Today in History
2005 Over 4 million people pay their last respects to Pope John Paul II
Pope Karol Józef Wojtya of Poland was a hugely popular figure. Benedict XVI of Germany, born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger, succeeded him.
1977 The Clash release their debut album of the same name
The British combo around lead vocalist Joe Strummer is considered one of the most influential early punk rock bands.
1959 One of the first modern programming languages is created
Grace Hopper, a woman, was the primary designer of the Common Business-Oriented Language (COBOL). She is regarded as a pioneer in the field and is also known as Amazing Grace.
1953 Jomo Kenyatta is sentenced to 7 years hard labor
Kenyatta led the anti-British colonialist Mau Mau movement. He is regarded as Kenya’s founding father and served as the country’s first President in 1964.
1904 France and the United Kingdom sign the Entente cordiale
The treaty was originally intended to regulate the countries’ colonial interests in Africa, but it later evolved into the Triple Entente to fight Germany in World War I.
Births On This Day, April 8
1938 Kofi Annan
Ghanaian diplomat, 7th Secretary-General of the United Nations
1929 Jacques Brel
Belgian singer-songwriter, actor
1918 Betty Ford
American wife of Gerald R. Ford, 40th First Lady of the United States
1859 Edmund Husserl
Austrian mathematician, philosopher
1827 Ramón Emeterio Betances
Puerto Rican doctor, politician
Deaths On This Day, April 8
2013 Margaret Thatcher
English politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
1981 Omar Bradley
American general
1973 Pablo Picasso
Spanish painter, sculptor
1950 Vaslav Nijinsky
Russian dancer, choreographer
1857 Mangal Pandey
Indian freedom fighter
