Today is Monday, April 10, the 100th day of 2017. There are 265 days left in the year. The Jewish holiday Passover begins at sunset.
Today’s highlight: On April 10, 1912, the British liner RMS Titanic set sail from Southampton, England, on its ill-fated maiden voyage.
On this date:
In 1790, President George Washington signed the first United States Patent Act.
In 1866, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals was incorporated.
In 1925, the F. Scott Fitzgerald novel “The Great Gatsby” was first published by Scribner’s of New York.
In 1932, German President Paul Von Hindenburg was re-elected in a runoff, with Adolf Hitler coming in second.
In 1947, Brooklyn Dodgers President Branch Rickey purchased the contract of Jackie Robinson from the Montreal Royals.
In 1957, Egypt reopened the Suez Canal to all shipping traffic. (The canal had been closed due to wreckage resulting from the Suez Crisis.) The jury-deliberation film drama “12 Angry Men,” starring Henry Fonda, premiered in Los Angeles. John Osborne’s play “The Entertainer,” starring Laurence Olivier, opened in London.
In 1967, at the Academy Awards, “A Man for All Seasons” won best picture of 1966; its star, Paul Scofield, was named best actor; Elizabeth Taylor received best actress for “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?”
In 1974, Golda Meir told party leaders she was resigning as prime minister of Israel.
In 1981, imprisoned IRA hunger striker Bobby Sands was declared the winner of a by-election to the British Parliament.
In 1992, comedian Sam Kinison was killed in a car crash outside Needles, California, at age 38.
In 1998, the Northern Ireland peace talks concluded as negotiators reached a landmark settlement to end 30 years of bitter rivalries and bloody attacks.
In 2010, Polish President Lech Kaczynski, 60, was killed in a plane crash in western Russia that also claimed the lives of his wife and top Polish political, military and church officials.
Ten years ago: A woman wearing an explosives vest blew herself up in the midst of 200 Iraqi police recruits in Muqdadiyah, killing 16. Two Russian cosmonauts and U.S. billionaire Charles Simonyi arrived at the international space station. DNA tests showed that former boyfriend Larry Birkhead was the father of the late Anna Nicole Smith’s baby.
Five years ago: Rick Santorum quit the presidential race, clearing the way for Mitt Romney to claim the Republican nomination. Syrian troops defied a U.N.-brokered cease-fire plan, launching fresh attacks on rebellious areas. French Resistance figure Raymond Aubrac, 97, died in Paris. The University of Arkansas fired Bobby Petrino as its football coach, citing a “pattern of misleading” behavior that included hiring his mistress.
One year ago: A massive fire erupted in a Hindu temple in southern India packed with thousands for a religious festival, killing 111 people; an unauthorized pyrotechnic display was blamed for the disaster. The Boston Globe published a satirical front page lampooning a potential Donald Trump candidacy; the Republican candidate responded by calling the newspaper “stupid” and “worthless.” Danny Willett won the Masters, shooting a closing 67 for a 5-under 283 total, after a stunning collapse by Jordan Spieth.
Today’s birthdays: Actor Max von Sydow is 88. Actress Liz Sheridan is 88. Sportscaster John Madden is 81. Reggae artist Bunny Wailer is 70. Actor Steven Seagal is 66. Folk-pop singer Terre Roche (The Roches) is 64. Actor Peter MacNicol is 63. Actress Olivia Brown is 60. Rock musician Steven Gustafson (10,000 Maniacs) is 60. Singer-producer Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds is 59. Rock singer-musician Brian Setzer is 58. Rock singer Katrina Leskanich is 57. Actor Jeb Adams is 56. Olympic gold medal speedskater Cathy Turner is 55. Rock musician Tim “Herb” Alexander is 52. Actor-comedian Orlando Jones is 49. Rock musician Mike Mushok (Staind) is 48. Singer Kenny Lattimore is 47. Rapper Q-Tip (AKA Kamaal) is 47. Actor David Harbour is 42. Blues singer Shemekia Copeland is 38. Actress Laura Bell Bundy is 36. Actor Harry Hadden-Paton (TV: “The Crown”; “Downton Abbey”) is 36. Actress Chyler Leigh is 35. Pop musician Andrew Dost (fun.) is 34. Actor Ryan Merriman is 34. Singer Mandy Moore is 33. Actor Barkhad Abdi is 32. Actress Shay Mitchell is 30. Actor Haley Joel Osment is 29. Country singer Maren Morris is 27. Actor Alex Pettyfer is 27. Actress-singer AJ (AKA Amanda) Michalka is 26. Actress Daisy Ridley is 25. Singer-actress Sofia Carson (TV: “Descendants”) is 24. Actress Audrey Whitby is 21. Actress Ruby Jerins is 19.
Thought for today: “All fantasy should have a solid base in reality.” — Max Beerbohm, English critic and essayist (1872-1956).
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