Today in History

Today is Wednesday, April 2nd, the 93rd day of 2008. There are 273 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History: On April 2nd, 1968, the influential science-fiction Film "2001: A Space Odyssey," produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick, had its world premiere in Washington, D.C.

On this date: In 1513, Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon landed in present-day Florida.

In 1792, Congress passed the Coinage Act, which authorized establishment of the U.S. Mint.

In 1865, Confederate President Jefferson Davis and most of his Cabinet fled the Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia, because of advancing Union forces.

In 1908, actor-Dancer Buddy Ebsen was born in Belleville, Illinois.

In 1917, President Wilson asked Congress to declare war against Germany, saying, "The world must be made safe for democracy." (Congress declared war four days later.) In 1932, aviator Charles A. Lindbergh and John F. Condon went to a cemetery in The Bronx, New York, where Condon turned over $50,000 to a man called "John" in exchange for Lindbergh's kidnapped son.

(The child was not returned, and was found dead the following month.) In 1974, French president Georges Pompidou died in Paris.

In 1982, several thousand troops from Argentina seized the disputed Falkland Islands, located in the south Atlantic, from Britain. (Britain seized the islands back the following June.) In 1986, four American passengers were killed when a bomb exploded aboard a TWA jetliner en route from Rome to Athens, Greece.

In 2005, Pope John Paul II, who'd led the Roman Catholic Church for 26 years, died in his Vatican apartment at age 84.

Ten years ago: Shaking their fists in rage, thousands of mourners marched in a funeral procession in the West Bank for a top Hamas bombmaker (Mohiyedine Sharif) hailed by Palestinians as a martyr and condemned by Israel as a terrorist.

Five years ago: American forces fought their way to within sight of the Baghdad skyline; Iraqi soldiers discarded their military uniforms by the roadside to hide their identity. A bomb blast near a wharf in the southern Philippine city of Davao killed 16.

One year ago: In its first case on climate change, the Supreme Court declared in a 5-4 ruling that carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases were air pollutants under the Clean Air Act. A tsunami in the Solomon Islands killed at least 50 people. Florida won its second consecutive college Basketball championship, beating Ohio State 84-75; the Gators became the first team to repeat since Duke in 1991-92. Coaches Phil Jackson and Roy Williams were among those named to the Basketball Hall of Fame.

Today's Birthdays: Actress Rita Gam is 80. Actress Sharon Acker is 73. Singer Leon Russell is 66. Jazz musician Larry Coryell is 65. Actress Linda Hunt is 63. Singer Emmylou Harris is 61. Actress Pamela Reed is 59. Rock musician Dave Robinson (The Cars) is 55.

Country singer Buddy Jewell is 47. Actor Christopher Meloni is 47.

Singer Keren Woodward (Bananarama) is 47. Country singer Billy Dean is 46. Actor Clark Gregg is 46. Actress Jana Marie Hupp is 44. Rock musician Greg Camp (Smash Mouth) is 41. Rock musician Tony Fredianelli (Third Eye Blind) is 39. Actress Roselyn Sanchez is 35.

Country singer Jill King is 33. Actor Adam Rodriguez is 33. Actor Jeremy Garrett is 32. Rock musician Jesse Carmichael (Maroon 5) is 29. Actress Bethany Joy Lenz ("One Tree Hill") is 27. Actor Jesse Plemons is 20.

Thought for Today: "No artist is ahead of his time. He is his time. It is just that others are behind the time." Martha Graham, modern dance pioneer (1894-1991).

(Above Advance for Use Wednesday, April 2nd)


Copyright 2008, The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) APNP 03-23-08 0810CDT | save this article / add to your favorites list