April 1
1778 - Oliver Pollack created the dollar sign "$".
1789 - Frederick Muhlenberg of Pennsylvania was elected the first Speaker of the House of Representatives.
1853 - Cincinnati became the first U.S. city to pay firefighters a regular salary.
1918 - Britain's Royal Air Force was estalished.
1933 - The Nazi persecution of Jews began in Germany with a boycott of Jewish businesses.
1945 - American forces landed on Okinawa during World War II.
1954 - The United States Air Force Academy was established by President Dwight D. Eisenhower.
1960 - Tiros I, the world's first meteorological satellite, was launched.
1963 - The daytime soap opera "General Hospital" first aired on ABC.
1970 - President Richard Nixon signed a bill into law banning cigarette ads from radio and television.
1976 - Ronald Wayne, Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs founded Apple Computer.
1979 - Ayatollah Khomeini proclaimed Iran to be an Islamic Republic.
1983 - Tens of thousands of anti-nuclear demonstrators linked arms in a 14-mile human chain spanning three defense installations in rural England, including the Greenham Common U.S. Air Base.
1984 - Singer Marvin Gaye, age 44, was shot to death by his father.
1987 - In his first major speech on the epidemic, President Ronald Reagan told doctors in Philadelphia, "We've declared AIDS public health enemy No. 1."
1999 - A New Jersey man was arrested and charged with originating the "Melissa" e-mail virus, which infected more than 1 million computers worldwide.
2001 - Former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic was arrested on corruption charges.
2003 - Pvt. Jessica Lynch was rescued by U.S. commandos in a raid on an Iraqi hospital.
2004 - President George W. Bush signed the "Laci Peterson" bill into law, making it a separate federal crime to harm a fetus during an attack on the mother.
2008 - The Pentagon made public a legal memo dated March 14, 2003, that approved the use of harsh interrogation techniques against terror suspects.
2009 - Sweden became the fifth European country to legalize same-sex marriage. The other countries with the same rights are The Netherlands, Norway, Belgium and Spain.
Birthdays
21 - Asa Butterfield (actor)
31 - Mackenzie Davis (actress)
32 - Hillary Scott (country singer)
33 - Josh Zuckerman (actor)
35 - Matt Lanter (actor)
36 - Taran Killam (actor/comedian)
36 - Sam Huntington (actor)
38 - Bijou Phillips (singer)
38 - Randy Orton (professional wrestler)
40 - JJ Field (actor)
42 - David Oyelowo (actor)
45 - Rachel Maddow (TV host)
47 - Method Man (rapper/actor)
47 - Jessica Collins (actress)
50 - Woody Lee (country singer)
56 - Jose Zuniga (actor)
57 - Susan Boyle (singer)
66 - Annette O'Toole (actress)
68 - Samuel Alito (Supreme Court justice)
70 - Jimmy Cliff (singer)
79 - Ali MacGraw (actress)
79 - Phil Niekro (baseball player)
84 - Don Hastings (actor)
89 - Jane Powell (actress)
=============================
Today in Sports History - April 1
1919 - The final game of the 1919 Stanley Cup was canceled due to the worldwide epidemic of influenza. No winner was declared in the series between the Montreal Canadiens and the Seattle Metropolitans.
1938 - The Baseball Hall of Fame opens in Cooperstown, New York.
1972 - The first Major League Baseball players' strike began; it lasted 12 days.
1978 - Mike Bossy (New York Islanders) became the first NHL rookie to score 50 goals in a season.
1980 - Wayne Gretzky breaks Bobby Orr's NHL record with 103rd assist.
1983 - Mike Bossy (New York Islanders) became the first National Hockey League (NHL) player to score 60 goals in 3 consecutive seasons.
1985 - Villanova defeats Georgetown 84-75 to win the NCAA Tournament.
1985 - The first WrestleMania was held at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The main event featured a tag team match where Hulk Hogan and Mr. T defeated "Rowdy" Roddy Piper and "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff.
1989 - Former Yale University and National League president Bart Giamatti becomes seventh commissioner of Major League Baseball.
1990 - WrestleMania VI was held in Toronto. The main event saw Intercontinental Champion The Ultimate Warrior defeat WWF Champion Hulk Hogan to win both championships.
1991 - Duke defeats Kansas 72-65 to win the NCAA Tournament.
1992 - The NHL Players Association went on its first-ever strike, which lasted 10 days.
1996 - Kentucky defeats Syracuse 76-67 to win the NCAA Tournament.
1996 - WrestleMania XII was held in Anaheim, California. Bret "The Hitman" Hart defeated Shawn Michaels in a 60-minute Iron Man Match for the WWF Championship.
1996 - Baseball umpire John McSherry died after collapsing during a game between the Cincinnati Reds and Montreal Expos.
2001- WrestleMania X-Seven was held in Houston. The main event saw The Rock defeat Stone Cold Steve Austin for the WWF Championship.
2001 - The first Major League Baseball game is played in Puerto Rico, as the Toronto Blue Jays defeat the Texas Rangers 8-1.
2002 - Maryland defeats Indiana 64-52 to win the NCAA Tournament.
2007 - WrestleMania 23 was held in Detroit. The main event saw John Cena defeat Shawn Michaels for the WWE Championship.
2012 - WrestleMania XXVIII was held in Miami. John Cena defeated The Rock and CM Punk defeated Chris Jericho for the WWE Championship.
2017 - Tracy McGrady, Bill Self, Jerry Krause and Rebecca Lobo were among 11 people named to the Basketball Hall of Fame.
