April 23 Today in History

Today’s Important Historical Events

215 BC A temple, built on the Capitoline Hill, is dedicated to Venus Erycina to commemorate the Roman defeat at Lake Trasimene

1014 King Brian Boru of Ireland defeats Viking forces at Battle of Clontarf, freeing Ireland from foreign control

1597 William Shakespeare‘s “The Merry Wives of Windsor” is first performed, with Queen Elizabeth I of England in attendance

1861 Robert E. Lee named commander of Virginia Confederate forces (US Civil War)

1968 1st decimal coins issued in Britain (5 & 10 new pence, replacing shilling and two-shilling pieces)

1984 AIDS-virus identified as HTLV-III (acquired immune deficiency syndrome)

Today’s Historical Events

215 BC A temple, built on the Capitoline Hill, is dedicated to Venus Erycina to commemorate the Roman defeat at Lake Trasimene

1014 King Brian Boru of Ireland defeats Viking forces at Battle of Clontarf, freeing Ireland from foreign control

1154 Damascus surrenders to Sultan Nur ad-Din van Aleppo

1229 Ferdinand III of Castile conquers Cáceres

1343 St. George’s Night Uprising in Estonia

1344 Order of the Garter founded by English King Edward III, the most senior knighthood in the UK with just 24 living members plus the monarch (or 1348)

1348 The Order of Garter founded by English King Edward III, Britain’s highest civic or military honor

1504 King Maximilian I routes troops to Bavaria

Today’s Historical Events in Film and TV

1896 Vitascope system of movie projection 1st shown at Koster & Bial’s Music Hall, New York City

1931 US gangster film “The Public Enemy” starring James Cagney and Jean Harlow premieres

1948 KSTP TV channel 5 in St Paul-Minneapolis, MN (ABC) 1st broadcast

1953 KTAR (now KPNX) TV channel 12 in Phoenix, AZ (NBC) begins broadcasting

1953 WCOV TV channel 20 in Montgomery, AL (IND/CBS) begins broadcasting

1953 “Shane”, directed by George Stevens and based on the 1949 novel by Jack Schaefer, starring Alan Ladd and Jean Arthur, is released

1969 ABC Masters Bowling Tournament won by Jim Chestney

1989 CBS’ premiere of fact based “The Littlest Victims”, based on Newark, N.J. physician James Oleske as the first doctor to discover AIDS in children

Today’s Historical Events in Music

1775 Opera “Il Ré Pastore” (The Shepherd King) by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is first produced in Salzburg

1881 Gilbert & Sullivan’s opera “Patience” premieres at The Opera Comique, London

1925 1st London performance of Franz Lehár’s operetta “Frasquita” staged

1940 Dance hall fires kills 198 in Natchez, Mississippi

1955 Robert Wright and George Forrest’s musical “Kismet” closes at Ziegfeld Theater NYC after 583 performances

1958 Robert Kurka’s “The Good Soldier Schweik”, with libretto written by Abe Meeropol, premieres at the New York City Opera

1959 “Destry Rides Again” opens at Imperial Theater NYC for 472 performances

1961 “Tenderloin” closes at 46th St Theater NYC after 216 performances

Today’s Historical Events in Sports

1903 NY Highlanders (Yankees) win their first game; beat Washington Senators, 7-2 at American League Park

1919 US Major League Baseball opens a reduced 140-game season

1933 Dovo soccer team forms in Veenendaal

1937 New York Giants pitcher Carl Hubbell‘s first start of season, a 3-0 win over the Boston Bees, is his 17th straight win; streak continues for league record 24 victories in a row

1939 Boston Red Sox Ted Williams hits his 1st HR

1940 NY Yankees dedicate a plaque to Jacob Rupert

1946 Brooklyn Dodger Ed Head no-hits Boston Braves, 5-0

1950 1st major league day game completed under lights (Phils 6, Braves 5)

For Your Listening PLeasure – Samhain

Samhain

Some Witchcraft/Magickal Correspondence Digest for Friday

 

Venus/Water/East/West/South/Dawn/Female/Libra/Taurus

 

Magickal Intentions: Love, Romance, Marriage, Sexual Matters, Physical Beauty, Friendship and Partnerships, Strangers, Heart

