Today in History

Today is Sunday, April 19, the 109th day of 2015. There are 256 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On April 19, 1865, a funeral was held at the White House for President Abraham Lincoln, assassinated five days earlier; his coffin was then taken to the U.S. Capitol for a private memorial service in the Rotunda.

On this date:

In 1775, the American Revolutionary War began with the battles of Lexington and Concord.

In 1912, a special subcommittee of the Senate Commerce Committee opened hearings in New York into the Titanic disaster.

In 1935, the Universal Pictures horror film "Bride of Frankenstein," starring Boris Karloff with Elsa Lanchester in the title role, had its world premiere in San Francisco.

In 1943, during World War II, tens of thousands of Jews in the Warsaw Ghetto began a valiant but ultimately futile battle against Nazi forces.

In 1945, the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical "Carousel" opened on Broadway.

In 1951, Gen. Douglas MacArthur, relieved of his Far East command by President Harry S. Truman, bade farewell in an address to Congress in which he quoted a line from a ballad: "Old soldiers never die; they just fade away."

In 1960, South Korean students began an uprising that toppled the government of President Syngman Rhee a week later. The South West African People's Organization (SWAPO) was founded in Namibia.

In 1965, New York City radio station WINS-AM launched its all-news format, which continues to this day, making it America's oldest all-news broadcaster.

In 1975, India launched its first satellite atop a Soviet rocket.

In 1989, 47 sailors were killed when a gun turret exploded aboard the USS Iowa in the Caribbean. (The Navy initially suspected that a dead crew member had deliberately sparked the blast, but later said there was no proof of that.)

In 1993, the 51-day siege at the Branch Davidian compound near Waco, Texas, ended as fire destroyed the structure after federal agents began smashing their way in; dozens of people, including sect leader David Koresh, were killed.

In 1995, a truck bomb destroyed the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, killing 168 people. (Bomber Timothy McVeigh was later convicted of federal murder charges and executed.)

Ten years ago: Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger of Germany was elected pope in the first conclave of the new millennium; he took the name Benedict XVI. A Spanish court convicted a former Argentine naval officer, Adolfo Scilingo, of crimes against humanity and sentenced him to 640 years in prison for throwing 30 prisoners from planes during his country's "dirty war." General Motors reported a $1.1 billion quarterly loss.

Five years ago: The U.S. and Iraq claimed a major victory against al-Qaida, saying their forces had killed the terror group's two top figures in an air and ground assault on their safe house near former President Saddam Hussein's hometown. Kenya's Robert Kiprono Cheruiyot won the Boston Marathon and broke the course record with a time of 2:05:52; Ethiopia's Teyba Erkesso won the women's race in a time of 2:26:11.

One year ago: The captain of a ferry that sank off the coast of South Korea, leaving more than 300 dead, was arrested on suspicion of negligence and abandoning people in need. (Lee Joon-seok was later sentenced to 36 years in prison; he was acquitted of a homicide charge which could have carried a death sentence.) Ten months after their capture in Syria, four French journalists crossed the border into neighboring Turkey to freedom, though dozens more remained held in the country's chaotic civil war. Country music singer Kevin Sharp, 43, died in Fair Oaks, California.

Today's Birthdays: Actor Hugh O'Brian is 90. Actress Elinor Donahue is 78. Rock musician Alan Price (The Animals) is 73. Actor Tim Curry is 69. Pop singer Mark "Flo" Volman (The Turtles; Flo and Eddie) is 68. Actor Tony Plana is 63. Former tennis player Sue Barker is 59. Former race car driver Al Unser Jr. is 53. Actor Tom Wood is 52. Recording executive Suge Knight is 50. Singer-songwriter Dar Williams is 48. Actress Ashley Judd is 47. Singer Bekka Bramlett is 47. Latin pop singer Luis Miguel is 45. Actress Jennifer Esposito is 43. Actress Jennifer Taylor is 43. Jazz singer Madeleine Peyroux is 41. Actor James Franco is 37. Actress Kate Hudson is 36. Actor Hayden Christensen is 34. Actress Catalina Sandino Moreno is 34. Actress Kelen Coleman (TV: "The McCarthy's") is 31. Roots rock musician Steve Johnson (Alabama Shakes) is 30. Actor Courtland Mead is 28. Tennis player Maria Sharapova is 28.

Thought for Today: "Never one thing and seldom one person can make for a success. It takes a number of them merging into one perfect whole." -- Marie Dressler, Canadian actress (1869-1934).

Copyright 2015, The Associated Press. All rights reserved.