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ON THIS DAY

April 4

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On April 4, 1968, civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., 39, was shot to death in Memphis, Tenn.

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On April 4, 1915, Muddy Waters, American blues musician, was born. Following his death on April 30, 1983, his obituary appeared in The Times.

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On This Date

1818	Congress decided the U.S. flag would consist of 13 red and white stripes and 20 stars, with a new star to be added for every new state.
1841	President William Henry Harrison died of pneumonia one month after his inauguration, becoming the first U.S. president to die in office.
1850	The city of Los Angeles was incorporated.
1887	Susanna Medora Salter became the first woman elected mayor of an American community - Argonia, Kan.
1888	Baseball Hall of Famer Tris Speaker was born in Hubbard, Texas.
1902	British financier Cecil Rhodes left $10 million in his will to provide scholarships at Oxford University in England.
1945	U.S. forces liberated the Nazi death camp Ohrdruf in Germany.
1949	Twelve nations, including the United States, signed the North Atlantic Treaty.
1974	Hank Aaron of the Atlanta Braves tied Babe Ruth's career home run record by hitting his 714th round-tripper in Cincinnati.
1981	Henry Cisneros became the first Mexican-American elected mayor of a major U.S. city - San Antonio, Texas.
1988	The Arizona Senate convicted Gov. Evan Mecham of two charges of official misconduct and removed him from office.
1991	Sen. John Heinz, R-Penn., and six other people were killed when a helicopter collided with Heinz's plane over a schoolyard in Merion, Pa.
1999	The Colorado Rockies beat the San Diego Padres 8-2 in baseball's first season opener held in Mexico.
2003	U.S. forces seized Saddam International Airport outside Baghdad.
2003	Sammy Sosa of the Chicago Cubs became the 18th major league baseball player to hit 500 career home runs.
2005	John Patrick Shanley won the Pulitzer Prize for drama for his play "Doubt."
2006	The Iraq tribunal charged Saddam Hussein and six others, accusing them of genocide and crimes against humanity stemming from a 1980s crackdown against Kurds.
2007	Radio host Don Imus made offensive on-air remarks about the Rutgers University women's basketball team. Despite a subsequent apology, Imus was fired by CBS Radio and cable network MSNBC.

Current Birthdays

Actor Robert Downey Jr. turns 46 years old today.

AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill

Actor Craig T. Nelson ("Parenthood," "Coach") turns 67 years old today.

AP Photo/Chris Pizzello

1928	Maya Angelou, Poet, turns 83
1932	Clive Davis, Record company executive, turns 79
1932	Richard Lugar, U.S. senator, R-Indiana, turns 79
1939	Hugh Masekela, Bandleader, turns 72
1942	Kitty Kelley, Author, turns 69
1950	Christine Lahti, Actress, turns 61
1956	David E. Kelley, Writer, producer, turns 55
1960	Lorraine Toussaint, Actress, turns 51
1963	Jack Del Rio, Football coach, turns 48
1964	David Cross, Actor, comedian, turns 47
1966	Nancy McKeon, Actress ("Facts of Life"), turns 45
1970	Barry Pepper, Actor, turns 41
1972	Jill Scott, R&B singer, turns 39
1973	David Blaine, Magician, turns 38
1975	Scott Rolen, Baseball player, turns 36
1979	Natasha Lyonne, Actress, turns 32
1991	Jamie Lynn Spears, Actress ("Zoey 101"), turns 20

Historic Birthdays

Muddy Waters4/4/1915 - 4/30/1983American blues musician.Go to obituary »

73	Grinling Gibbons 4/4/1648 - 8/3/1721 English wood carver and decorator of St. Paul's Cathedral
88	William White 4/4/1748 - 7/17/1836 American religious leader; first presiding bishop of the Protestant Episcopal Church
69	Edward Hicks 4/4/1780 - 8/23/1849 American primitive painter
85	Dorothea Dix 4/4/1802 - 7/17/1887 American social reformer and humanitarian
89	Pierre Monteux 4/4/1875 - 7/1/1964 French conductor
95	Arthur Murray 4/4/1895 - 3/3/1991 American ballroom-dancing instructor and entrepreneur
59	Robert E. Sherwood 4/4/1896 - 11/14/1955 American playwright
79	Antony Tudor 4/4/1908 - 4/20/1987 English-born American dancer, teacher and choreographer
81	Marguerite Duras 4/4/1914 - 3/3/1996 French novelist, screenwriter, playwright and director
60	Anthony Perkins 4/4/1932 - 9/12/1992 American stage and film actor