This Day in History

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Today is April 22.

Earth Day is observed today, concurrently with International Mother Earth Day.


Events

1836 – Texas Revolution: A day after the Battle of San Jacinto, forces under Texas General Sam Houston identify Mexican General Antonio López de Santa Anna among the captives of the battle when one of his fellow captives mistakenly gives away his identity.

1864 – The U.S. Congress passes the Coinage Act of 1864 that mandates that the inscription In God We Trust be placed on all coins minted as United States currency.

1876 – The first game in the history of the National League was played at the Jefferson Street Grounds in Philadelphia. This game is often pointed to as the beginning of MLB.

1889 – At noon, thousands rush to claim land in the Land Rush of 1889. Within hours the cities of Oklahoma City and Guthrie are formed with populations of at least 10,000.

1945 – World War II: Führerbunker: After learning that Soviet forces have taken Eberswalde without a fight, Adolf Hitler admits defeat in his underground bunker and states that suicide is his only recourse.

1970 – The first Earth Day is celebrated.

1977 – Optical fiber is first used to carry live telephone traffic.

2000 – In a pre-dawn raid, federal agents seize six-year-old Elián González



from his relatives' home in Miami.

2008 – The United States Air Force retires the last remaining F-117 Nighthawk



aircraft in service.



1724 – Immanuel Kant, 1870 – Vladimir Lenin, 1891 – Nicola Sacco (Sacco and Vanzetti), 1899 – Vladimir Nabokov (author Lolita), 1904 – J. Robert Oppenheimer ("Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds."), 1906 – Eddie Albert, 1916 – Yehudi Menuhin, 1922 – Charles Mingus, 1923 – Bettie Page (50s pin-up girl), 1923 – Aaron Spelling, 1936 – Glen Campbell, 1937 – Jack Nicholson, 1939 – Jason Miller ('Father Damien' in The Exorcist), 1944 – Steve Fo$$ett, 1946 – John Waters, 1950 – Peter Frampton, 1959 – Catherine Mary Stewart, 1959 – Ryan Stiles, 1966 – Jeffrey Dean Morgan, 1967 – Sherri Shepherd, 1972 – Willie Robertson (of Duck Dynasty), 1986 – Amber Heard



1616 – Miguel de Cervantes (author Don Quixote), 1933 – Henry Royce (Rolls-Royce), 1978 – Will Geer ('Wyatt Earp' in Winchester '73, 'Bear Claw Chris Lapp' in Jeremiah Johnson, 'Grandpa Walton' in The Waltons), 1984 – Ansel Adams, 1994 – Richard Nixon (37th POTUS), 1996 – Erma Bombeck, 2002 – Linda Lovelace, 2004 – Jason Dunham, 2004 – Pat Tillman, 2013 – Richie Havens♪ ♫