The Pryor Times

April 17, 2012

Today in history

Mr. Know-It-All
Gary Clothier

— Today is the 108th day of 2012 and the 29th day of spring.

 

TODAY'S HISTORY: In 1524, Italian navigator Giovanni da Verrazzano, sailing for France, led the first European expedition into New York Harbor.

In 1861, Virginia became the eighth state to secede from the Union.

In 1961, a group of CIA-trained Cuban exiles launched an unsuccessful invasion of Cuba at the Bay of Pigs.

In 1993, a federal jury convicted two police officers (and acquitted two others) of violating the civil rights of assaulted motorist Rodney King.

 

TODAY'S BIRTHDAYS: Nikita Khrushchev (1894-1971), Soviet political leader; Senor Wences (1896-1999), ventriloquist; Thornton Wilder, (1897-1975), playwright/novelist; William Holden (1918-1981), actor; Boomer Esiason (1961- ), football player/broadcaster; Jennifer Garner (1972- ), actress.

 

TODAY'S SPORTS: In 1951, 19-year-old Mickey Mantle made his major league debut with the New York Yankees.

 

TODAY'S FACT: More Civil War battles were fought in Virginia than any other state.

 

TODAY'S QUOTE: "Ninety-nine percent of the people in the world are fools and the rest of us are in great danger of contagion." -- Thornton Wilder

 

TODAY'S NUMBER: 28 -- percentage of Major League Baseball players who were born outside of the United States, as of opening day in 2011.

 

TODAY'S MOON: Between last quarter (April 13) and new moon (April 21).