Today in History

Today in History

Today is Sunday, April 23, the 113th day of 2017. There are 252 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On April 23, 1789, President-elect George Washington and his wife, Martha, moved into the first executive mansion, the Franklin House, in New York.

On this date:

In 1016, Aethelred II "The Unready," King of the English, died in London after 38 years on the throne.

In 1616 (Old Style calendar), English poet and dramatist William Shakespeare died in Stratford-upon-Avon on what has traditionally been regarded as the 52nd anniversary of his birth in 1564.

In 1791, the 15th president of the United States, James Buchanan, was born in Franklin County, Pennsylvania.

In 1910, former President Theodore Roosevelt delivered his "Man in the Arena" speech at the Sorbonne in Paris.

In 1935, Poland adopted a constitution which gave new powers to the presidency.

In 1940, about 200 people died in the Rhythm Night Club Fire in Natchez, Mississippi.

In 1954, Hank Aaron of the Milwaukee Braves hit the first of his 755 major-league home runs in a game against the St. Louis Cardinals. (The Braves won, 7-5.)

In 1969, Sirhan Sirhan was sentenced to death for assassinating New York Sen. Robert F. Kennedy. (The sentence was later reduced to life imprisonment.)

In 1971, hundreds of Vietnam War veterans opposed to the conflict protested by tossing their medals and ribbons over a wire fence in front of the U.S. Capitol.

In 1987, 28 construction workers were killed when an apartment complex being built in Bridgeport, Connecticut, suddenly collapsed.

In 1992, McDonald's opened its first fast-food restaurant in the Chinese capital of Beijing.

In 2005, the recently created video-sharing website YouTube uploaded its first clip, "Me at the Zoo," which showed YouTube co-founder Jawed Karim standing in front of an elephant enclosure at the San Diego Zoo.

Ten years ago: Boris Yeltsin, Russia's first freely elected president, died in Moscow at age 76. Congressional Democratic leaders agreed on legislation requiring the first U.S. combat troops to be withdrawn from Iraq by Oct. 1, 2007, with a goal of a complete pullout six months later; President George W. Bush pledged to veto such a measure. Classes at Virginia Tech resumed one week after the killings of 32 victims by a suicidal gunman. Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author David Halberstam died in a car crash in Menlo Park, California, at age 73.

Five years ago: Oscar-winner Jennifer Hudson broke down in tears while testifying at the Chicago trial of William Balfour, the man accused of killing her mother, brother and 7-year-old nephew in a jealous rage in 2008. (Balfour was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison.) The government reported that Social Security was rushing even faster toward insolvency, with its trust funds expected to run dry in 2033, three years earlier than previously projected.

One year ago: A confident Donald Trump told supporters in Bridgeport, Connecticut, that he was not changing his pitch to voters, a day after his chief adviser assured Republican officials their party's front-runner would show more restraint while campaigning. Britain marked the 400th anniversary of the death of William Shakespeare with parades, church services and stage performances; President Barack Obama took a break from political talks in London to tour the Globe Theatre, a re-creation of the venue where many of the Bard's plays were first performed.

Today's Birthdays: Actor Alan Oppenheimer is 87. Actor David Birney is 78. Actor Lee Majors is 78. Hockey Hall of Famer Tony Esposito is 74. Irish nationalist Bernadette Devlin McAliskey is 70. Actress Blair Brown is 70. Writer-director Paul Brickman is 68. Actress Joyce DeWitt is 68. Actor James Russo is 64. Filmmaker-author Michael Moore is 63. Actress Judy Davis is 62. Actress Valerie Bertinelli is 57. Actor Craig Sheffer is 57. Actor-comedian-talk show host George Lopez is 56. Rock musician Gen is 53. U.S. Olympic gold medal skier Donna Weinbrecht is 52. Actress Melina Kanakaredes is 50. Rock musician Stan Frazier (Sugar Ray) is 49. Country musician Tim Womack (Sons of the Desert) is 49. Actor Scott Bairstow is 47. Actor-writer John Lutz is 44. Actor Barry Watson is 43. Rock musician Aaron Dessner (The National) is 41. Rock musician Bryce Dessner (The National) is 41. Professional wrestler/actor John Cena is 40. Actor-writer-comedian John Oliver is 40. Actor Kal Penn is 40. MLB All-Star Andruw Jones is 40. Actress Jaime King is 38. Pop singer Taio Cruz is 34. Actor Aaron Hill is 34. Actor Jesse Lee Soffer is 33. Actress Rachel Skarsten is 32. Singer-songwriter John Fullbright is 29. Tennis player Nicole Vaidisova is 28. Actor Dev Patel is 27. Actor Matthew Underwood is 27. Actor Camryn Walling is 27. Model Gigi Hadid is 22.

Thought for Today: "The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool." -- From "As You Like It," by William Shakespeare (1564-1616).