Birth of Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Jane Fitzgerald was born on April 25, 1917, in Newport News, Virginia. Her pure, ageless voice spanned three octaves, and she was known as the First Lady of Song, the Queen of Jazz, and Lady Ella.
Famous Americans
Spanish-American War Begins
On April 21, 1898, Spain ended diplomatic relations with America and the US Navy established a blockade of Cuba, marking the official start of the Spanish-American War. The war would last less than four months, but saw the downfall of the Spanish Empire and the rise of America as a major world power with several new possessions.
Paul Revere’s Midnight Ride
On April 18, 1775, Paul Revere took his historic ride to warn the people of Lexington and Concord that the British were coming. It’s one of the most famous tales from the Revolutionary War, popularized and romanticized in a poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.
First Woman to Fly Across the English Channel
On April 16, 1912, Harriet Quimby became the first woman to fly across the English Channel. She had a brief, but significant aviation career, becoming a pioneer and inspiration for countless female flyers.
Birth of A. Philip Randolph
Asa Philip Randolph was born on April 15, 1889, in Crescent City, Florida. Randolph was a respected and outspoken proponent of the rights of minority labor. He was greatly feared by his opponents, not because of his temperament, but because of his power to create change.
Birth of Charles Evans Hughes
Charles Evans Hughes was born on April 11, 1862, in Glens Falls, New York. As governor of New York he fought political corruption. He also served as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court for 11 years, during the Great Depression and Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal.
Birth of Joseph Pulitzer
Publisher and politician József “Joseph” Pulitzer was born on April 10, 1847, in Makó, Kingdom of Hungary, Austrian Empire. Pulitzer often used sensationalism to sell papers, leading to wider circulation. The Pulitzer Prize was created as a result of an endowment he left to Columbia University.
Birth of Haym Salomon
Haym Salomon was born on April 7, 1740, in Leszno, Poland. Salomon raised funds and gave his own money to help the American war effort during the Revolutionary War.
U.S. Air Force Academy Established
On April 1, 1954, President Dwight Eisenhower created the Air Force Academy to train officers. During its more than 60 year history, the academy has had over 52,000 graduates move on to become US Air Force officers.