On April 4, 1968, civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., 39, was shot to death in Memphis, Tenn.
On April 4, 1915, Muddy Waters, American blues musician, was born. Following his death on April 30, 1983, his obituary appeared in The Times.
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. |
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| 1841 | President William Henry Harrison died of pneumonia one month after his inauguration, becoming the first U.S. president to die in office. |
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| 1850 | The city of Los Angeles was incorporated. |
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| 1887 | Susanna Medora Salter became the first woman elected mayor of an American community - Argonia, Kan. |
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| 1888 | Baseball Hall of Famer Tris Speaker was born in Hubbard, Texas. |
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| 1902 | British financier Cecil Rhodes left $10 million in his will to provide scholarships at Oxford University in England. |
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| 1945 | U.S. forces liberated the Nazi death camp Ohrdruf in Germany. |
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| 1949 | Twelve nations, including the United States, signed the North Atlantic Treaty. |
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| 1974 | Hank Aaron of the Atlanta Braves tied Babe Ruth's career home run record by hitting his 714th round-tripper in Cincinnati. |
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| 1981 | Henry Cisneros became the first Mexican-American elected mayor of a major U.S. city - San Antonio, Texas. |
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| 1988 | The Arizona Senate convicted Gov. Evan Mecham of two charges of official misconduct and removed him from office. |
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| 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. |
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| 1999 | The Colorado Rockies beat the San Diego Padres 8-2 in baseball's first season opener held in Mexico. |
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| 2003 | U.S. forces seized Saddam International Airport outside Baghdad. |
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| 2003 | Sammy Sosa of the Chicago Cubs became the 18th major league baseball player to hit 500 career home runs. |
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| 2005 | John Patrick Shanley won the Pulitzer Prize for drama for his play "Doubt." |
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| 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. |
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| 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. |
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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 |
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| 1932 | Clive Davis, Record company executive, turns 79 |
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| 1932 | Richard Lugar, U.S. senator, R-Indiana, turns 79 |
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| 1939 | Hugh Masekela, Bandleader, turns 72 |
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| 1942 | Kitty Kelley, Author, turns 69 |
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| 1950 | Christine Lahti, Actress, turns 61 |
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| 1956 | David E. Kelley, Writer, producer, turns 55 |
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| 1960 | Lorraine Toussaint, Actress, turns 51 |
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| 1963 | Jack Del Rio, Football coach, turns 48 |
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| 1964 | David Cross, Actor, comedian, turns 47 |
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| 1966 | Nancy McKeon, Actress ("Facts of Life"), turns 45 |
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| 1970 | Barry Pepper, Actor, turns 41 |
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| 1972 | Jill Scott, R&B singer, turns 39 |
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| 1973 | David Blaine, Magician, turns 38 |
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| 1975 | Scott Rolen, Baseball player, turns 36 |
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| 1979 | Natasha Lyonne, Actress, turns 32 |
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| 1991 | Jamie Lynn Spears, Actress ("Zoey 101"), turns 20 |
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Historic Birthdays
| 73 | Grinling Gibbons 4/4/1648 - 8/3/1721
English wood carver and decorator of St. Paul's Cathedral |
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| 88 | William White 4/4/1748 - 7/17/1836
American religious leader; first presiding bishop of the Protestant Episcopal Church |
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| 69 | Edward Hicks 4/4/1780 - 8/23/1849
American primitive painter |
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| 85 | Dorothea Dix 4/4/1802 - 7/17/1887
American social reformer and humanitarian |
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| 89 | Pierre Monteux 4/4/1875 - 7/1/1964
French conductor |
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| 95 | Arthur Murray 4/4/1895 - 3/3/1991
American ballroom-dancing instructor and entrepreneur |
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| 59 | Robert E. Sherwood 4/4/1896 - 11/14/1955
American playwright |
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| 79 | Antony Tudor 4/4/1908 - 4/20/1987
English-born American dancer, teacher and choreographer |
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| 81 | Marguerite Duras 4/4/1914 - 3/3/1996
French novelist, screenwriter, playwright and director |
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| 60 | Anthony Perkins 4/4/1932 - 9/12/1992
American stage and film actor |
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