This day in history...

On April 7, 1862, reinforced Union troops under General Ulysses S. Grant drive back the Confederate Army of Mississippi near Shiloh Church in Pittsburgh Landing, TN. The Confederate army, commanded by General Albert Sydney Johnston (below), had surprised Grant's encamped troops there the day before. The two-day Battle of Shiloh saw the bloodiest fighting of the Civil War to that point, with a combined 23,000 casualties on both sides. The dead included Johnston, who would be the highest ranking officer on either side killed during the war.


On April 7, 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower suggests the fall of French Indochina to Communism will create a "domino effect" throughout Southeast Asia. The French had lost colonial control of the nation we know as Vietnam to the Japanese at the outbreak of WWII, and Vietnamese nationalists under the communist Ho Chi Minh were on the verge of driving the French out completely. In a press conference on April 7, Eisenhower emphasized the economic importance of the region to the U.S., which supplied raw material like rubber and sulphur. He then suggested a Communist victory would - "like a row of falling dominos" - lead to the possible loss of Burma, Indonesia, and others, possibly even Japan. Eisenhower's "domino theory" would mold U.S. policy toward the Vietnam War for the next 15 years.


On April 7, 1979, Houston Astros pitcher Ken Forsch pitches a no-hitter against the Atlanta Braves. Almost a year to the day (April 16, 1978) earlier, St. Louis Cardinal pitcher Bob Forsch had no-hit the Philadelphia Phillies. Ken's no-no makes the Forsches the first - and only - brother combination to have both pitched official major league no-hitters. In 1988 and 1990, brothers Pascual and Melido Perez pitched unofficial no-hitters, both being shortened by rain.

 

On April 8, 1904, Great Britain and France end practically a thousand years of hostility and animosity with the signing of the Entente Cordiale. Actually a series of agreements, the Entente had the immediate impact of the two nations agreeing to a "hands off" policy regarding each others' colonial holdings in Africa. Its biggest impact was perhaps its vision of the future, as both France and Great Britain realized they may need each other in the face of Germany's growing ambitions. Germany would test the diplomatic clout of the Entente almost immediately by declaring its support for the sultan of Morocco, France's largest territorial claim in Africa. Great Britain immediately sided with France, and an international conference in 1905 also recognized France's claim in the region.


On April 8, 1975, Frank Robinson breaks major league baseball's managerial color barrier, as he serves his first game as player-manager of the Cleveland Indians. Entering his 20th season in the majors, Frank (no relation to Jackie Robinson) was playing for his fifth team, though he was best known for his time in Cincinnati and Baltimore. Robinson would last two and a half seasons as player-manager of the American League Indians; in 1981 he became the National League's first black manager, with the San Francisco Giants. He was 4th (now 10th) on MLB's career home run list at the time of his retirement with 586; he was inducted into the Hall in 1982 and is also honored with statues outside the stadiums in Cincinnati, Baltimore and Cleveland.


On April 8, 1920, a peasant (it may have been more than one) discovers "a statue of fine marble" amidst the ruins of an ancient Roman theater on the island of Milos in the Aegean Sea. Researchers have conflicting reports on the actual discovery, but agree the statue (larger than life-size at 6 feet, 8 inches tall) honors the Roman goddess Venus and, other than the fact that both arms were missing, was in excellent condition. (One archaeologist who specializes in ancient textiles claims the position of the shoulders suggests the artist portrayed her in the act of spinning thread into cloth) Some believe the statue may have been separated into two pieces at mid-torso. What is now known as the Venus de Milo is believed to be the work of Alexander of Antioch (because of his Greek origins some in the art community call the sculpture the Aphrodite de Milos) and was acquired by the Louvre in Paris shortly after its discovery. The Louvre's curators and patrons may also be responsible for over-inflating the Venus de Milo's importance in art history; much of its inventory of foreign works had been stolen by Napoleon's conquering armies but returned shortly after Napoleon's overthrow, and the Louvre touted Venus as being even greater and more important than the pieces it had given up.

