Today in History for 18th April 2024
Historical Events
1924 – 1st crossword puzzle book published by Simon and Schuster
1938 – 42nd Boston Marathon won by Leslie Pawson in 2:35:34.8; his second victory in the event
1946 – Rome, Auerbach and Horwitt’s musical “Call Me Mister” opens at National Theater, NYC; runs for 734 performances
1946 – Jackie Robinson debuts as 2nd baseman for the Montreal Royals
1983 – KMO-AM in Tacoma Wash changes call letters to KAMT (now KKMO)
1984 – Joan Benoit runs world record female marathon (2:22:43)
Famous Birthdays
1842 – Antero Tarquínio de Quental, Portuguese poet (Beatrice), born in Ponta Delgada, Portugal (d. 1891)
1888 – Arnold Lunn, British skier (created the modern Alpine slalom race), born in Madras, India (d. 1974)
1946 – (Alexander) “Skip” Spence, Canadian guitarist and vocalist (Moby Grape – “Omaha”), born in Windsor, Ontario, Canada
1963 – Eric McCormack, Canadian-American actor (Will and Grace), born in Toronto, Ontario
1970 – Rico Brogna, American MLB baseball player (Detroit Tigers), born in Turners Falls, Massachusetts
1988 – Vanessa Kirby, English actress (Princess Margaret in The Crown), born in London, England
Famous Deaths
1610 – Robert Parsons, English jesuit (A Letter Disclosure), dies at 63
1845 – Nicolas Théodore de Saussure, Swiss chemist, dies at 77
1882 – Henry Cole, English inventor and civil servant, 1st director of the VandA Museum, promoter of 1851 Great Exhibition, dies at 73
1976 – Mahmoud Younis, Suez Canal nationalization engineer, dies at 65
1985 – Gertrude Caton-Thompson, English archaeologist (Zimbabwe, So Arabia), dies at 97
1990 – Robert D Webb, American director and actor (Love Me Tender, Jackals), dies at 87