Color: aqua, blue, light blue, brown, green, pale green, magenta, peach, pink, rose, white, all pastels

Number: 5, 6

Metal: copper

Charm: green or white garments, scepter

Stone: alexandrite, amethyst, coral, diamond, emerald, jade, jet, black moonstone, peridot, smoky quartz, tiger’s-eye, pink tourmaline

Animal: camel, dove, elephant, goat, horse, pigeon, sparrow

Plant: apple, birch, cherry, clematis, clove, coriander, heather, hemlock, hibiscus, ivy, lotus, moss, myrtle, oats, pepperwort, peppermint, pinecone, quince, raspberry, rose, pink rose, red rose, rose hips, saffron, sage, savin, stephanotis, strawberry, thyme, vanilla, verbena, violet, water lily, yarrow, and all flowers

Incense: ambergris, camphor, mace, musk, myrrh, rose, saffron, sage, sandalwood, sweetgrass, vanilla, violet, all floral scents

Goddess: Aphrodite, Asherah, Baalith, Brigid, Erzulie, Freya (Passionate Queen), Frigg, Gefion, Harbor (Beautiful One), Hestia, Inanna, Ishtar (Lady of Passion and Desire), Lakshmi, Lilith, Mokosh, Nehalennia, Nerthus, Ostara, Pombagira, Sarasvati, Shakti, Shekinah, Sirtur, Al Uzza, Venus (Queen of Pleasure), Vesta

God: Allah, Bacchus, Bes, Cupid, the Dagda, Dionysus, El, Eros (God of Love), Freyr, Frit Ailek, Shukra

Evocation: Agrat Bat Mahalat, Anael, Hagiel, Mokosba, Rasbid, Sachiel, Uriel, Velas

Courtesy of Moonlight Musings

 

April 22 Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.

2022 April 22

Planet Earth at Twilight

Image Credit: ISS Expedition 2 CrewGateway to Astronaut Photography of EarthNASA

Explanation: No sudden, sharp boundary marks the passage of day into night in this gorgeous view of ocean and clouds over our fair planet Earth. Instead, the shadow line or terminator is diffuse and shows the gradual transition to darkness we experience as twilight. With the Sun illuminating the scene from the right, the cloud tops reflect gently reddened sunlight filtered through the dusty troposphere, the lowest layer of the planet’s nurturing atmosphere. A clear high altitude layer, visible along the dayside’s upper edge, scatters blue sunlight and fades into the blackness of space. This picture was taken in June of 2001 from the International Space Station orbiting at an altitude of 211 nautical miles. Of course from home, you can check out the Earth Now.

 

Celebrate: Today is Earth Day

April 22 Today In History

Today’s Important Historical Events

1500 Pedro Álvares Cabral is the first european to discover Brazil, landing near Monte Pascoal, claims it for Portugal

1915 1st military use of poison gas (chlorine, by Germany) in WW I

1993 Holocaust Memorial Museum dedicated in Washington, D.C.

1994 7,000 Tutsi slaughtered by Hutus in the stadium at Kibuye, Rwanda

2006 243 people are injured in pro-democracy protest in Nepal after Nepali security forces open fire on protesters against King Gyanendra.

2016 Paris Agreement on climate change signed in New York binding 195 nations to an increase in the global average temperature to less than 2°C above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit the increase to 1.5°C

Today’s Historical Events

296 St Gaius ends his reign as Catholic Pope

536 St. Agapetus I ends his reign as Catholic Pope

1056 Supernova Crab nebula last seen by the naked eye

1073 Pope Alexander II buried and Ildebrando chosen as Pope Gregory VII

1145 19th recorded perihelion passage of Halley’s Comet

1164 Raynald of Dassel names Guido di Crema as anti-pope Paschalis III

1370 Building begins on the Bastille fortress in Paris

1500 Pedro Álvares Cabral is the first european to discover Brazil, landing near Monte Pascoal, claims it for Portugal

Today’s Historical Events in Film and TV

1948 WTVR TV channel 6 in Richmond, VA (CBS) begins broadcasting

1954 US Senate Army-McCarthy televised hearings begin

1976 Barbara Walters becomes 1st female US nightly network news anchor (ABC News)

1976 Director Ingmar Bergman leaves Sweden due to taxation

1984 CBS premiere of TV film “Pope John Paul II“, starring Albert Finney in title role

1991 Johnny Carson announces he will retire next year from “The Tonight Show”

1991 Shalom America (Jewish cable network) is launched in Brooklyn & Queens

1998 Disney’s Animal Kingdom opens at Walt Disney World near Orlando, Florida, United States.

Today’s Historical Events in Music

1804 Gioachino Rossini (12) performs in Imola

1876 Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky completes his ballet “Swan Lake”

