TODAY IN HISTORY
TODAY IS WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, the 97th day of 2016. There are 269 days left in the year.
TODAY’S HIGHLIGHT IN HISTORY: On this date in 1896, the first modern Olympic games formally opened in Athens, Greece.
In 1830, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints was organized by Joseph Smith in Fayette, N.Y.
In 1886, the Canadian city of Vancouver, British Columbia, was incorporated.
In 1909, American explorers Robert E. Peary and Matthew A. Henson and four Inuits became the first men to reach the North Pole.
In 1917, Congress approved a declaration of war against Germany.
In 1945, during World War II, the Japanese warship Yamato and nine other vessels sailed on a suicide mission to attack the U.S. fleet off Okinawa; the fleet was intercepted the next day.
In 1954, a month after being criticized by newsman Edward R. Murrow on CBS’ “See It Now,” Sen. Joseph R. McCarthy, R-Wis., was given the chance to respond on the program; in his pre-filmed remarks, McCarthy charged that Murrow had, in the past, “engaged in propaganda for Communist causes.”
In 1965, the United States launched Intelsat I, also known as the “Early Bird” communications satellite, into geosynchronous orbit.
In 1971, Russian-born composer Igor Stravinsky, 88, died in New York City.
In 1980, 3M introduced its “Post-it Notes,” a rebranding of a product formerly known as “Press ‘n Peel.”
In 1996, actress Greer Garson died in Dallas at age 91.
In 1998, country singer Tammy Wynette died at her Nashville home at age 55.
In 2014, actor Mickey Rooney, 93, died in North Hollywood.
TODAY’S BIRTHDAYS:
Nobel Prize-winning scientist James D. Watson is 88. Composerconductor Andre Previn is 87. Country singer Merle Haggard and actor Billy Dee Williams are 79. Actor Roy Thinnes is 78. Movie director Barry Levinson is 74. Actor John Ratzenberger is 69. Baseball Hall-of-Famer Bert Blyleven is 65. Actress Marilu Henner is 64. Olympic bronze medal figure skater Janet Lynn is 63. Actor Michael Rooker is 61. Former U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., is 60. Rock musician Warren Haynes is 56. Rock singer-musician Frank Black is 51. Actress Ari Meyers and actor Paul Rudd are 47. Actor-producer Jason Hervey is 44. Rock musician Markku Lappalainen is 43. Actors Zach Braff and Joel Garland are 41. Actress Candace Cameron Bure is 40. Actor Teddy Sears is 39. Jazz and rhythm-and-blues musician Robert Glasper is 38. Actress Eliza Coupe is 35. Folk singer-musician Kenneth Pattengale (Milk Carton Kids) and actor Bret Harrison are 34. Actor Charlie McDermott is 26.