How much do you know about the Boston Marathon? Did you know that its first annual marathon was held on this day in history? Want to know more? Read on to find out other significant events of April 19.
- 1764-The English Parliament banned the American colonies from printing paper money.
- 1770-British explorer Captain James Cook first sights Australia.
- 1775– American Revolution begins in Lexington, Massachusetts.
- 1782-The Netherlands recognized the new United States.
- 1802-The Spanish reopened the New Orleans port to American merchants.
- 1852-The California Historical Society was founded.
- 1890-Henry Morton Stanley was inaugurated in Brussels.
- 1897-The first annual Boston Marathon was held.
- 1927-Actress, Mae West was found guilty of “obscenity and corrupting the morals of youth” in a New York stage play.
- 1932-President Herbert Hoover suggests a 5-day workweek.
- 1933-U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued a proclamation that removed the U.S. from the gold standard.
- 1951-General Douglas MacArthur ended his military career.
- 1954-7-time winner of the Boston Marathon, 65-year-old Clarence DeMar, ran his last race at Boston, finishing 78th.
- 1960-Baseball uniforms began displaying players’ names on their backs.
- 1971-Charles Manson was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Sharon Tate.
- 1982-Sally Ride is named the 1st American woman astronaut.
- 1994-Rodney King was awarded $3,800,000 compensation by Los Angeles County for his police beating.
- 2003-Nina Simone was awarded an honorary degree by the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia.
- 2005-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger elected Pope Benedict XVI on the second day of the Papal conclave.
- 2011-Fidel Castro resigned from the Communist Party of Cuba’s central committee.