1927 Roger Sessions’ 1st Symphony in E premieres with Serge Koussevitzky conducting the Boston Symphony Orchestra

1970 “Park” opens at John Golden Theater NYC for 5 performances

1978 23rd Eurovision Song Contest: Izhar Cohen and the Alphabeta for Israel wins singing “A-Ba-Ni-Bi” in Paris

1979 The Rolling Stones play two benefit concerts for the Canadian National Institute for the Blind, in Oshawa, Ontario; performance part of guitarist Keith Richards’ sentence for heroin conviction on heroin charges

1989 “Welcome to the Club” closes at Music Box Theater NYC after 12 performances

1990 “Truly Blessed” opens at Longacre Theater NYC for 33 performances

Today’s Historical Events in Sports

1876 1st official National League baseball game is played; Boston Red Caps beat Philadelphia Athletics, 6-5 at the Jefferson Street Grounds, Philadelphia

1876 Philadelphia native Tim McGinley of the Boston Red Caps scores baseball National League’s 1st run, in Philadelphia

1898 Baltimore James Hughes no-hits Boston Braves 8-0

1898 Cincinnati Red Theodore Breitenstein no-hits Pirates 11-0

1903 NY Highlanders (Yankees) first MLB game; lose 3-1 before 11,950 vs Washington Senators at American League Park

1906 Intercalated Games opens in Athens

1906 New rule puts umpire in sole charge of all game balls

1908 Queensland beat NSW by 171 runs for their 1st cricket win at Gabba

April 21 Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.

2022 April 21

Apollo 16 Moon Panorama

Image Credit: Apollo 16NASAPanorama Assembly: Mike Constantine

Explanation: Fifty years ago, April 20, 1972, Apollo 16’s lunar module Orion touched down on the Moon’s near side in the south-central Descartes Highlands. While astronaut Ken Mattingly orbited overhead in Casper the friendly command and service module the Orion brought John Young and Charles Duke to the lunar surface. The pair would spend nearly three days on the Moon. Constructed from images (AS16-117-18814 to AS16-117-18820) taken near the end of their third and final surface excursion this panoramic view puts the lunar module in the distance toward the left. Their electric lunar roving vehicle in the foreground, Duke is operating the camera while Young aims the high gain communications antenna skyward, toward planet Earth.

 

Celebrate: Earth Day

April 21 Today In Hstory

Today’s Important Historical Events

753 BC Romulus and Remus found Rome (traditional date)

1526 First Battle of Panipat: Central Asian conqueror Babur defeats Sultan Ibrahim Lodi, establishing the Mughal Empire in India

1792 Brazilian revolutionary Tiradentes, is hanged, drawn and quartered in Rio de Janeiro

1863 Bahá’u’lláh, founder of the Bahá’í Faith, enters garden of Rivden near Baghdad. He makes his declaration as a Messenger of God during the 12 days spent there

1918 World War I: German fighter ace Baron Manfred von Richthofen “The Red Baron“, shot down and killed over Vaux sur Somme in France, Canadian pilot Arthur Roy Brown credited with the kill

1989 Thousands of Chinese crowd into Beijing’s Tiananmen Square cheering students demanding greater political freedom

Today’s Historical Events

753 BC Romulus and Remus found Rome (traditional date)

43 BC Battle of Mutina: Mark Antony is again defeated in battle by Aulus Hirtius, who is killed. Antony fails to capture Mutina and Decimus Brutus is murdered shortly after.