1778 - Oliver Pollack created the dollar sign "$".
1789 - Frederick Muhlenberg of Pennsylvania was elected the first Speaker of the House of Representatives.
1853 - Cincinnati became the first U.S. city to pay firefighters a regular salary.
1918 - Britain's Royal Air Force was estalished.
1933 - The Nazi persecution of Jews began in Germany with a boycott of Jewish businesses.
1945 - American forces landed on Okinawa during World War II.
1954 - The United States Air Force Academy was established by President Dwight D. Eisenhower.
1960 - Tiros I, the world's first meteorological satellite, was launched.
1963 - The daytime soap opera "General Hospital" first aired on ABC.
1970 - President Richard Nixon signed a bill into law banning cigarette ads from radio and television.
1976 - Ronald Wayne, Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs founded Apple Computer.
1979 - Ayatollah Khomeini proclaimed Iran to be an Islamic Republic.
1983 - Tens of thousands of anti-nuclear demonstrators linked arms in a 14-mile human chain spanning three defense installations in rural England, including the Greenham Common U.S. Air Base.
1984 - Singer Marvin Gaye, age 44, was shot to death by his father.
1987 - In his first major speech on the epidemic, President Ronald Reagan told doctors in Philadelphia, "We've declared AIDS public health enemy No. 1."
1999 - A New Jersey man was arrested and charged with originating the "Melissa" e-mail virus, which infected more than 1 million computers worldwide.
2001 - Former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic was arrested on corruption charges.
2003 - Pvt. Jessica Lynch was rescued by U.S. commandos in a raid on an Iraqi hospital.
2004 - President George W. Bush signed the "Laci Peterson" bill into law, making it a separate federal crime to harm a fetus during an attack on the mother.
2008 - The Pentagon made public a legal memo dated March 14, 2003, that approved the use of harsh interrogation techniques against terror suspects.
2009 - Sweden became the fifth European country to legalize same-sex marriage. The other countries with the same rights are The Netherlands, Norway, Belgium and Spain.
Birthdays
21 - Asa Butterfield (actor)
31 - Mackenzie Davis (actress)
32 - Hillary Scott (country singer)
33 - Josh Zuckerman (actor)
35 - Matt Lanter (actor)
36 - Taran Killam (actor/comedian)
36 - Sam Huntington (actor)
38 - Bijou Phillips (singer)
38 - Randy Orton (professional wrestler)
40 - JJ Field (actor)
42 - David Oyelowo (actor)
45 - Rachel Maddow (TV host)
47 - Method Man (rapper/actor)
47 - Jessica Collins (actress)
50 - Woody Lee (country singer)
56 - Jose Zuniga (actor)
57 - Susan Boyle (singer)
66 - Annette O'Toole (actress)
68 - Samuel Alito (Supreme Court justice)
70 - Jimmy Cliff (singer)
79 - Ali MacGraw (actress)
79 - Phil Niekro (baseball player)
84 - Don Hastings (actor)
89 - Jane Powell (actress)
=============================
Today in Sports History - April 1
1919 - The final game of the 1919 Stanley Cup was canceled due to the worldwide epidemic of influenza. No winner was declared in the series between the Montreal Canadiens and the Seattle Metropolitans.
1938 - The Baseball Hall of Fame opens in Cooperstown, New York.
1972 - The first Major League Baseball players' strike began; it lasted 12 days.
1978 - Mike Bossy (New York Islanders) became the first NHL rookie to score 50 goals in a season.
1980 - Wayne Gretzky breaks Bobby Orr's NHL record with 103rd assist.
1983 - Mike Bossy (New York Islanders) became the first National Hockey League (NHL) player to score 60 goals in 3 consecutive seasons.
1985 - Villanova defeats Georgetown 84-75 to win the NCAA Tournament.
1985 - The first WrestleMania was held at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The main event featured a tag team match where Hulk Hogan and Mr. T defeated "Rowdy" Roddy Piper and "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff.
1989 - Former Yale University and National League president Bart Giamatti becomes seventh commissioner of Major League Baseball.
1990 - WrestleMania VI was held in Toronto. The main event saw Intercontinental Champion The Ultimate Warrior defeat WWF Champion Hulk Hogan to win both championships.
1991 - Duke defeats Kansas 72-65 to win the NCAA Tournament.
1992 - The NHL Players Association went on its first-ever strike, which lasted 10 days.
1996 - Kentucky defeats Syracuse 76-67 to win the NCAA Tournament.
1996 - WrestleMania XII was held in Anaheim, California. Bret "The Hitman" Hart defeated Shawn Michaels in a 60-minute Iron Man Match for the WWF Championship.
1996 - Baseball umpire John McSherry died after collapsing during a game between the Cincinnati Reds and Montreal Expos.
2001- WrestleMania X-Seven was held in Houston. The main event saw The Rock defeat Stone Cold Steve Austin for the WWF Championship.
2001 - The first Major League Baseball game is played in Puerto Rico, as the Toronto Blue Jays defeat the Texas Rangers 8-1.
2002 - Maryland defeats Indiana 64-52 to win the NCAA Tournament.
2007 - WrestleMania 23 was held in Detroit. The main event saw John Cena defeat Shawn Michaels for the WWE Championship.
2012 - WrestleMania XXVIII was held in Miami. John Cena defeated The Rock and CM Punk defeated Chris Jericho for the WWE Championship.
2017 - Tracy McGrady, Bill Self, Jerry Krause and Rebecca Lobo were among 11 people named to the Basketball Hall of Fame.
