April 15th

Today's Highlight in History:
In the early hours of April 15th, 1912, the British luxury liner "Titanic" sank in the North Atlantic off Newfoundland, less than three hours after striking an iceberg. About 1500 people died.

On this date:
In 1817, the first American school for the deaf opened in Hartford, Connecticut.

In 1850, the city of San Francisco was incorporated.

In 1861, three days after the Confederate attack on Fort Sumter, President Lincoln declared a state of insurrection and called out Union troops.

In 1865, President Lincoln died, several hours after he was shot at Ford's Theater in Washington by John Wilkes Booth. Andrew Johnson became the nation's 17th president.

In 1945, during World War Two, British and Canadian troops liberated the Nazi concentration camp Bergen-Belsen.

In 1959, Cuban leader Fidel Castro arrived in Washington to begin a goodwill tour of the United States.

In 1986, the United States launched an air raid against Libya in response to the bombing of a discotheque in Berlin on April fifth; Libya says 37 people, mostly civilians, were killed.

In 1980, existentialist philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre died in Paris at the age of 74.

In 1989, ninety-five people died in a crush of soccer fans at Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield, England.

In 1998, Pol Pot, the notorious leader of the Khmer Rouge, died at age 73, evading prosecution for the deaths of two million Cambodians.

Ten years ago: Actress Greta Garbo died in New York at age 84.

Five years ago: In his weekly radio address, President Clinton asked Congress to protect a short list of key legislation, saying he was giving the highest priority to welfare reform, targeted tax cuts and a crime bill preserving the assault weapons ban.

One year ago: A gunman opened fire at the Mormon Family History Library in Salt Lake City, killing two people and wounding four others before being shot to death by police.

"Patriotism is your conviction that this country is superior to all other countries because you were born in it."

-- George Bernard Shaw, Irish-born playwright (1856-1950).