Tidbits
April 11, 1803 – The Louisiana
Purchase
French Foreign Minister Talleyrand offers to sell the Louisiana Territory to the United States. The price was $11,250,000 – a bargain at that time. Napoleon had hoped to occupy Louisiana Territory, but realized his battle with the British would take all his military resources, so he offered to sell it to the United States. Napoleon said, “The sale of Louisiana assures forever
the power of the United States.” Later he wrote, “I have given England a rival, who sooner or later, will humble her pride”. Napoleon was right.
April 11, 1814 – Napoleon Abdicates the Throne
Napoleon Bonaparte, emperor of
France was forced to abdicate the throne and was exiled to the Mediterranean island of Elba. In March 1815, he escaped and returned to Paris, where he regained support and reclaimed the throne, and became known as the emperor, Napoleon I.
In June 1815 he was defeated at the Battle of Waterloo. This time he was exiled to the remote island of Saint Helena in the South Atlantic.
Napoleon died in 1821, at the age of 52, supposedly of stomach cancer but more likely he was poisoned. Whatever the case, Napoleon turned out to be a friend of the United States, even though his motives were his own.
April 12, 1861 – Beginning of the Civil War
The Confederates fired on
Union-held Fort Sumter, in South Carolina’s Charleston Harbor.
April 12, 1954 – “Rock Around the Clock” Puts its Mark on Rock & Roll History
Bill Haley and His Comets recorded “We’re Gonna Rock Around The Clock”. The song was chosen to play over the opening credits of the movie,
“Blackboard Jungle”. In one month, during the spring of 1955, “We’re Gonna Rock Around The Clock” sold a million copies. As it’s stated in a later song, “Rock ‘N’ Roll is Here to Stay”.
April 14, 1865 – President Lincoln Shot
John Wilkes Booth shoots Abraham Lincoln in
the head, at Ford Theater in Washington, D.C.
April 14, 1918 – First Dogfight Over Western Front
American pilots engaged in the first dogfight against enemy aircraft over the western front, during World War I. The two pilots, Douglas Campbell and Alan Winslow, who were part of the U.S. First Aero
Squadron, shot down two German two-seaters. By the end of May, Campbell had shot down five enemy aircraft, making him America’s first “flying ace”.
April 15, 1865 – President Abraham Lincoln Dies
He was the first American president assassinated. His death came only six days after the Confederate
surrender in the Civil War. Lincoln had wanted the North and the South to work together after the Civil War. Because of the assassination by Confederate sympathizer, John Wilkes Booth, all hopes of that happening died too. It was a sad day, in more ways than one. The hunt began for John Wilkes Booth. Pursued by the army and security forces, he was finally cornered near Bowling Green, Virginia and was killed with a bullet to the head.
April 15, 1947 – Jackie Robinson Becomes the First African American Player in The Major Leagues
On April 15, 1997, the 50th anniversary of Robinson’s first Major League Baseball (MLB) game, the league retires Jackie Robinson’s number 42, across all teams in the league. This was the first time all teams had retired a
player’s number.
April 15 – Every Year Your income taxes are due today. I just didn’t want you to forget.
April 16, 1881 – Western Gunslinger’s Last Shootout
Bat
Masterson, famous western lawman and gunfighter fought his last gun fight in Dodge City, Kansas. Since no-one was killed, no serious charges were imposed against Masterson. He had to pay a fine of eight dollars, and never again did he fight in a gun battle.
Masterson was originally from Watseka Illinois and went west as a young man. He alternated between being sheriff and saloon keeper. He
had a reputation for being a tough customer. On the evening of April 16, 1881, Masterson boarded the train and headed for New York City where he became a sportswriter. An icon of the Old West, he finally died of a heart
attack in October 1921, at his newspaper desk in New Your City. Too bad such a great man had to come to a bad end.
April 17, 1790 – Benjamin Franklin Dies
American statesman, printer, scientist and writer, Benjamin Franklin dies at age 84. To describe all the accomplishments of Benjamin Franklin would take 1000 pages or more. He was truly a great American and set the United States on a successful course up to this point in history. He had many accomplishments, but one of my favorites is the “Join, or
Die” flag, which helped the colonies unite. That is still good advice today. I’m sure if you didn’t know about the Illinois State Rifle Association, he would tell you to do just that.
