12 History Lessons + 3 Births & 5 Deaths for April 20, 2025
Today’s History:
- 1653 – Oliver Cromwell dissolves the Rump Parliament in England by force.
- 1775 – British troops begin burning buildings in Concord, Massachusetts, following the opening battles of the American Revolution.
- 1792 – France declares war on Austria, beginning the French Revolutionary Wars.
- 1809 – Napoleon defeats the Austrians at the Battle of Abensberg in Bavaria.
- 1841 – Edgar Allan Poe’s The Murders in the Rue Morgue is published, considered the first modern detective story.
- 1889 – Adolf Hitler is born in Braunau am Inn, Austria-Hungary.
- 1912 – Fenway Park opens in Boston; Red Sox defeat the New York Highlanders.
- 1914 – Ludlow Massacre: Colorado National Guard attacks striking coal miners, killing at least 20 people.
- 1972 – Apollo 16 lands on the Moon with astronauts John Young and Charles Duke.
- 1999 – Columbine High School massacre: Two students kill 13 people before taking their own lives in Colorado.
- 2008 – Danica Patrick becomes the first woman to win an IndyCar race.
- 2010 – The Deepwater Horizon drilling rig explodes in the Gulf of Mexico, killing 11 and causing a massive oil spill.
Today’s Birthdays:
- 1972 – Carmen Electra, model, actress, and TV personality (Baywatch) (53)
- 1983 – Miranda Kerr, Australian supermodel and entrepreneur (42)
- 1990 – Luke Kuechly, former NFL linebacker and Defensive Player of the Year (35)
Today’s Deaths:
- 1314 – Pope Clement V, the first pope to reside in Avignon (50)
- 1912 – Bram Stoker, author of Dracula (64)
- 1993 – Cantinflas (Mario Moreno), beloved Mexican comedian and actor (81)
- 1999 – Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, perpetrators of the Columbine massacre (18 and 17)
- 2018 – Avicii (Tim Bergling), Swedish DJ and music producer (Wake Me Up) (28)
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