953 Otto I the Great gives Utrecht fishing rights

1420 Treaty of Saint Maartens Dike

1453 Turkish fleet sinks ships Golden Receiver in Constantinople

1521 Battle at Villalar: Emperor Charles I beats Communards

1526 First Battle of Panipat: Central Asian conqueror Babur defeats Sultan Ibrahim Lodi, establishing the Mughal Empire in India

1536 Thomas Cromwell begins to plot Anne Boleyn‘s downfall while feigning illness

Today’s Historical Events in Film and TV

1925 Noël Coward‘s “Fallen Angels” premieres in London

1928 “The Passion of Joan of Arc“, directed by Carl Theodor Dreyer, starring Renée Jeanne Falconetti and Eugène Silvain, is released in Denmark

1930 “All Quiet on the Western Front” based on the novel by Erich Maria Remarque, directed by Lewis Milestone and starring Louis Wolheim and Lew Ayres premieres in Los Angeles (Academy Awards Outstanding Production 1930)

1940 1st $64 Question, “Take It or Leave It,” on CBS Radio

1962 9th National Film Awards (India): “Bhagini Nivedita” wins the Golden Lotus

1984 “Nightline” reverts back from 1 hour to ½ hour

1984 After 37 weeks Michael Jackson‘s album “Thriller” is knocked off as top album by movie soundtrack for “Footloose”

1986 Geraldo Rivera opens Al Capone‘s vault on live TV and finds nothing, except great ratings for his spectacle

Today’s Historical Events in Music

1956 Elvis Presley‘s 1st hit record, “Heartbreak Hotel”, becomes #1

1963 Beatles meet The Rolling Stones for the 1st time

1977 C Strouse & M Charnin’s musical “Annie” opens at Alvin Theater NYC for 2377 performances

1979 “Carmelina” closes at St James Theater NYC after 17 performances

1992 “High Rollers” opens at Helen Hayes theater on Broadway

1992 Allen Toussaint’s musical revue “High Rollers Social & Pleasure Club” opens at the Helen Hayes Theater, NYC; runs for 13 performances.

1993 “Wilder, Wilder, Wilder” opens at Circle in Sq NYC for 30 performances

1994 “Picnic” opens at Criterion Theater NYC for 45 performances

Today’s Historical Events in Sports

1898 Phillies’ pitcher Bill Duggleby hits a grand slam on 1st at bat

1902 6th Boston Marathon won by Sam Mellor in 2:43:12

1904 Ty Cobb makes his pro debut for Augusta (South Atlantic League)

1910 Cleve Naps play 1st game at League Park, lose to Det Tigers 5-0

1913 17th Boston Marathon won by Fritz Carlson in 2:25:14.8

1919 23rd Boston Marathon won by Carl Linder in 2:29:13.4

1924 28th Boston Marathon won by Clarence DeMar for the third consecutive year in 2:29:40.2; 4th race victory

1925 No baseball games played in NL due to Charles Ebbets’ funeral

April 20 Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.

2022 April 20

Planet Line over New York Bridge

Image Credit & CopyrightStan Honda

Explanation: There’s an interesting sky to see if you wake up before the Sun. Lined up on toward the eastern horizon are four planets in a row. The planets are so bright they can even be seen from the bright sky inside a city. In fact, the featured image was taken from New York City, USA, with the foreground highlighted by the RFK (TriboroughBridge. Pictured, the planets are, left to right, JupiterVenusMars, and Saturn. The planets all appear in a row because they all orbit the Sun in the same plane. This plane, called the ecliptic plane, was created in the early days of our Solar System and includes all planets, including Earth. The morning planet parade will continue throughout April and May, and will even be joined by Mercury in June.

 

APOD volunteer programming opportunity: Discord

April 20 Today in History

Today’s Important Historical Events

1862 First pasteurization test completed by Frenchmen Louis Pasteur and Claude Bernard

1902 Marie and Pierre Curie isolate the radioactive compound radium chloride

1920 Balfour Declaration recognized, makes Palestine a British Mandate

1968 British politician Enoch Powell makes his controversial “Rivers of Blood” speech

1974 ‘The Troubles’, the Northern Ireland conflict between republican and loyalist paramilitaries, British security forces, and civil rights groups, claims its 1000th victim

1980 Climax of Berber Spring in Algeria sees hundreds of Berber political activists arrested

1999 Columbine High School massacre: Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold kill 13 people and injure 24 others before committing suicide at Columbine High School, Colorado

2010 The Deepwater Horizon drilling rig explodes, killing 11 and causing the rig to sink, causing a massive oil discharge into the Gulf of Mexico and an environmental disaster