 

On April 11, 1803, French foreign minister Charles Maurice de Talleyrand coolly asks a question that changes the course of American history. For several weeks, Talleyrand had been unsuccessfully negotiating a treaty granting the U.S. control of New Orleans. But war was brewing with Great Britain and Napoleon could no longer afford to devote resources to securing French holdings in the New World. When Talleyrand meets with Ambassador Robert Livingston on the 11th, he calmly throws out a new suggestion: "What will you give for the whole?" Several weeks later, Talleyrand and U.S. emissaries sell the Louisiana territory (roughly 1/3 of the present contiguous U.S.) to the U.S. for $11.25 million.


On April 11, 1868, Shogun Tokugawa Yoshinobu surrenders Edo Castle to the imperial army. For more than a thousand years, Japanese emperors had appointed shogun (military dictator) to help maintain the peace. Once appointed, the title of shogun was often handed down from father to son, creating military dynasties that ran parallel to imperial dynasties in feudal Japan. Yoshinobu became the 15th of the Tokugawa Shogunate in 1866, and his immediate attempts to modernize his army created fear among a number of the samurai (a feudal lord beneath the shogun in the Japanese ruling class). Three of the more influential samurai formed an alliance backing the emperor, and Yoshinobu surrendered power rather than risk an all-out war. His surrendered ended the Tokugawa's 250 year hold on the Japanese military government.


On April 11, 1970, Apollo 13 launches from Cape Kennedy, FL, its mission; NASA's 3rd manned moon landing. Two days later, the explosion of one of the spacecraft's oxygen tanks turned the moon mission into a mission of survival, but Apollo 13 had ceased being a normal mission even before its launch. NASA shuffled crew assignments a few months before the launch; an on-going inner ear problem had briefly grounded scheduled mission commander Alan Shepard some time earlier. NASA felt he needed more training time, so the crew assignments for Apollo 13 and 14 were swapped, with Jim Lovell (commander), Ken Mattingly (command module pilot) and Fred Haise (lunar module pilot) moving up to Apollo 13. Then, exposure to the measles grounded Mattingly two days before the launch; Jack Swigert was promoted from the backup crew. The crew issues were not a factor in the explosion that aborted the mission. (photo taken seconds after release of the service module before splashdown shows the damage caused by the explosion.)

 

Didn't get to post on Sunday, and I'm not waiting a year to use this.....
On April 10, 1949, Sam Snead wins The Masters Tournament in Augusta, GA. In addition to the cash prize and first place trophy, Snead is the first champion awarded an Augusta National Golf Club member's jacket (the winners of the nine previous Championships were awarded green jackets retroactively). Club co-founder Clifford Roberts conceived the distinctive jacket so members could be easily distinguished from guests. Members of the exclusive club are each assigned one of the distinctive green blazers with the club logo on the left breast; by rule, they are not allowed to remove the jacket from the club premises, and must wear it while on the grounds during the tournament. (The jackets themselves are made by a manufacturer in Cincinnati, from wool produced by a Dublin, GA textile plant.) The current champion is the only jacket holder permitted to take his jacket off the grounds, a privilege that ends with the awarding of the following year's jacket. At the end of each tournament, the previous winner traditionally helps the new champion into his jacket, then returns his own jacket to the club, where it remains for him to wear when on the grounds. There are two exceptions; in 1961, champion Gary Player returned home to South Africa with his jacket, then made a habit of "forgetting" to return it, until the club granted him an exemption. 1938 champion Harry Picard likewise forgot to return his jacket, though this was before the "bring it back" tradition began. Both jackets now reside in each champion's personal golf memorabilia collections, and out of respect for the club never wear (Picard died in 1997) their jackets.

 

On April 12, 1606, the English Navy adopts the Union Flag (or Union Jack) as its official flag. The new flag commemorates the unification of the English, Scottish and Irish kingdoms under James VI of Scotland in 1603, although each remained a separate state. The Union Flag combines elements of the English and Scottish flags and the St. Patrick's Saltire. Although there is never an official decree, the Union Flag will eventually become recognized as the official flag of Great Britain.


