On This Day in History: April 25

(10PM EST – promoted by Nightprowlkitty)

In 1990, the Hubble Space Telescope was launched from the Space Shuttle Discovery.

1507 “America” was first used as the name of a continent on a map. German cartographer Martin Waldseemueller used the name in honor of Italian navigator Amerigo Vespucci.

1599 Oliver Cromwell 4/25/1599 – 9/3/1658

English soldier and statesman; Lord Protector of England, Scotland and Ireland (1653-8)

1719  Robinson Crusoe is published

1781 American Revolution: Cornwallis retreats from Guilford Courthouse

1792 Highwayman Nicolas Jacques Pelletier became the first person under French law to be executed by guillotine.

1840 Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky, 4/25/1840(O.S.) – 10/25/1893(O.S.), Russian composer

1859 Ground broken for Suez Canal

1862 Civil War: Fall of New Orleans

1874 Guglielmo Marconi, 4/25/1874 – 7/20/1937, Italian Nobel Prize-winning physicist and inventor (1909)

1906 William Brennan, 4/25/1906 – 7/24/1997, American associate justice of the Supreme Court (1956-90)

1908 Broadcast journalist Edward R. Murrow was born in Polecat Creek, N.C.

1915 World War I Allies begin invasion of Gallipoli

1917 Ella Fitzgerald, 4/25/1917 – 6/15/1996, American jazz singer

1945 World War II Americans and Russians link up, cut Germany in two

1964 Vietnam War Johnson announces appointment of Westmoreland

1947 Truman inaugurates White House bowling alley

1959 The St. Lawrence Seaway opened to shipping.

1992 Islamic forces took control of most of the Afghan capital Kabul following the collapse of the Communist government.

1995 Ginger Rogers dies, 1995

2001 Italian Formula One, Michele Alboreto,  driver dies in crash

Today’s Birthdays:

Jon Kyl, Senator (R-AZ), 68

80 Paul Mazursky, Actor, director

78 Meadowlark Lemon, Basketball player (Harlem Globetrotters)

77 Jerry Leiber, Songwriter

70 Al Pacino, Actor

64 Talia Shire, Actress

46 Hank Azaria, Actor

43 Jane Clayson, TV host

41 Gina Torres, Actress

41 Renee Zellweger, Actress

40 Jason Lee, Actor (“My Name is Earl”)

34 Tim Duncan, Basketball player