Today in History: April 23, Hank Aaron’s first home run
Today in History: April 23, Hank Aaron’s first home run
Atlanta Braves home-run king Henry Aaron was honored in pre-game ceremonies at night on Tuesday, April 30, 1974 in St. Louis. Former St. Louis Cardinals great Stan “The Man” Musial exchanges a joke with Aaron during the presentation of a plaque. Aaron hit his first major league home run against the Cardinals pitcher Vic Raschi on April 23, 1954. At right is former major leaguer, and now Cardinals broadcaster Mike Shannon. (AP Photo/FOW)
**FILE** Russian federation President Boris Yeltsin addresses the People’s Deputies of Russian Federation in this Dec. 11, 1990 file photo. Former President Boris Yeltsin, who engineered the final collapse of the Soviet Union and pushed Russia to embrace democracy and a market economy, has died, a Kremlin official said Monday, April 23, 2007. He was 76. (AP Photo/Boris Yurchenko, FILE))
Victims of the fire at the Rhythm Club in Natchez, Miss., are viewed in a temporary morgue as relatives try to find their loved ones, April 23, 1940. Two hundred twelve people died in the fire which started when dried Spanish moss hanging from the rafters ignited. (AP Photo)
Veterans protesting the war in Vietnam, throw medals and other articles on the step of the Capitol on April 23, 1971 in Washington.(AP Photo/John Duricka )
FILE - French centrist presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron thumbs up as he addresses his supporters at his election day headquarters in Paris, April 23, 2017. French President Emmanuel Macron hasn’t officially declared that he’s a candidate for April’s presidential election yet. Critics say he’s unfairly using his taxpayer-funded presidential pulpit to campaign for a second term while dragging out his widely expected announcement as long as possible. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena, File)
Atlanta Braves home-run king Henry Aaron was honored in pre-game ceremonies at night on Tuesday, April 30, 1974 in St. Louis. Former St. Louis Cardinals great Stan “The Man” Musial exchanges a joke with Aaron during the presentation of a plaque. Aaron hit his first major league home run against the Cardinals pitcher Vic Raschi on April 23, 1954. At right is former major leaguer, and now Cardinals broadcaster Mike Shannon. (AP Photo/FOW)
Atlanta Braves home-run king Henry Aaron was honored in pre-game ceremonies at night on Tuesday, April 30, 1974 in St. Louis. Former St. Louis Cardinals great Stan “The Man” Musial exchanges a joke with Aaron during the presentation of a plaque. Aaron hit his first major league home run against the Cardinals pitcher Vic Raschi on April 23, 1954. At right is former major leaguer, and now Cardinals broadcaster Mike Shannon. (AP Photo/FOW)
**FILE** Russian federation President Boris Yeltsin addresses the People’s Deputies of Russian Federation in this Dec. 11, 1990 file photo. Former President Boris Yeltsin, who engineered the final collapse of the Soviet Union and pushed Russia to embrace democracy and a market economy, has died, a Kremlin official said Monday, April 23, 2007. He was 76. (AP Photo/Boris Yurchenko, FILE))
**FILE** Russian federation President Boris Yeltsin addresses the People’s Deputies of Russian Federation in this Dec. 11, 1990 file photo. Former President Boris Yeltsin, who engineered the final collapse of the Soviet Union and pushed Russia to embrace democracy and a market economy, has died, a Kremlin official said Monday, April 23, 2007. He was 76. (AP Photo/Boris Yurchenko, FILE))
Victims of the fire at the Rhythm Club in Natchez, Miss., are viewed in a temporary morgue as relatives try to find their loved ones, April 23, 1940. Two hundred twelve people died in the fire which started when dried Spanish moss hanging from the rafters ignited. (AP Photo)
Victims of the fire at the Rhythm Club in Natchez, Miss., are viewed in a temporary morgue as relatives try to find their loved ones, April 23, 1940. Two hundred twelve people died in the fire which started when dried Spanish moss hanging from the rafters ignited. (AP Photo)
Veterans protesting the war in Vietnam, throw medals and other articles on the step of the Capitol on April 23, 1971 in Washington.(AP Photo/John Duricka )
