April 1
Today in America's Present Past
1778 | Oliver Pollock, a New Orleans entrepreneur created the “$” sign an abbreviation of the Spanish peso symbol.
1826 | Samuel Morey received a patent for a gas or vapor (internal combustion) engine.
1834 | Entrepreneur Jim Fisk was born.
1852 | Painter Edward Austin Abbey was born.
1853 | Cincinnati, Ohio, becomes the first municipality to employ (pay) full-time firefighters.
1857 | Novelist Herman Melville published “The Confidence-Man.”
1865 | Civil War: Battle of Five Forks ended, often considered the “Waterloo of the Confederacy,” leading to Lee’s eventual surrender at Appomattox.
1870 | Explorer Patrick Gass died.
1891 | The Wrigley Company was formed.
1901 | Author Whittaker Chambers was born.
1908 | Psychologist Abraham Maslow was born.
1917 | Composer Scott Joplin died.
1929 | Loray Mill Strike starts in Gastonia, North Carolina.
1945 | WWII: Operation Iceberg, the largest amphibious assault in the Pacific Theater, launched on Easter Sunday/April Fool’s Day, the invasion of Okinawa.
1950 | SCOTUS: Justice Samuel Alito was born.
1954 | The USAF Academy was established.
1955 | Publisher Robert R. McCormick died.
1970 | POTUS: Republican President Nixon signed legislation curbing cigarette advertising.
1973 | Media personality Rachel Maddow was born.
1976 | Entrepreneurs Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs founded Apple Computing.
1982 | The US transferred the Canal Zone to Panama.
1984 | Musician Marvin Gaye died after being shot by his father.
1985 | Author Douglass Wallop died.
1995 | Online personality Logan Paul was born.
2004 | Solider Aaron Bank died.
2004 | Google launched “Gmail.”
2020 | Admiral Edward L. Feightner died.