Today in History

Today is Saturday, April 2, the 93rd day of 2016. There are 273 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On April 2, 1917, President Woodrow Wilson asked Congress to declare war against Germany, saying, "The world must be made safe for democracy." (Congress declared war four days later.)

On this date:

In 1792, Congress passed the Coinage Act, which authorized establishment of the U.S. Mint.

In 1800, Ludwig van Beethoven premiered his Symphony No. 1 in C Major, Op. 21, in Vienna.

In 1865, Confederate President Jefferson Davis and most of his Cabinet fled the Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia, because of advancing Union forces.

In 1932, aviator Charles A. Lindbergh and John F. Condon went to a cemetery in The Bronx, New York, where Condon turned over $50,000 to a man in exchange for Lindbergh's kidnapped son. (The child, who was not returned, was found dead the following month.)

In 1942, Glenn Miller and his orchestra recorded "American Patrol" at the RCA Victor studios in Hollywood.

In 1956, the soap operas "As the World Turns" and "The Edge of Night" premiered on CBS-TV.

In 1968, the science-fiction film "2001: A Space Odyssey," produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick, had its world premiere in Washington, D.C.

In 1974, French President Georges Pompidou, 62, died in Paris.

In 1982, several thousand troops from Argentina seized the disputed Falkland Islands, located in the south Atlantic, from Britain. (Britain seized the islands back the following June.)

In 1986, four American passengers, including an 8-month-old girl, her mother and grandmother, were killed when a terrorist bomb exploded aboard a TWA jetliner en route from Rome to Athens, Greece.

In 1995, after a work stoppage lasting nearly eight months, baseball owners accepted the players' union offer to play without a contract.

In 2005, Pope John Paul II died in his Vatican apartment at age 84.

Ten years ago: Tornadoes killed 23 people in Tennessee and four others in the South and Midwest. Journalist Jill Carroll arrived in Boston, tearfully embracing her parents and twin sister after 82 days as a hostage in Iraq. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw made a surprise trip to Iraq to urge its leaders to form a unified government.

Five years ago: Highly radioactive water leaked into the sea from a crack at Japan's stricken nuclear power plant; meanwhile, earthquake-tsunami survivors complained that the government was not paying enough heed to victims. Connecticut's Geno Auriemma, Miami's Katie Meier and Stanford's Tara VanDerveer were named co-recipients of The Associated Press coach of the year award. Maya Moore was named player of the year for the second time in three seasons after leading Connecticut to another spectacular year.

One year ago: Capping a week of difficult negotiations, the United States, Iran and five other world powers said they had agreed on an outline of limits on Iran's nuclear program that would prevent it from developing nuclear weapons in exchange for sanctions relief. Al-Shabab gunmen rampaged through a college in northeastern Kenya, killing at least 148 people. A Russian trawler, the Dalny Vostok, sank in just 15 minutes in icy waters off Russia's Far Eastern coast, killing at least 56 crew members. Rev. Robert H. Schuller, 88, died in Artesia, California. Stanford won its second NIT title, edging Miami 66-64.

Today's Birthdays: Actress Rita Gam is 89. Actress Sharon Acker is 81. Actress Penelope Keith is 76. Singer Leon Russell is 74. Jazz musician Larry Coryell is 73. Actress Linda Hunt is 71. Singer Emmylou Harris is 69. Social critic and author Camille Paglia is 69. Actress Pamela Reed is 67. Rock musician Dave Robinson (The Cars) is 63. Country singer Buddy Jewell is 55. Actor Christopher Meloni is 55. Singer Keren Woodward (Bananarama) is 55. Country singer Billy Dean is 54. Actor Clark Gregg is 54. Actress Jana Marie Hupp is 52. Rock musician Greg Camp is 49. Rock musician Tony Fredianelli (Third Eye Blind) is 47. Actress Roselyn Sanchez is 43. Country singer Jill King is 41. Actor Pedro Pascal is 41. Actor Adam Rodriguez is 41. Actor Jeremy Garrett is 40. Actor Michael Fassbender is 39. Actress Jaime Ray Newman is 38. Rock musician Jesse Carmichael (Maroon 5) is 37. Actress Bethany Joy Lenz is 35. Singer Lee Dewyze (TV: "American Idol") is 30. Actor Jesse Plemons is 28. Singer Aaron Kelly (TV: "American Idol") is 23.

Thought for Today: "Living is a form of not being sure, not knowing what next or how. The moment you know how, you begin to die a little." -- Agnes de Mille, American dancer-choreographer (1905-1993).