Today’s Historical Events

295 8th recorded perihelion passage of Halley’s Comet

850 Guntherus becomes bishop of Cologne

1139 2nd Lateran Council (10th ecumenical council) opens in Rome

1290 Round Table tournament held near Winchester, England, in imitation of King Arthur, to commemorate betrothal of daughter of Edward I, and attended by the king

1505 Jews are expelled from Orange Burgandy by Philibert of Luxembourg

1551 John Dudley becomes Earl Marshal of England

1611 First known performance of Shakespeare‘s tragedy Macbeth at the Globe Theatre, London, recorded by Simon Forman

1650 Dutch East India Company (VOC) management sets new guidelines

Today’s Historical Events in Film and TV

1920 Big Show ends 2 year run on NBC radio

1951 4th Cannes Film Festival: “Miss Julie” directed by Alf Sjoberg and “Miracle in Milan” directed by Vittorio De Sica jointly awarded the Grand Prix du Festival International du Film

1963 10th National Film Awards (India): “Dada Thakur” wins the Golden Lotus

1966 WDCA TV channel 20 in Washington, D.C. (IND) begins broadcasting

1971 Barbra Streisand records “We’ve Only Just Begun”

1976 George Harrison sings “The Lumberjack Song” with Monty Python in NYC

1977 “Annie Hall”, directed by Woody Allen and starring Woody Allen and Diane Keaton, is released (Academy Awards Best Picture 1978)

1981 Final performance of TV show “Soap” airs

Today’s Historical Events in Music

1759 George Frideric Handel is buried in Westminster Abbey, London

1865 Crosby Opera House opens in Chicago, Illinois; destroyed in the Great Fire of 1871

1896 1st public film showing in US John Philip Sousa‘s “El Capitan” premieres in NYC

1954 “Golden Apple” opens at Alvin Theater NYC for 125 performances

1955 “Saint of Bleecker St” closes at Broadway Theater NYC after 92 performances

1960 “From A to Z” opens at Plymouth Theater NYC for 21 performances

1963 “Sophie” closes at Winter Garden Theater NYC after 8 performances

1972 Virgil Thomson’s final opera, “Lord Byron“, with libretto by Jack Larson, first performance at Lincoln Center, New York City

Today’s Historical Events in Sports

1887 Georges Bouton wins the world’s 1st motor race on a steam-powered quadricycle, a ‘test’ organised by French newspaper Le Velocipede

1903 7th Boston Marathon won by Irishman John Lorden in 2:41:29.8

1908 12th Boston Marathon won by Tom Morrissey in 2:25:43.2

1908 Opening day of competition of the New South Wales Rugby League.

1910 Cleveland Naps Addie Joss 2nd no-hitter, beats Chicago, 1-0

1912 Fenway Park officially opens, Red Sox beat NY Highlanders 7-6 in 11

1912 Tiger Stadium in Detroit opens, Tigers beat Cleveland Indians 6-5

1914 18th Boston Marathon won by Canadian James Duffy in 2:25:01.2

April 19 Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos!

Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.

2022 April 19

Stars and Globules in the Running Chicken Nebula

Image Credit & Copyright: Stefan Steve Bemmerl

Explanation: The eggs from this gigantic chicken may form into stars. The featured emission nebula, shown in scientifically assigned colors, is cataloged as IC 2944 but known as the Running Chicken Nebula for the shape of its greater appearance. Seen toward the bottom of the image are small, dark molecular clouds rich in obscuring cosmic dust. Called Thackeray’s Globules for their discoverer, these “eggs” are potential sites for the gravitational condensation of new stars, although their fates are uncertain as they are also being rapidly eroded away by the intense radiation from nearby young stars. Together with patchy glowing gas and complex regions of reflecting dust, these massive and energetic stars form the open cluster Collinder 249. This gorgeous skyscape spans about 60 light-years at the nebula’s estimated 6,500 light-year distance.

April 19 Today In History

Today’s Important Historical Events

1770 British explorer Captain James Cook first sights Australia. Writes in his log book that “what we have as yet seen of this land appears rather low, and not very hilly, the face of the Country green and Woody, but the Sea shore is all a white Sand.”

