Wikipedia on Your Birthday

[Mad Melvin]

April 4th

Events:

1841 - President William Henry Harrison dies of pneumonia becoming the first President of the United States to die in office and at one month, the elected president with the shortest term served.

1905 - In India, an earthquake near Kangra kills 370,000

1945 - World War II: American troops liberate Ohrdruf death camp in Germany

1968 - Martin Luther King Jr. assassinated.

1968 - Apollo program: NASA launches Apollo 6.

1975 - Vietnam War: Operation Baby Lift - A United States Air Force C-5A Galaxy crashes near Saigon, South Vietnam shortly after takeoff, transporting orphans. 172 people are killed

1983 - Space Shuttle Challenger makes its maiden voyage into space.

1991 - Senator John Heinz of Pennsylvania and six others are killed when a helicopter collides with their plane over Merion, Pennsylvania.

1994 - Netscape Communications Corporation is founded (under the name "Mosaic Communications Corporation") by Marc Andreessen and Jim Clark.


Births:

1895 - Shemp Howard, actor, comedian; member of the Three Stooges
1915 - Muddy Waters, blues musician
1932 - Anthony Perkins, actor
1944 - Craig T. Nelson, actor
1956 - David E. Kelley, writer, television producer
1960 - Hugo Weaving, actor
1965 - Robert Downey Jr., actor
1970 - Barry Pepper, actor
1973 - David Blaine, illusionist


Deaths:

1841 - William Henry Harrison, 9th President of the United States
1968 - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., civil rights activist, minister
1983 - Gloria Swanson, actress (b. 1897)
1987 - C.L. Moore, science fiction writer
1994 - Kurt Cobain, Rock Star, lead singer of Nirvana