APRIL 4 | Birthdays and Events
Notable Birthdays for April 4
Dorothea Dix (1802-1887) - Nurse who advocated behalf of mentally ill and later created the first generation of American mental asylums.
Linus Yale Jr. (1821-1868) - Inventor of the cylinder lock.
William Henry Jackson (1843-1942) - Famous painter and photographer who is well-known for his images of the American West.
Mary Colter (1869-1958) - Architect who designed the Desert View Watchtower.
William Cumming Rose (1887-1985) - Biochemist who discovered the amino acid threonine.
Tris Speaker (1888-1958) - Considered one if the greatest MLB players of all time.
Frances Langford (1913-2005) - Singer known as "G.I. Nightingale" and was considered the American armed-forces sweetheart.
Muddy Waters (1913-1983) - Referred to as the "Father of Modern Chicago blues."
Elmer Bernstein (1922-2004) - Composer of some of the most famous film scores of all time, including The Ten Commandments (1956), The Great Escape (1963), Animal House (1978), and Ghostbusters (1984).
Maya Angelou (1928-2014) - Memoirist and poet who wrote I Know Where the Caged Birds Sing.
Clive Davis (1932-Still Living) - Founder of Arista Records and J Records.
Bill France, Jr. (1933-2007) - NASCAR pioneer.
Craig T. Nelson (1944-Still Living) - Actor best known his role as Hayden Fox in the sitcom Coach.
Robert Downey Jr. (1965-Still Living) - Acclaimed award-winning actor on the big screen and Broadway.
Nancy McKeon (1966-Still Living) - Actress known for her role as Jo in the teen sitcom Facts of Life.
David Blaine (1973-Still Living) - Magician and illusionist.
Memorable Events for April 4
1789 - The first Congress begins their regular session.
1818 - Congress decides the U.S. flag will have 13 red and white stripes, and 20 stars.
1841 - President Harrison die's of pneumonia, becoming the first President to die in office.
1841 - VP John Tyler prelaces President Harrison after his death.
1887 - Susanna M. Salter (Argonia, KS) is elected the first female mayor in the U.S.
1945 - The U.S. Army liberates the Ohrdruf concentration camp.
1949 - The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) treaty is signed in Washington, D.C.
1968 - Martin Luther King Jr. is assassinated by James Earl Ray.
1973 - The Twin Towers of the World Trade Center are officially dedicated.
1975 - An Air Force plane carrying orphans crashes near Saigon, South Vietnam, killing 172 people.
1984 - President Reagan calls for a ban on chemical weapons.
