Today in History

Today is Saturday, April 30, the 121st day of 2016. There are 245 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On April 30, 1789, George Washington took the oath of office in New York as the first president of the United States.

On this date:

In 1803, the United States purchased the Louisiana Territory from France for 60 million francs, the equivalent of about $15 million.

In 1812, Louisiana became the 18th state of the Union.

In 1900, engineer John Luther "Casey" Jones of the Illinois Central Railroad died in a train wreck near Vaughan, Mississippi, after staying at the controls in a successful effort to save the passengers.

In 1939, the New York World's Fair officially opened with a ceremony that included an address by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

In 1945, as Soviet troops approached his Berlin bunker, Adolf Hitler committed suicide along with his wife of one day, Eva Braun.

In 1956, former Vice President Alben W. Barkley, 78, collapsed and died while delivering a speech at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia.

In 1958, the American Association of Retired Persons (later simply AARP) was founded in Washington, D.C., by Dr. Ethel Percy Andrus.

In 1968, New York City police forcibly removed student demonstrators occupying five buildings at Columbia University.

In 1973, President Richard Nixon announced the resignations of top aides H.R. Haldeman and John Ehrlichman, Attorney General Richard G. Kleindienst and White House counsel John Dean, who was actually fired.

In 1975, the Vietnam War ended as the South Vietnamese capital of Saigon fell to Communist forces.

In 1988, Gen. Manuel Noriega, waving a machete, vowed at a rally to keep fighting U.S. efforts to oust him as Panama's military ruler.

In 1990, hostage Frank Reed was released by his captives in Lebanon; he was the second American to be released in eight days.

Ten years ago: Thousands of people joined celebrities and lawmakers at a rally on the National Mall in Washington, urging the Bush administration and Congress to help end genocide in Sudan's Darfur region.

Five years ago: A Libyan official said Moammar Gadhafi had escaped a NATO missile strike in Tripoli that killed one of his sons and three young grandchildren. In Moscow, Japan's Miki Ando defeated Olympic champion Kim Yu-na of South Korea at the world figure skating championships originally scheduled for Japan, which had been devastated by an earthquake and tsunami.

One year ago: Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont formally entered the race for the Democratic presidential nomination with a news conference on Capitol Hill. Vietnam marked the 40th anniversary of the day communist forces seized control of the country with a parade through the capital of Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon). Rhythm-and-blues singer Ben E. King, 76, died in Hackensack, New Jersey.

Today's Birthdays: Actress Cloris Leachman is 90. Singer Willie Nelson is 83. Actor Burt Young is 76. Singer Bobby Vee is 73. Movie director Allan Arkush is 68. Actor Perry King is 68. Singer-musician Wayne Kramer is 68. Singer Merrill Osmond is 63. Movie director Jane Campion is 62. Movie director Lars von Trier is 60. Former Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper is 57. Actor Paul Gross is 57. Basketball Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas is 55. Country musician Robert Reynolds is 54. Actor Adrian Pasdar is 51. Rock singer J.R. Richards (Dishwalla) is 49. Rapper Turbo B (Snap) is 49. Rock musician Clark Vogeler is 47. Rhythm-and-blues singer Chris "Choc" Dalyrimple (Soul For Real) is 45. Rock musician Chris Henderson (3 Doors Down) is 45. Country singer Carolyn Dawn Johnson is 45. Actress Lisa Dean Ryan is 44. Rhythm-and-blues singer Akon is 43. Rhythm-and-blues singer Jeff Timmons (98 Degrees) is 43. Actor Johnny Galecki is 41. Singer-musician Cole Deggs (Cole Deggs and the Lonesome) is 40. Actor Sam Heughan (TV: "Outlander") is 36. Actor Kunal Nayyar is 35. Rapper Lloyd Banks is 34. Actress Kirsten Dunst is 34. Country singer Tyler Wilkinson (The Wilkinsons) is 32. Actress Dianna Agron is 30.

Thought for Today: "There's a difference between a philosophy and a bumper sticker." -- Charles M. Schulz, American cartoonist (1922-2000).