1775 American Revolution begins in Lexington, Massachusetts. The “Shot Heard Round the World” takes place later that day in Concord

1909 Joan of Arc receives beatification by the Roman Catholic Church

1995 Oklahoma City bombing, Timothy McVeigh sets a truck bomb at Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, killing 168 and injuring 500

2011 Fidel Castro resigns his position of First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba after 45 years of holding the title [1]

Today’s Historical Events

607 Comet 1P/607 H1 (Halley) approaches within 0.0898 AUs of Earth

1012 Martyrdom of Alphege in Greenwich, London

1451 Alam Shah of Delhi resigns throne

1524 Pope Clemens VII fires Neth inquisitor-general French Van de Holly

1539 Charles, protestant German monarch, signs Treaty of Frankrfurt

1552 Mauritius of Saksen captures Karel

1591 Chartres surrenders to King Henry IV in France

1619 Theatrum Anatomicum opens in Amsterdam

Today’s Historical Events in Film and TV

1927 Actress Mae West found guilty of “obscenity and corrupting the morals of youth” in a New York stage play entitled “Sex”. She is sentenced to 10 days in prison and fined $500, the resulting publicity launches her Hollywood career.

1934 Shirley Temple appears in her 1st feature length film, “Stand Up & Cheer”

1948 American Broadcasting Company (ABC) TV network debuts

1953 WAFB TV channel 9 in Baton Rouge, LA (CBS) begins broadcasting

1967 “Casino Royale” James Bond comedy film starring David Niven and Peter Sellers premieres. Based on the Ian Fleming novel.

1971 Charles Manson sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Sharon Tate

1973 Barbra Streisand records “Between Yesterday & Tomorrow”

1990 Marla Maples appears on ABC’s Prime-Time

Today’s Historical Events in Music

1774 CW Glucks opera “Iphigenia in Aulis” premieres in Paris

1877 Opera “Les Cloches de Cornerville” is produced (Paris)

1894 Jules Massenet‘s opera “Werther” premieres in NYC

1919 Opera “Monsieur Beaucaire” is produced (London)

1924 “National Barn Dance” premieres on WLS Chicago

1945 Rodgers & Hammerstein’s musical “Carousel” opens at the Majestic Theatre, NYC; runs for 890 performances

1951 “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn” opens at Alvin Theater NYC for 267 performances

1963 “Hot Spot” opens at Majestic Theater NYC for 43 performances

Today’s Historical Events in Sports

1897 1st Boston Marathon (B.A.A. Road Race), won by John J. McDermott in 2:55:10; the world’s oldest annual marathon inspired by success of the first marathon at the 1896 Summer Olympics

1900 Highest scoring opening game, Phils beat Braves 19-17 in 10

1909 13th Boston Marathon won by Henri Renaud in 2:53:36.8

1915 19th Boston Marathon won by Canadian Édouard Fabre in 2:31:41.2

1920 24th Boston Marathon won by Peter Trivoulidas of Greece in 2:29:31

1926 30th Boston Marathon won by Canadian Johnny Miles in 2:25:40.4

1928 Yanks are out of 1st place for 1st time since May 1926

1937 41st Boston Marathon won by Walter Young of Canada in 2:33:20

April 18 Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.

2022 April 18

Stars and Planets over Portugal

Image Credit & Copyright: Miguel Claro (TWAN, Dark Sky Alqueva)

Explanation: The mission was to document night-flying birds — but it ended up also documenting a beautiful sky. The featured wide-angle mosaic was taken over the steppe golden fields in MértolaPortugal in 2020. From such a dark location, an immediately-evident breathtaking glow arched over the night sky: the central band of our Milky Way galaxy. But this sky had much more. Thin clouds crossed the sky like golden ribbons. The planet Mars appeared on the far left, while the planets Saturn and Jupiter were also simultaneously visible — but on the opposite side of the sky, here seen on the far right. Near the top of the image the bright star Vega can be found, while the far-distant and faint Andromeda Galaxy can be seen toward the left, just below Milky Way’s arch. As the current month progresses, several planets are lining up in the pre-dawn sky: JupiterVenus, Mars, and Saturn.