Veterans protesting the war in Vietnam, throw medals and other articles on the step of the Capitol on April 23, 1971 in Washington.(AP Photo/John Duricka )
FILE - French centrist presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron thumbs up as he addresses his supporters at his election day headquarters in Paris, April 23, 2017. French President Emmanuel Macron hasn’t officially declared that he’s a candidate for April’s presidential election yet. Critics say he’s unfairly using his taxpayer-funded presidential pulpit to campaign for a second term while dragging out his widely expected announcement as long as possible. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena, File)
FILE - French centrist presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron thumbs up as he addresses his supporters at his election day headquarters in Paris, April 23, 2017. French President Emmanuel Macron hasn’t officially declared that he’s a candidate for April’s presidential election yet. Critics say he’s unfairly using his taxpayer-funded presidential pulpit to campaign for a second term while dragging out his widely expected announcement as long as possible. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena, File)
Today’s Highlight in History:
On April 23, 1954, Hank Aaron of the Milwaukee Braves hit the first of his 755 major-league home runs in a game against the St. Louis Cardinals. (The Braves won, 7-5.)
On this date:
In 1616 (Old Style calendar), English poet and dramatist William Shakespeare died in Stratford-upon-Avon on what has traditionally been regarded as the 52nd anniversary of his birth in 1564.
In 1898, Spain declared war on the United States, which responded in kind two days later.
In 1940, about 200 people died in the Rhythm Night Club Fire in Natchez, Mississippi.
In 1969, Sirhan Sirhan was sentenced to death for assassinating New York Sen. Robert F. Kennedy. (The sentence was later reduced to life imprisonment.)
In 1971, hundreds of Vietnam War veterans opposed to the conflict protested by tossing their medals and ribbons over a wire fence in front of the U.S. Capitol.
In 1988, a federal ban on smoking during domestic airline flights of two hours or less went into effect.
In 1992, McDonald’s opened its first fast-food restaurant in the Chinese capital of Beijing.
In 1993, labor leader Cesar Chavez died in San Luis, Arizona, at age 66.
In 1998, James Earl Ray, who confessed to assassinating the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and then insisted he’d been framed, died at a Nashville, Tennessee, hospital at age 70.
In 2005, the recently created video-sharing website YouTube uploaded its first clip, “Me at the Zoo,” which showed YouTube co-founder Jawed Karim standing in front of an elephant enclosure at the San Diego Zoo.
In 2007, Boris Yeltsin, Russia’s first freely elected president, died in Moscow at age 76.
In 2012: Actor-singer Jennifer Hudson broke down in tears while testifying at the Chicago trial of William Balfour, the man accused of killing her mother, brother and 7-year-old nephew in a jealous rage in 2008. (Balfour was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison.) The government reported that Social Security was rushing even faster toward insolvency, with its trust funds expected to run dry in 2033, three years earlier than previously projected.
In 2017: Centrist Emmanuel Macron (eh-mahn-yoo-EHL’ mah-KROHN’) and far-right populist Marine Le Pen advanced to a May runoff in France’s presidential election (Macron ended up defeating Le Pen).
In 2020, at a White House briefing, President Donald Trump noted that researchers were looking at the effects of disinfectants on the coronavirus, and wondered aloud whether they could be injected into people.
In 2021: U.S. health officials lifted an 11-day pause on COVID-19 vaccinations using Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose shot, after scientific advisers decided its benefits outweighed a rare risk of blood clot. Reality TV personality and Olympic hero Caitlyn Jenner joined a growing list of Republican candidates seeking to oust Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who was facing a likely recall election. (Newsom would beat back the recall effort in a September vote.)