Today in History for 20th April 2025
Historical Events
1610 – Only recorded performance of William Shakespeare’s tragedy “Macbeth”, during the playwright’s lifetime, at the Globe theater, by astrologer Simon Foreman
1916 – Chicago Cubs play their 1st game at Weeghman Park (now Wrigley Field) and beat the Cincinnati Reds 7-6
1950 – Baltimore, Maryland’s Memorial Stadium opens – Orioles of International League
1960 – “From A to Z” opens at Plymouth Theater NYC for 21 performances
1997 – Cubs beat NY Mets, ending the NL’s worst opening losing streak of 14 straight games
Famous Birthdays
1938 – Betty Cuthbert, Australian athlete (Olympic gold 100m, 200m, 4x100m 1956; 400m 1964), born in Sydney, Australia (d. 2017)
1953 – Sebastian Faulks, British novelist (The Girl at the Lion d’Or), born in Donnington, Berkshire
1965 – Kostas Hatzidakis, Greek politician (New Democracy Party), born in Rethymno, Greece
1971 – Tina Cousins, English singer (Mysterious Times), born in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, England
1983 – Tan France, English fashion designer and TV personality (Queer Eye), born in Doncaster, England
Famous Deaths
1935 – Lucy, Lady Duff-Gordon, English fashion designer, dies at 71
1962 – Jesse G. Vincent, American engineer (designed 1st V-12 engine, Packard automobiles) dies at 82
1995 – Milovan Djilas, Yugoslavian politician and writer (The New Class), dies at 83
2018 – Avicii [Tim Bergling], Swedish musician, DJ, remixer and record producer (“Levels”; “Wake Me Up”; “Sunshine”), commits suicide at 28
2021 – Idriss Déby, Chadian politician and military officer (President of Chad, 1990–2021), dies of injuries inflicted on a battlefield at 68
