TODAY IN HISTORY

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHT 1912

The British liner RMS Titanic set sail from Southampton, England, on its ill-fated maiden voyage.

ALSO ON THIS DATE 1815

The Mount Tambora volcano on the Indonesian island of Sumbawa exploded in one of the largest eruptions in recorded history, resulting in tens of thousands of deaths.

1865

Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee, a day after surrendering the Army of Northern Virginia at Appomattox Court House, said farewell to his men, praising them for their “unsurpassed courage and fortitude.”

1916

The Professional Golfers’ Association of America was founded in New York.

1925

The F. Scott Fitzgerald novel “The Great Gatsby” was first published by Scribner’s of New York.

1932

German President Paul Von Hindenburg was reelected in a runoff, with Adolf Hitler coming in second.

1947

Brooklyn Dodgers President Branch Rickey purchased the contract of Jackie Robinson from the Montreal Royals.

1966

English author Evelyn Waugh, 62, died in Combe Florey, Somerset, England.

1968

“In the Heat of the Night” won best picture of 1967at the 40th Academy Awards; one of its stars, Rod Steiger, was named best actor while Katharine Hepburn was honored as best actress for “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner.”

1971

a table tennis team from the United States arrived in China at the invitation of the communist government for a goodwill visit that came to be known as “pingpong diplomacy.”