 

Did you know? Many APODs have links for adventure & humor

April 18 Today in History

Today’s Important Historical Events

1025 Bolesław Chrobry is crowned in Gniezno, becoming the first King of Poland

1506 The cornerstone of the current St. Peter’s Basilica is laid in the Vatican by Pope Julius II

1775 Paul Revere and William Dawes ride from Charlestown to Lexington warning the “regulars are coming!”

1783 American Revolution: George Washington issues General Order announcing the end of hostilities with Britain, giving thanks to the Almighty, and offering congratulations and authorizing an extra ration of alcohol to the troops to celebrate [1]

1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire kills nearly 4,000 while destroying 75% of the city

1954 Egyptian Colonel Gamal Abdel Nasser seizes power and appoints himself Prime Minister

Today’s Historical Events

310 St Eusebius begins his reign as Catholic Pope

387 Bishop Ambrosius of Milan baptizes Augustinus

1025 Bolesław Chrobry is crowned in Gniezno, becoming the first King of Poland

1506 The cornerstone of the current St. Peter’s Basilica is laid in the Vatican by Pope Julius II

1518 Bona Sforza is crowned queen consort of Poland

1521 Diet of Worms: Cardinal Alexander questions Martin Luther

1552 Mauritius of Saksen occupies Linz

1663 Osman declares war on Austria

Today’s Historical Events in Film and TV

1930 BBC news announcer announces “there is no news” at 20:45 news bulletin, plays music instead

1944 Leonard Bernstein & Jerome Robbins‘ ballet “Fancy Free” premieres in NYC

1969 Greek actress and activist Melina Mercouri establishes Greek Aid Fund

1979 “Real People” premieres on NBC TV

1988 Barbra Streisand records “Warm All Over”

1994 Arsenio Hall announces he will end his show in May 1994

1998 51st British Film and Television Awards (BAFTAS): “The Full Monty” Best Film, Baz Luhrmann Best Director

2004 50th British Academy Television Awards: “Little Britain” Best Comedy, “Buried” Best Drama

Today’s Historical Events in Music

1946 Rome, Auerbach and Horwitt’s musical “Call Me Mister” opens at National Theater NYC for 734 performances

1951 “Make a Wish” opens at Winter Garden Theater NYC for 102 performances

1953 “Pal Joey” closes at Broadhurst Theater NYC after 542 performances

1955 “Ankles Aweigh” opens at Mark Hellinger Theater NYC for 176 performances

1964 Albert Hague and Marty Brill’s musical “Cafe Crown”, starring Theodore Bikel, closes at Martin Beck Theater NYC after 3 performances

1964 “Foxy” closes at Ziegfeld Theater NYC after 72 performances

1972 “Lost in the Stars” based on the novel “Cry the Beloved Country” by Alan Paton opens at Imperial Theater NYC for 39 performances

1977 Musical revue “Side by Side by Sondheim” opens at Music Box, NYC for 390 performances

Today’s Historical Events in Sports

1809 First run of 2,000 guineas horse race at Newmarket, England

1869 1st international cricket match, held in San Francisco, won by California

1898 2nd Boston Marathon won by Canadian Ron McDonald in race record 2:42:00

1904 8th Boston Marathon won by Michael Spring in 2:38:04.4

1908 Canadian champion Tommy Burns KOs Jewey Smith of England in 5th round at Neuilly Bowling Palace, Paris to retain his world heavyweight boxing title

1910 14th Boston Marathon won by Canadian Fred Cameron in 2:28:52.4

1918 Cleveland center fielder Tris Speaker turns an unassisted double play

1921 25th Boston Marathon won by Frank Zuna in race record 2:18:57.6

April 17 Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.

2022 April 17

Shuttle Over Earth

Image Credit: NASAExpedition 22 Crew

Explanation: What’s that approaching? Astronauts on board the International Space Station in 2010 first saw it far in the distance. Soon it enlarged to become a dark silhouette. As it came even closer, the silhouette appeared to be a spaceship. Finally, the object revealed itself to be the Space Shuttle Endeavour, and it soon docked as expected with the Earth-orbiting space station. Pictured here, Endeavour was imaged near Earth’s horizon as it approached, where several layers of the Earth’s atmosphere were visible. Directly behind the shuttle is the mesosphere, which appears blue. The atmospheric layer that appears white is the stratosphere, while the orange layer is Earth’s Troposphere. Together, these thin layers of air — collectively spanning less than 2 percent of Earth‘s radius — sustain us all in many ways, including providing oxygen to breath and a barrier to dangerous radiations from space.

