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Crossroads
April 1st 1983
Anti-nuke demonstrators link arms in 14-mile human chain in England
April 2nd 1827
Joseph Dixon begins manufacturing lead pencils
April 3rd 1936
Shortest boxing bout with gloves lasts only 10 seconds
April 4th 1912
Chinese republic proclaimed in Tibet
April 5th 1896
1st modern Olympic Games officially opens in Athens
April 6th 1991
Argentine soocer star Diego Maradona suspended for 15 month by Italian League for testing positive for cocaine use
April 7th 2009
Former President of Peru, Alberto Fujimori, receives 25 years in prison for ordering killings and kidnappings by security forces
April 8th 1990
King Birendra of Nepal lifts 30-year ban on political parties
April 9th 1912
The Titanic leaves Queenstown, Ireland for New York
April 10th 2010
Bronislaw Komorowski becomes Acting President of Poland after a plane carrying President Lech Kaczynski and top Polish officials crashes, leaving no survivors
April 11th 1986
Dodge Morgan sailed solo nonstop around world in 150 days
April 12th 1961
Yuri Gagarin becomes 1st person to orbit Earth in Vostok 1
April 13th 1964
New Zealand’s Colin Bosher shears a record 565 sheep in 1 work day
April 14th 1958
Sputnik 2 (with dog Laika) burns up in atmosphere
April 15th 1959
Fidel Castro begins U.S. goodwill tour
April 16th 1986
To dispel rumors he’s dead, Moammar Gadhafi appears on TV
April 17th 1492
Christopher Columbus signs contract with Spain to find Indies
April 18th 1986
Titan rocket explodes seconds after liftoff from Vandenberg AFB
April 19th 1956
U.S. actress Grace Kelly marries Monaco’s Prince Rainier III
April 20th 1992
All star concert in memory of Freddie Mercury held at Wembley Stadium
April 21st 1526
First Battle of Panipat: Mogol Emperor Babur beats sultan Ibrahim Lodi
April 22nd 1994
The world’s largest lollipop is made in Denmark weighing 3,011 pounds
April 23rd 1994
Graeme Obree bicycles world record 10 km (11:28)
April 24th 1989
Thousands of students strike in Beijing China
April 25th 2010
At least 80 schoolgirls attending different Kunduz schools are poisoned in a week; an inquiry is launched and the Taliban, opposed to female education, deny any involvement
April 26th 1982
Rod Stewart is mugged as a gunman steals his $50,000 Porsche
April 27th 1940
Himmler orders establishment of Auschwitz Concentration Camp
April 28th 1967
Muhammad Ali refuses induction into army and is stripped of his boxing title
April 29th 1990
Wrecking cranes began tearing down Berlin Wall at Brandenburg Gate
April 30th 1904
Ice cream cone makes its debut
