as Mark Twain, died in Redding, Connecticut, at age 74.

1926

Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II was born in Mayfair, London; she was the first child of The Duke and Duchess of York, who later became King George VI and the Queen Mother.

1930

Fire broke out inside the overcrowded Ohio Penitentiary in Columbus, killing 332 inmates.

1975

With Communist forces closing in, South Vietnamese President Nguyen Van Thieu resigned after nearly 10 years in office and fled the country.

1976

Clinical trials of the swine flu vaccine began in Washington, D.C.

1980

Rosie Ruiz was the first woman to cross the finish line at the Boston Marathon; however, she was later exposed as a fraud. (Canadian Jacqueline Gareau was named the actual winner of the women’s race.)

1998

Astronomers announced in Washington that they had discovered possible signs of a new family of planets orbiting a star 220 light-years away, the clearest evidence to date of worlds forming beyond our solar system.

2012

Charles W. “Chuck” Colson described as the “evil genius” of the Nixon administration who served seven months in prison for a Watergate-related conviction, then spent the next 35 years ministering to prison inmates, died at age 80.

2013

Joe Scarborough, a 50-year-old self-employed electrical contractor, rolled the first 900series in Professional Bowlers Association history — three straight perfect games.