On April 12, 1862, Union Army volunteers and a civilian scout perpetrate The Great Locomotive Chase. In Big Shanty (now Kennesaw), GA, James J. Andrews (below) and 22 Ohio infantry volunteers steal a locomotive known as The General and head north for Chattanooga, destroying tracks and telegraph lines along the way. The rightful conductor of The General and Confederate troops gave chase in another train, while others pursued using a railroad gang handcar and still others on foot. Andrews and his band made it 87 miles before losing power near Ringgold, GA, where they abandoned the locomotive and scattered on foot. Andrews was soon captured, convicted as a spy and hanged. He is buried at the Ohio monument of the Chattanooga National Cemetery. As a civilian, Andrews' role in the scheme was never officially recognized by the Union Army, but some of the volunteers became the first recipients of the Medal of Honor.


On April 12, 1934, an anemometer at Mt. Washington, New Hampshire records the highest gust of wind (not associated with a tornado) ever experienced up to that time, 231 miles per hour. The first anemometer considered to be accurate was invented in 1845. The Mt. Washington gust will be topped almost 62 years to the day later - April 10, 1996 - during Tropical Cyclone Olive. An automated weather station at Barrow Island, Australia, will record a gust at 253 mph. (photo: the anemometer that recorded the Mt. Washington "Big Wind")

 

On April 13, 1990, the Soviet Union admits responsibility for the Katyn Massacre of WWII. When Poland fell in 1941 (to Nazi Germany from the west, the Soviets to the east), more than 40,000 Polish military officers were split in captivity between the conquering nations. In the aftermath of Germany's advance on Russia in 1943, German propaganda announced the discovery of a mass grave in the Katyn Forest of Soviet-occupied Poland. Although the Allies suspected the Soviets were responsible (a representative of the Polish government-in-exile was permitted to visit and agreed with the conclusion), the information was suppressed. As part of Mikhail Gorbachev's policy of openness over Soviet history, the USSR admitted to the killing of about 22,000 Polish military prisoners during the war, labeling it among "the worst of Stalin's outrages."


On April 13, 1953, the CIA initiates Project MKUltra, experimentation to identify drugs that could be used to weaken the will of prisoners under interrogation. Authorized by CIA Director Allen Dulles (below) in conjunction with two other projects, the overall goal was to identify the most effective interrogation techniques, including physical, psychological and sexual torture. The projects were carried out under the guise of research at more than 80 facilities, including universities, with unwitting American and Canadian citizens as test subjects. The projects were halted in 1973 by Director Richard Helms and much of the documentation destroyed, but the Church Committee of Congress uncovered additional documents revealing the experiments in 1975. Despite the hearings that followed, the loss of documentation means the full scope of MKUltra (including deaths) may never be known.


On April 13, 1943 - the 200th anniversary of President Thomas Jefferson's berth - the Jefferson Memorial is dedicated in Washington, DC. The project was first proposed during Teddy Roosevelt's presidency but went unfunded by Congress until 1939. Architect J.R. Pope's design recalls the rotunda at the University of Virginia, which Jefferson designed. Due to material shortages caused by the war, a bronze statue of the third President was not completed and installed until 1947. Constructed of Vermont marble in the Greek Classical Revival style, the Memorial receives more than 2 million visitors per year.

 

On April 14, 1975, Operation Baby Lift, the American airlift of Vietnamese orphans to the United States, is concluded. The operation began disastrously on April 4 when an Air Force cargo jet crashed shortly after take-off from Tan Son Nhut airbase in Saigon. More than 135 of the passengers, mostly children, were killed. Operation Baby Lift was initiated to bring South Vietnamese orphans to the United States for adoption by American parents. The April 4 tragedy was Operation Baby Lift's only miscue; in 10 days 2,600 orphans were transported to America. Saigon would fall 16 days later.


April 14, 1935 sees one of the worst storms of the 1930's "Dust bowl" era. Eight years of drought combined with years of overplowing and overgrazing in the farmlands of northwest New Mexico, the Texas and Oklahoma panhandles, eastern Colorado and western Kansas led to the Dust bowl. The resulting soil erosion led to a situation where any winds would kick up enough dust that people and livestock suffered respiratory problems. On the 14th - "Black Sunday" to those who lived it - the dust was so thick many witnesses would state they honestly thought the world was coming to an end. The dust bowl era ended when the rains returned in 1939, and although a number of droughts have hit the region since, improved farming techniques have prevented a repeat.


