Today in History for 4th April 2025
Historical Events
1552 – Maurice, Elector of Saxony begins an alliance with Russian Anikey Stroganov
1833 – St Etienne-Lyons railway fully opens in France
1862 – Peninsular Campaign, launched in southeastern Virginia, aimed at capturing Richmond during US Civil War begins, Confederate victory (US Civil War)
1900 – Assassination attempt on Prince of Wales, later British King Edward VII when shot by Jean-Baptiste Sipido in protest over Boer war
1969 – Haskell Karp receives the 1st temporary artificial heart, implanted by surgeon Denton Cooley at Texas Heart Institute in Houston
1975 – British sitcom “The Good Life” starring Richard Briers, Felicity Kendal, Paul Eddington and Penelope Keith debuts on BBC One
Famous Birthdays
1740 – Wolfgang Nicolaus Haueisen, German organist, composer, and pedagogue, born in Oehrenstock, Electorate of Saxony, Holy Roman Empire (d. 1804)
1945 – Bryan Andrews, New Zealand cricketer (NZ medium-pacer, toured Australia 1973-74), born in Christchurch, New Zealand
1949 – Larry Lingle, American rock guitarist (The Four Seasons, 1979-93), born in Kansas City, Missouri
1952 – Gregg Hansford, Australian motorcycle racer (10 x GP wins) and touring car racer (Bathurst 1993), born in Brisbane, Australia (d. 1995)
1957 – Kelso, American racehorse, born in Claiborne Farm near Paris, Kentucky (d. 1983)
1963 – David Gavurin, English pop guitarist and songwriter (The Sundays – “Here’s Where the Story Ends”; “Summertime”), born in the UK
Famous Deaths
1617 – John Napier, Scottish mathematician and inventor (logarithms), dies from effects of gout at 67
1734 – Johann C van Erckel, old Catholic theologist, dies at about 79
1947 – William O’Donnell, Irish politician (Teachta Dála, 1943-47), dies at 71
1951 – Al Christie, Canadian-born pioneering film director and producer (Nestor Film Company), dies at 69
1987 – C. L. Moore, American science fiction and fantasy writer (Judgment Night), dies at 76
1988 – Ludwig Stiel, German pianist, composer, and conductor, dies at 86
