1521 – Trial of Martin Luther over his teachings begins during the assembly of the Diet of Worms. Initially intimidated, he asks for time to reflect before answering and is given a stay of one day.
1790 – Benjamin Franklin, American inventor, publisher, and politician, 6th President of Pennsylvania (b. 1706) died.
1797 – Citizens of Verona, Italy, begin an eight-day rebellion against the French occupying forces, which will end unsuccessfully.
1837 – J. P. Morgan, American banker and financier, founded J.P. Morgan & Co. (d. 1913) was born.
1863 – American Civil War: Grierson’s Raid begins – troops under Union Army Colonel Benjamin Grierson attack central Mississippi.
1864 – American Civil War: The Battle of Plymouth begins – Confederate forces attack Plymouth, North Carolina.
1897 – The Aurora, Texas UFO incident
1905 – The Supreme Court of the United States decides Lochner v. New York, which holds that the “right to free contract” is implicit in the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution.
1907 – The Ellis Island immigration center processes 11,747 people, more than on any other day.
1912 – Russian troops open fire on striking goldfield workers in northeast Siberia, killing at least 150.
1917 – Bill Clements, American politician, 42nd Governor of Texas (d. 2011) was born.
1918 – William Holden, Ill, actor (Stalag 17, Bridge Over River Kwai, SOB) Born
1923 – Harry Reasoner, Dakota City Iowa, newscaster (60 Minutes, ABC, CBS) Born
1934 – Don Kirshner, rock & roll producer (invented bubblegum music) Born
1932 – A mob of western Kansas Farmers today went back to old fashioned justice when they lynched a man who admitted killing an 8 year old girl by overpowering the sheriff and hanging the man from a tree in Kansas
1937 – Daffy Duck’s first appearance, in Porky’s Duck Hunt.
1941 – World War II: The Kingdom of Yugoslavia surrenders to Germany.
1944 – Forces of the Communist-controlled Greek People’s Liberation Army attack the smaller National and Social Liberation resistance group, which surrenders. Its leader Dimitrios Psarros is murdered.
1945 – Brazilian forces liberate the town of Montese, Italy, from German Nazi forces.
1949 – At midnight 26 Irish counties officially leave the British Commonwealth. A 21-gun salute on O’Connell Bridge, Dublin, ushers in the Republic of Ireland.
1954 – Rowdy Roddy Piper, Canadian professional wrestler (Actor – THEY LIVE)Born
1955 – Pete Shelley, vocal/guitar (Buzzcocks-Going Steady, Love Bites) born
1960 – Eddie Cochran, rocker, dies at 21 in a car crash
1961 – A group of 1,500 Cuban exiles supported by the US government invaded the Bay of Pigs on the southern coast of Cuba in an attempt to overthrow the government of Fidel Castro. The invasion failed miserably and by April 21st all had been killed or captured. One year earlier the CIA had recommended to the Dwight D. Eisenhower Administration to recruit, support, equip and train Cuban exiles for action against the new government of Fidel Castro. Following the change to the new U.S. President John F. Kennedy in February who was also advised the operation would be a success, the operation was continued. Cuba was tipped off by senior KGB agents and intelligence forces arrested more than 100,000 Cubans who they suspected would be allies of the expected invading force, ensuring that the invading forces would be cut off from support.
1962 – Around the world after the approval by Governments of the Oral Polio Vaccine developed by Albert Sabin. Schools, Health Clinics and Doctors were preparing to administer the Polio Vaccine to children who had not received the injected Salk vaccine . Polio had been increasing at an alarming rate prior to the development of the Salk vaccine and in 1952 alone over 58,000 cases of Polio occurred in the United States.
1964 – Ford Mustang is introduced to the North American market.
1969 – Sirhan Sirhan is convicted of assassinating Robert F. Kennedy.
1970 – Apollo program: The ill-fated Apollo 13 spacecraft returns to Earth safely.
1970 – Redman, American rapper, producer, and actor (Def Squad and Method Man & Redman) was born.
1973 – George Lucas begins writing the treatment for The Star Wars.
1978 – Mir Akbar Khyber is assassinated, provoking a communist coup d’état in Afghanistan.
1982 – Patriation of the Canadian constitution in Ottawa by Proclamation of Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada.
1984 – Police Constable Yvonne Fletcher is killed by gunfire from the Libyan People’s Bureau (Embassy) in London during a small demonstration outside the embassy. Ten others are wounded. The events lead to an 11-day siege of the building.
1998 – Linda McCartney, American singer-songwriter, photographer, and activist (Wings) (b. 1941) died.
2003 – Robert Atkins, American dietician (b. 1930) Died
2003 – Earl King, American musician and songwriter (b. 1934) Died
2007 – Kitty Carlisle, American actress and television personality (b. 1910) Dies
2013 – An explosion at a fertilizer plant in the city of West, Texas, kills 15 people and injures 160 others.