On April 14, 1960, the Montreal Canadiens beat the Toronto Maple Leafs to complete a NHL finals sweep and win their 5th consecutive Stanley Cup. The five consecutive Cups is a record that still stands. Founded in 1909 as part of the National Hockey Association, the Canadiens (officially le Club de Hockey Canadien, known by French speaking fans as les Habitants or "le Habs", which explains the "H" in their logo), are one of the NHL's "Original Six" teams, and the only one that predates the League's formation in 1947. They are also the oldest professional hockey franchise in existence. The 1960 Stanley Cup would be the last of the streak; Hall of Famer Maurice "Rocket" Richard's retirement immediately after the finals ended the era. The Habs have won a record 24 Stanley Cups, but none since 1993.

 

On April 17, 1492, Christopher Columbus and the Catholic monarchs of Spain - most notably Queen Isabella I of Castille and King Ferdinand II of Aragon - sign the Capitulations of Santa Fe. The agreement finances Columbus' proposed voyage to the Indies via a previously uncharted route in exchange for a tenth of any riches he acquires on the expedition. He is also granted the title of Admiral of the Oceans. The original document no longer exists, but the fact that it contained no mention of the continent of Asia and also granted Columbus the titles of viceroy and governor-general suggests to some historians that the expedition was first and foremost intended to discover new lands rather than a new route to India.


On April 17, 1907, the Ellis Island Immigration Center processes 11,747 immigrants, the single busiest day in the center's 62-year history. From 1892 to 1954, more than 12 million immigrants arriving in America through the Port of New York would be processed through Ellis Island.


On April 17, 1937, Warner Brothers Studios premiers a new animated short film, Porky's Duck Hunt. The short features already-established character Porky Pig, but introduces a new character called Daffy Duck. The top animated studios of the day usually featured "everyman" style characters like Mickey Mouse or Popeye. Daffy Duck would introduce a new type of character, the "screwball comic", displaying a more manic personality. Daffy Duck would become Warner Bros. third most featured character behind Bugs Bunny and Porky Pig, starring in 130 short films. TV Guide ranks him the 14th most popular animated character of all time. Classic voice acter Mel Blanc would provide Daffy Duck's voice for his first 52 years, a record for a voice actor performing a single animated character.

 

On April 18, 1943, Admiral Isoruko Yamamoto, commander of the Japanese Imperial Navy and one of the keenest military minds of WWII, is killed when his plane is shot down by a U.S. Army Air Corps plane over Bougainville Island. Yamamoto was on an inspection tour of facilities in the Solomon Islands, and a coded message detailing his plans was intercepted four days earlier by the U.S. intelligence program "Magic." What happened over the next four days has never been publicly revealed; there was speculation that the message may have been a ruse to get the U.S. to reveal it was intercepting Japanese messages. Ultimately, Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox allowed Admiral Chester Nimitz to OK the mission to "get Yamamoto"; its not clear whether or not President Roosevelt knew. The mission was turned over to the USAAC; who's P-38 Lightnings were the only fighter with the range to make the intercept. Either Lt. Rex Barber or Capt. Thomas Lanphier shot down Yamamoto's bomber; each pilot shot down a bomber in the flight. Because of the secrecy of "Magic", the American public was not made aware of the mission until several days after the war ended. (Yamamoto on Rabaul, a few hours before his death)


On April 18, 1930, nothing happened. That's literally how the BBC reported it; at 8:45pm (London time), British radio listeners tuned in to the British Broadcasting Company news program, only to hear a simple, one-sentence statement: "There is no news tonight." This was followed by 15 minutes of piano music before the BBC continued with regular programming. Obviously, something happened (in fact, an insurgent group in India attacked a British armory, but telegraph lines were cut and the BBC didn't get the story), but radio was still a fledgling medium and the BBC didn't even have its own news division yet. There were also the typical "if it bleeds, it leads" events that have made up a typical nightly newscast for the last 50 years, but then-BBC Director Sir John Reith was a "quality over quantity" sort, and wanted nothing to do with such mundane non-news.