10 History Lessons + 6 Births & 5 Deaths for April 2, 2025
Today’s History:
- 1513 – Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León lands in Florida, the first documented European arrival.
- 1792 – The Coinage Act is passed by the U.S. Congress, creating the U.S. Mint and the dollar as official currency.
- 1801 – Napoleon Bonaparte becomes First Consul for Life in France.
- 1865 – Confederate President Jefferson Davis and his cabinet flee the Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia.
- 1917 – U.S. President Woodrow Wilson asks Congress to declare war on Germany, leading the U.S. into World War I.
- 1932 – Charles Lindbergh turns over a $50,000 ransom for his kidnapped son.
- 1972 – Actor Charlie Chaplin returns to the U.S. for the first time since 1952 to receive an honorary Oscar.
- 1982 – Argentina invades the Falkland Islands, starting the Falklands War with the United Kingdom.
- 1992 – Mob boss John Gotti is convicted of murder and racketeering in New York.
- 2021 – NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter completes its first test spin on Mars ahead of historic flight.
Today’s Birthdays:
- 1947 – Camille Paglia, American academic and social critic (78)
- 1954 – Dennis Haysbert, actor known for 24 and Allstate commercials (71)
- 1961 – Christopher Meloni, actor known for Law & Order: SVU (64)
- 1969 – Roselyn Sánchez, Puerto Rican actress and singer (Without a Trace) (56)
- 1977 – Michael Fassbender, German-Irish actor (X-Men, 12 Years a Slave) (48)
- 1981 – Bethany Joy Lenz, actress and singer (One Tree Hill) (44)
Today’s Deaths:
- 1502 – Arthur, Prince of Wales, eldest son of King Henry VII of England (15)
- 1872 – Samuel Morse, inventor of the telegraph and Morse code (80)
- 1987 – Buddy Rich, legendary jazz drummer and bandleader (69)
- 2005 – Pope John Paul II, head of the Catholic Church from 1978–2005 (84)
- 2016 – Gato Barbieri, Argentine jazz saxophonist and composer (83)
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