Today in History for 8th April 2025
Historical Events
1766 – 1st fire escape patented, wicker basket on a pulley and chain
1869 – American Museum of Natural History opens in New York City
1979 – 205th and final episode of “All in the Family”; followed by “Archie Bunker’s Place” for 4 seasons
1993 – Indians’ Carlos Baerga is 1st to switch hit HRs in same inn (vs Yanks)
2000 – 153rd Grand National: Irish 10/1 shot Papillon, ridden by jockey Ruby Walsh and trained by his father Ted Walsh wins by 1¼ lengths from Mely Moss
2016 – 31st Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees: Chicago, Cheap Trick, Deep Purple, Steve Miller, and N.W.A
Famous Birthdays
1756 – Joseph Gehot, Belgian composer, born in Brussels, Belgium (d. 1820)
1865 – Ted Wainwright, English cricket all-rounder (5 Tests; Yorkshire CCC), born in Sheffield, England (d. 1919)
1893 – Grace Cunard, American silent screen actress (Untamed, Resurrection), born in Columbus, Ohio (d. 1967)
1905 – George Baxter, French actor (Flying Saucer, Lili, Caged), born in Paris, France (d. 1976)
1955 – Barbara Kingsolver, American novelist (The Poisonwood Bible), born in Annapolis, Maryland
1972 – Katrina Powell, Australian field hockey striker (252 caps; Olympic gold 1996, 2000; World Cup gold 1998; Champions Trophy gold 1997, 99, 2003) and coach (Australia women), born in Canberra Australia
Famous Deaths
1931 – Eric Axel Karlfeldt, Swedish poet (Nobel Prize for Literature 1931), dies at 66
1969 – Arthur Walter Kramer, American composer, dies at 78
1981 – Omar Bradley, American WWII General (Invasion of Normandy) and 1st Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (1949-53), dies of cardiac arrhythmia at 88
1982 – Katherine Rawls, American diver (Olympic silver 3m springboard 1932, 36) and swimmer (Olympic bronze 4×100m freestyle 1936), dies from cancer at 64
1992 – Daniel Bovet, Swiss-Italian pharmacologist (1957 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, discovered chemotherapeutic agents including antihistamines0, dies at 85
1993 – Arleen Whelan, American film actress (Kidnapped), dies of a stroke at 78
