Monthly Archives: April 2015

Booth learns Lincoln will attend play tonight at Ford’s Theater 150 years ago this hour (Apr 14 1865)


Video: 'Ken Burns - The Civil War: Episode 9 - The Better Angels of Our Nature (1865) |Ken Burns Documentary' (Apr. 14, 1865, afternoon at 13:20-13:39)

(Good Friday, April 14, 1865, at around noon; during the American Civil War) — When actor John Wilkes Booth dropped by Ford’s Theatre today in Washington, D.C., to pick up his mail today, he learned that President Abraham Lincoln and Lt. General Ulysses S. Grant (and their respective wives) would be attending a performance of the British hit comedy Our American Cousin that evening (the Grants would bow out at the last minute, replaced by Major Henry Rathbone and his fiancée Clara Harris, daughter of New York Senator Ira Harris).

American flag flies over Fort Sumter again 150 years ago this hour (Apr 14 1865)


Video: 'Ken Burns - The Civil War: Episode 9 - The Better Angels of Our Nature (1865) |Ken Burns Documentary' (Apr. 14, 1865, at 11:34)

(Good Friday, April 14, 1865, noon; during the American Civil War) — Four years to the day after lowering the Fort Sumter Flag in surrender to Confederate forces, Major General Robert Anderson of the U.S. Army returned to the ruined fort to raise the flag he had lowered at the outbreak of war in 1861.

500,000 view FDR’s final march in Washington 70 years ago this hour (Apr 14 1945)


Video: 'WW2: Franklin Delano Roosevelt body arrival at the White House (13 April 1945)' (this was actually Apr. 14, 1945)

(Saturday, April 14, 1945, 11:20 a.m. EWT; during World War II) — Along streets that seemed heavy with a still and severely controlled grief, and which were silent but for the somber intermittent hymns of the military bands and the soft footfalls of marching service men and women, the body of Franklin D. Roosevelt was carried today upon a black caisson of honor back to the White House for the official farewell of the United States and of all the friendly world. Continue reading 500,000 view FDR’s final march in Washington 70 years ago this hour (Apr 14 1945)

Two die in gallows for ‘In Cold Blood’ killings 50 years ago this hour (Apr 14 1965)


Video: 'Did the In Cold Blood Killers Murder a Second Family?'

(Wednesday, April 14, 1965, 12:41/1:19 a.m. CST) — The state of Kansas hanged Richard Hickock and Perry Smith this morning for the 1959 murders of Herbert Clutter, his wife, Bonnie, and two of their children, Nancy and Kenyon as described in Truman Capote’s 1966 non-fiction book In Cold Blood.

Gilberto, Getz win ‘Record of the Year,’ The Beatles ‘Best New Artist’ at Grammys 50 years ago tonight (Apr 13 1965)


Video: 'The Girl From Ipanema by Astrud Gilberto'

(Tuesday, April 13, 1965, evening PST) — Astrud Gilberto and Stan Getz won Record of the Year for “The Girl from Ipanema” at the 7th Annual Grammy Awards tonight, held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California. Continue reading Gilberto, Getz win ‘Record of the Year,’ The Beatles ‘Best New Artist’ at Grammys 50 years ago tonight (Apr 13 1965)

The Beatles record ‘Help!’ 50 years ago this hour (Apr 13 1965)


Video: 'Help ! (take 1,2,3,5,8&9) - The Beatles Rare Takes'

(Tuesday, April 13, 1965, 7:00-11:15 p.m. GMT) — The Beatles continued production of their fifth album Help! at EMI Studio 2 in London, recording “Help!”, the title song to their next feature film, album and single. Continue reading The Beatles record ‘Help!’ 50 years ago this hour (Apr 13 1965)