Today in history: April 16
In 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. wrote his “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, writing, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
1789: Mount Vernon, Virginia
In 1789, President-elect George Washington left Mount Vernon, Virginia, for his inauguration in New York.
1889: Charles Chaplin
In 1889, comedian and movie director Charles Chaplin was born in London.
1945: Harry S. Truman
In 1945, In his first speech to Congress, President Harry S. Truman pledged to carry out the war and peace policies of his late predecessor, President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
1963: Martin Luther King Jr
In 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. wrote his “Letter from Birmingham Jail” in which the civil rights activist responded to a group of local clergymen who had criticized him for leading street protests; King defended his tactics, writing, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
1972: Apollo 16
In 1972, Apollo 16 blasted off on a voyage to the moon with astronauts John W. Young, Charles M. Duke Jr. and Ken Mattingly on board.
1977: Alex Haley
In 1977, Alex Haley, author of the best-seller “Roots,” visited the Gambian village of Juffure, where, he believed, his ancestor Kunte Kinte was captured as a slave in 1767.
1996: Sarah, the Duchess of York
In 1996, Britain’s Prince Andrew and his wife, Sarah, the Duchess of York, announced they were in the process of divorcing.
2003: Michael Jordan
In 2003, Michael Jordan played his last NBA game with the Washington Wizards, who lost to the Philadelphia 76ers, 107-87.
2007: Virginia Tech
In 2007, in one of America’s worst school attacks, a college senior killed 32 people on the campus of Virginia Tech before taking his own life.
2010: Goldman Sachs & Co.
In 2010, the U.S government accused Wall Street’s most powerful firm of fraud, saying Goldman Sachs & Co. had sold mortgage investments without telling buyers the securities were crafted with input from a client who was betting on them to fail.
2017: Mike Pence
Five years ago: U.S. officials said a North Korean medium-range missile exploded seconds after launch, a high-profile failure that came hours before U.S. Vice President Mike Pence arrived in South Korea for a visit at the start of a 10-day trip to Asia.
2021: Deb Haaland
Interior Secretary Deb Haaland revoked a series of Trump-era orders that promoted fossil fuel development on public lands and waters, and issued a new order that prioritized climate change in agency decisions.
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