April 8th
Today in 1820,the Venus de Milo statue was discovered by a farmer on the Greek island of Milos.
Today in 1943,in an attempt to check inflation, President Franklin Roosevelt froze wages and prices, prohibiting workers from changing jobs unless the war effort would be aided.
Today in 1952, President Harry Truman seized steel mills to avert a strike.
Today in 1953,the bones of Sitting Bull were moved from North Dakota to South Dakota.
Today in 1960,the Senate passed the landmark Civil Rights Act(while 18 Democrats voted against the bill, all Republican Senators voted for it). The 1960 Act focused on voting rights for black Americans and specifically, introduced penalties to be levied against anybody who obstructed someone’s attempt to register to vote or someone’s attempt to actually vote. The House of Representatives approved the Senate amendments on April 21st of that year – and the bill was signed into law by President Eisenhower on May 6, 1960.
Today in 1968,the 40th annual Academy Awards were postponed until April 10th due to the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. On the same day, Baseball's Opening Day was postponed two days for the same reason.
Today in 1974,Hammerin' Hank Aaron hit his 715th HR,breaking Babe Ruth's record in Atlanta.
Today in 1975,Frank Robinson became Major League Baseball’s first black manager. “The only reason I’m the first black manager is because I was born black. I’m not a superman; I’m not a miracle worker,” Robinson once said. “This is what I really want to be judged by – the play on the field, and not on being the first, on being black.”
Today in 1986,Clint Eastwood was elected Mayor of Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, by a landslide. He served as mayor until 1988.
Today in 1990,Ryan White, the teen-age AIDS patient and activist whose battle for acceptance had gained national attention,died in Indianapolis of AIDS at age 18.
Today in 1998,36 people were killed by tornadoes, which struck Alabama, Mississippi and Georgia.
Today in 2000,19 US troops were killed when a Marine V22 Osprey crashed during a training mission in Arizona. While there were questions about who was at fault,the pilots were ultimately cleared.
Today in 2002,Ed McMahon filed a $20-million lawsuit against his insurance company, two insurance adjusters, and several environmental cleanup contractors after a toxic mold spread through his Beverly Hills home.
Today in 2002,Suzan-Lori Parks became the first African-American woman to win a Pulitzer Prize for drama for her play, “Topdog/Underdog.”
Today in 2004,S. National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice testified before the 9/11 Commission.
Today in 2013,former Disney “Mouseketeer” Annette Funicello died in Bakersfield, California at the age of 70.
Today in 2017,immigrant workers at the famed Tom Cat Bakery in New York who had been threatened with being fired if they didn’t produce legal work papers defied the government by rallying outside President Donald Trump’s Manhattan home.