On This Day April 3

1996
Unabomber: Theodore Kaczynski is captured by the FBI. He was later convicted of killing three people and wounding 29 others by sending mail bombs over a period of almost eighteen years.

1975
Bobby Fischer forfeits the world chess title after refusing to defend it.

1973
Cell Phone: The first portable cell phone call is made. General manager of Motorola's Communications Systems Division calls his rival at AT&T's Bell Labs from the streets of New York City.

1969
Jim Morrison, of The Doors, is arrested for exposing himself in front of a Miami concert audience the previous March. The charges were eventually dropped.

1953
TV Guide: The first issue of the popular guide is published.

1946
Word War II: Masaharu Homma, the Japanese General responsible for the Bataan Death March is executed for his war crimes.

1918
The American's Creed by William Tyler Page is accepted by the House of Representatives. "A government of the people, by the people, for the people... established upon those principles of freedom, equality, justice, and humanity." (Source: An Almanac of the Christian Church)

1889
First bank for and operated by blacks: It opens for business in Virginia.

1882
Jesse James: The famous outlaw is shot and killed by a member of his own gang to collect his reward of $10,000.

1860
First run of the Pony Express departs from St. Joseph, Missouri arriving in Sacramento, California on April 13.

33 A.D.
Crucifixion: The traditional date, as established by Isaac Newton.

1961
Eddie Murphy (Edward Regan Murphy), American comedian. Film: 48 Hours (1982), Trading Places (1983), Beverly Hills Cop (1984), Dr. Dolittle (1998), and Shrek (2001, voice of Donkey). TV: Saturday Night Live.

1959
David Hyde Pierce, American Emmy-winning actor. TV: Frasier (Dr. Niles Crane). Film: A Bug's Life (1998, voice of Slim the walking stick).

1958
Alec Baldwin (Alexander Rae Baldwin III), American actor, oldest of the "Baldwin brothers." Film: The Hunt for Red October (1990). TV: Doctors (Billy) and Knots Landing (Joshua).

1949 d. 1992
Lyle Alzado, American football player, two-time All-Pro. As an amateur boxer, he fought an exhibition match against Muhammad Ali. He died of brain cancer, which he believed was caused by steroid abuse.

1944
Tony Orlando (Michael Cassavitis), American singer. Music: Knock Three Times (1971, #1), and Tie a Yellow Ribbon 'Round the Ole Oak Tree (1973, #1).

1942
Wayne Newton, American cabaret singer, "Mr. Las Vegas". He performed over 25,000 concerts in Las Vegas.

1926 d. 1967
Virgil "Gus" Grissom, American astronaut, one of the seven original Mercury astronauts. He died with two other astronauts when Apollo 1 caught fire on the launch pad during a simulation. He was the first astronaut to go into space twice.

1924
Doris Day (Doris von Kappelhoff), American actress. Film: Pajama Game (1957) and Pillow Talk (1959).

1924 d. 2004
Marlon Brando, American Oscar-winning actor. Film: A Streetcar Named Desire (1951), The Wild One (1953), On the Waterfront (1954, Oscar), The Godfather (1972, Don Corleone), and Superman (1978, Superman's father).

1911 d. 1980
Stella Walsh (Stanislawa Walasiewicz), Polish Olympic gold medal winner (1932) and the first woman to run the 100-yard dash in under 11 seconds (10.8 sec., 1930). She received more than 5,000 medals and awards. After her death, it was determined that she was actually a man.

1904 d. 1999
Iron Eyes Cody (Espera DeCorti), American actor. Film: Sitting Bull (1954) and A Man Called Horse (1970). He was featured in the teary-eyed ecology TV commercials.

1893 d. 1943
Leslie Howard (Leslie Stainer), English actor. Film: Gone with the Wind (1939, Ashley Wilkes). He was killed by Nazis who, believing Winston Churchill was aboard, shot down his plane.

1885 d. 1954
Bud Fisher (Harry Conway Fisher), American cartoonist, created Mutt and Jeff (1907).

1861 d. 1920
Reginald De Koven, American operatic composer. Music: The Golden Butterfly and Oh, Promise Me.

1823 d. 1878
Boss Tweed (William Marcy Tweed), American politician, boss of Tammany Hall. It is estimated he stole between $30 and $200 million from New York City. He was portrayed in the film Gangs of New York (2002).

1822 d. 1909
Edward Everett Hale, American author. Writings: The Man Without a Country (1863).

1783 d. 1859
Washington Irving, American author. Writings: Rip Van Winkle (1819) and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (1819). He also wrote under the names Diedrich Knickerbocker, Geoffrey Corson, Anthony Evergreen, and Jonathan Oldstyle.

1721 d. 1783
John Hanson, American statesman, first president of U.S. Congress Assembled (1781-82). Because of this he is sometimes called the first president of the U.S.

1996 b. 1941
Ron Brown, American, Democratic National Party chairman, Commerce Secretary (1993-96). He and 34 other people died in a government plane crash, prompting government cover-up theories, based on Brown's being under investigation for corruption and having prepared to negotiate plea bargains implicating President Clinton.

1996 b. 1927
Carl Burton Stokes, American politician, TV newscaster. He was the first black elected mayor of a major U.S. city (1967-72, Cleveland, Ohio).

1993 b. 1914
Pinky Lee (Pincus Leff), American children's TV show host, known for his lisp and checkered hat.

1991 b. 1901
Charles H. Goren, American bridge expert, columnist, Goren on Bridge.

1988 b. 1907
Milton Caniff, American cartoonist, creator of Terry and the Pirates (1934) and Steve Canyon (1947).

1976 b. 1900
David Mathias Dennison, American theoretical physicist. He discovered the spin of the proton.

1929 b. 1844
Karl Friedrich Benz, German automotive pioneer, built the first car powered by an internal combustion engine.

1882 b. 1847
Jesse Woodson James, American outlaw, fought with Confederate guerrillas during the Civil War. He was shot by a member of his own gang to collect his reward of $10,000.

April 3

Events

Birthdays

Deaths