Today in History

Today is Wednesday, April 1, the 92nd day of 2020. There are 274 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On April 1, 1976, Apple Computer was founded by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne.

On this date:

In 1789, the U.S. House of Representatives held its first full meeting in New York; Frederick Muhlenberg of Pennsylvania was elected the first House speaker.

In 1891, the Wrigley Co. was founded in Chicago by William Wrigley, Jr.

In 1917, Scott Joplin, "The King of Ragtime Writers," died at a New York City hospital; he was believed to have been 49 years old.

In 1945, American forces launched the amphibious invasion of Okinawa during World War II. (U.S. forces succeeded in capturing the Japanese island on June 22.)

In 1954, the United States Air Force Academy was established by President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

In 1963, New York City's daily newspapers resumed publishing after settlement was reached in a 114-day strike. The daytime drama "General Hospital" premiered on ABC-TV.

In 1970, President Richard M. Nixon signed a measure banning cigarette advertising on radio and television, to take effect after Jan. 1, 1971.

In 1972, the first Major League Baseball players' strike began; it lasted 12 days.

In 1984, Marvin Gaye was shot to death by his father, Marvin Gay Sr., in Los Angeles, the day before the recording star's 45th birthday. (The elder Gay pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and received probation.)

In 1987, in his first speech on the AIDS epidemic, President Ronald Reagan told doctors in Philadelphia, "We've declared AIDS public health enemy no. 1."

In 1992, the National Hockey League Players' Association went on its first-ever strike, which lasted 10 days.

In 2003, American troops entered a hospital in Nasiriyah, Iraq, and rescued Army Pfc. Jessica Lynch, who had been held prisoner since her unit was ambushed on March 23.

Ten years ago: Roman Catholic cardinals across Europe used their Holy Thursday sermons to defend Pope Benedict XVI from accusations he'd played a role in covering up sex abuse scandals. Dayton denied the previous year's national champs another title as the Flyers beat North Carolina 79-68 to win the NIT. Actor John Forsythe, 92, died in Santa Ynez, California.

Five years ago: Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., was charged with accepting nearly $1 million worth of gifts and travel from a longtime friend in exchange for a stream of political favors on the donor's behalf; a defiant Menendez, maintaining his innocence, declared he was "not going anywhere." (The Justice Department dropped charges after a trial ended in a hung jury.) Eleven former Atlanta public school educators were convicted of racketeering for their role in a cheating scheme to inflate students' scores on standardized exams. California Gov. Jerry Brown ordered officials to impose statewide mandatory water restrictions for the first time in history. Cynthia Lennon, the first wife of John Lennon, died at her home in Spain; she was 75.

One year ago: Britain's parliament rejected four alternatives to the government's European Union divorce deal, options that would have softened or even halted the departure; the votes left the U.K. with 12 days to come up with a new plan or crash out of the bloc in chaos. A second woman said former Vice President Joe Biden had acted inappropriately, touching her face with both hands and rubbing noses with her in 2009. Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika agreed to step down before the end of his fourth term in April, yielding to growing calls for his resignation after two decades in power.

Today's Birthdays: Actress Jane Powell is 91. Actor Don Hastings is 86. Baseball Hall of Famer Phil Niekro is 81. Actress Ali MacGraw is 81. Rhythm-and-blues singer Rudolph Isley is 81. Reggae singer Jimmy Cliff is 72. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito is 70. Rock musician Billy Currie (Ultravox) is 70. Actress Annette O'Toole is 68. Movie director Barry Sonnenfeld is 67. Singer Susan Boyle is 59. Actor Jose Zuniga is 58. Country singer Woody Lee is 52. Actress Jessica Collins is 49. Rapper-actor Method Man is 49. Movie directors Albert and Allen Hughes are 48. Political commentator Rachel Maddow is 47. Former tennis player Magdalena Maleeva is 45. Actor David Oyelowo is 44. Actor JJ Field is 42. Singer Bijou Phillips is 40. Actor Sam Huntington is 38. Comedian-actor Taran Killam is 38. Actor Matt Lanter is 37. Actor Josh Zuckerman is 35. Country singer Hillary Scott (Lady Antebellum) is 34. Rock drummer Arejay Hale (Halestorm) is 33. Actor Asa Butterfield is 23. Actor Tyler Wladis is 10.

Thought for Today: "Our wisdom comes from our experience, and our experience comes from our foolishness." -- Sacha Guitry, Russian-born French actor-writer-director (1885-1957).