Epic Idiot's what happened
On This Day

April 14

1986
U.S. attacks Libya: U.S. attempts to assassinate Muammar el-Qaddafi - blaming him for the bombing of a West Berlin disco - killing his infant daughter in the attack. It was later determined that a German woman was responsible for the bombing.

1971
Easing of the trade embargo with China: Announced by Pres. Reagan. It had been in effect for 20 years.

1965
In Cold Blood: Richard Hickock and Perry Smith are hanged for the 1959 murder of the Clutter family in Kansas. These murders were the basis for Truman Capote's book.

1956
First commercial video magnetic tape recorder: Ampex Co. demonstrates its device. It used a 2-inch wide tape and sold for $56,000.

1924
First helicopter to achieve forward flight: It travelled a distance of 1,181 feet.

1918
First U.S. air ACE: Lt. Douglas Campbell downs his first German aircraft. He downed his fifth on May 31st qualifying him as an ACE.

1912
Sinking of the Titanic: At 11:37 p.m. the four-story "unsinkable" ship - while on her maiden voyage - strikes an iceberg in the North Atlantic. She sank at 2:20 a.m. killing 1,517 of the 2,238 people aboard.

1910
First president to throw the opening ball of the baseball season: Howard Taft starts a long-lasting tradition.

1894
First commercial presentation of motion pictures: A parlor on Broadway begins showing 10 Edison Kinetoscope films featuring famous celebrities of the time. Viewers paid 25¢ to view five.

1890
Pan American Union: Established by the First International Conference of American States held in Washington D.C.

1865
Lincoln: The President is shot and mortally wounded in Ford's Theater by John Wilkes Booth.

1865
First U.S. national bank failure: The First National Bank of Attica, New York is placed into receivership.

1861
First casualty of the Civil War: A Union soldier is killed by an explosion caused by Union soldiers firing a salute to the flag before surrendering Fort Sumter. (Source: The Civil War Day by Day)

1834
The Whig Party is formed: By Henry Clay, Daniel Webster, and John C. Calhoun in opposition to Pres. Andrew Jackson.

1828
Webster's dictionary: Noah Webster's An American Dictionary of the English Language is published.

1818
U.S. Army Medical Corps is founded: Joseph Lovell was appointed Surgeon General.

1813
First private psychiatric hospital in the U.S.: Founded today by the Religious Society of Friends in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

1775
First U.S. abolition society: The Society for the Relief of Free Negroes Unlawfully Held in Bondage is founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

1968
Anthony Michael Hall, American actor. Film: Sixteen Candles (1984), The Breakfast Club (1985). TV: Saturday Night Live.

1949
John Shea, American Emmy-winning actor. TV: Baby M (1988, Emmy).

1945
Ritchie Blackmore, British guitarist, with Deep Purple. Music: Hush (1968), Kentucky Woman (1969), and Smoke On The Water (1972).

1941
Pete Rose, American baseball player, all-time hits leader (4,256), 1973 MVP, and 1975 World Series MVP. He was banned from baseball (1989) and the Hall of Fame (1991) for gambling on baseball and in 1990 was imprisoned for tax evasion.

1941
Julie Christie, British Oscar-winning actress. Film: Darling (1965), McCabe and Mrs. Miller (1971), and Shampoo (1975).

1938
Dr. Gloria Dean Scott, American children's leader. She was the first black president of the Girl Scouts (1975-78).

1935
Loretta Lynn (Loretta Webb), American country singer. Music: Don't Come Home Drinkin' (With Lovin' on Your Mind) (1966) and Coal Miner's Daughter (1970).

1930
Bradford Dillman, American actor. TV: Falcon Crest (Darryl Clayton).

1925     d. 2002
Rod Steiger, American Oscar-winning actor. Film: In the Heat of the Night (1967, Oscar) and The Amityville Horror (1979).

1904
Sir John Gielgud, British actor, noted for his Shakespearian roles. Film: Julius Caesar (1953), Becket (1964), and Richard III (1955).

1866     d. 1936
Anne Sullivan, American educator, "The Miracle Worker."  In 1887, she became Helen Keller's teacher and companion.  Anne was partially blind as a child, becoming completely blind in 1935.

1629     d. 1695
Christiaan Huygens, Dutch scientist. His improvements on telescope lenses enabled him to discover Saturn's rings and 6th moon Titan (1656). He also built the first pendulum clock (1656), published the first book on probability (1657), discovered the polarization of light (1678), and founded the wave theory of light.

1578     d. 1621
Philip III, King of Spain (1598-1621). He was weak ruler who spent enormous sums on court festivities.

1995     b. 1909
Burl Ives (Burle Icle Ivanhoe), American Oscar-winning actor, singer. Film: Big Country (1958, Oscar) and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958, Big Daddy). TV: The Bold Ones (Walter Nichols). He was jailed in Mona, Utah, for singing Foggy Foggy Dew (An Irish ballad) in public, which authorities deemed a bawdy song.

1986     b. 1908
Simone de Beauvoir, French author, feminist. Her book The Second Sex (1949) pioneered post-World War II feminism. She and her lover Jean-Paul Sartre are credited with creating "existentialism."

1964     b. 1907
Rachel Louise Carson, American biologist, conservationist. Her 1962 book Silent Spring alerted the nation to the dangers of pesticides.

1932     b. 1861
William John Burns, American detective. He preceded Hoover as head of the FBI (1921-24).

1924     b. 1856
Louis Henri Sullivan, American architect, creator of the skyscraper.

1759     b. 1685
George Frederick Handel, German composer. Music: The Messiah (1742). (Source: An Almanac of the Christian Church)

911     b. ????
Sergius III, Italian religious leader, 119th Pope (904-911).

Please send Corrections and Omissions to epicidiot.com