April 16 Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.

2022 April 16

{“SLSFrameType”:”Composite”,”Description”:”Made from 43 light frames. Algorithm: Min Horizon Noise”}

Orion Pines

Image Credit & CopyrightJuan Carlos Casado (Starry EarthTWAN)

Explanation: Taken with a camera fixed to a tripod, many short exposures were aligned with the stars to unveil this beautiful, dark night sky. Captured near the rural village of Albany`a at the northeastern corner of Spain, the three stars of Orion’s belt stretch across top center in the starry frame. Alnitak, the easternmost (left) of the belt stars is seen next to the more diffuse glow of the Flame Nebula and the dark notch of the famous Horsehead. Easily visible to the naked-eye The Great Nebula of Orion is below the belt stars. A mere 1,500 light-years distant, it is the closest large stellar nursery to our fair planet. Best seen in photographs, the broad and faint arc of Barnard’s Loop seems to embrace Orion’s brighter stars and nebulae though. In the northern spring the familiar northern winter constellation is setting. Near the western horizon toward lower right Orion’s apparently bright blue supergiant Rigel just touches the branches of a pine tree.

April 16 Today in History

Today’s Important Historical Events

1457 BC Battle of Megiddo: Egyptian forces of Thutmose III defeat a large Canaanite coalition under King of Kadesh. First battle recorded with a reliable account.

1705 Queen Anne of England knights Isaac Newton at Trinity College, Cambridge

1746 Jacobite Rising 1745: Battle of Culloden, the last battle on British soil: Royalist troops under the Duke of Cumberland defeat the Jacobite army of Charles Edward Stuart

1900 US Post Office issues 1st books of postage stamps

1917 Vladimir Lenin issues his radical “April Theses” calling for Soviets to take power during the Russian Revolution [OS Apr 4]

1948 Organization for European Economic Cooperation (EEC) forms in Paris

2003 Treaty of Accession is signed in Athens admitting 10 new member states to the European Union

Today’s Historical Events

1457 BC Battle of Megiddo: Egyptian forces of Thutmose III defeat a large Canaanite coalition under King of Kadesh. First battle recorded with a reliable account.

1178 BC A solar eclipse may have marked the return of Odysseus, legendary King of Ithaca, to his kingdom after the Trojan War

73 Masada, a Jewish fortress, falls to the Romans after several months of siege, ending the Jewish Revolt

556 Pelagius I begins his reign as Catholic Pope

1071 Bari falls to Robert Guiscard’s Norman forces, ending Byzantine rule in Italy

1346 The Serbian Empire is proclaimed in Skopje at an Easter assembly and Stephen Uroš IV Dušan crowned Emperor over much of the Balkans

1395 Azzo X d’Este is defeated at the Battle of Portomaggiore by Venetian-Ferrarese troops

1509 French army under Louis XII enters the Alps

Today’s Historical Events in Film and TV

1787 1st American comedy, “The Contrast,” makes its debut in NYC

1932 Short film “The Music Box” released in the US, starring Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy (1932 Academy Award Best Live Action Short Film)

1953 WAND TV channel 17 in Decatur, IL (ABC) begins broadcasting

1954 KVAL TV channel 13 in Eugene, OR (CBS) begins broadcasting

1958 5th National Film Awards (India): “Do Aankhen Barah Haath” wins the Golden Lotus

1962 Walter Cronkite begins anchoring CBS Evening News

1978 NBC’s premiere of miniseries “Holocaust”

1990 August Wilson‘s play “The Piano Lesson”, starring Charles S. Dutton, opens at Walter Kerr Theater NYC for 320 performances

Today’s Historical Events in Music

1849 Giacomo Meyerbeer’s opera “Le prophète” premieres in Paris

1854 Franz Liszt‘s symphonic poem “Mazeppa” premieres at the Court Theatre in Weimar

1940 Heitor Villa-Lobos’ opera “Izaht” premieres in Rio de Janeiro

1952 “4 Saints in 3 Acts” opens at Broadway Theater NYC for 15 performances

1959 “Party with Comden & Green” opens at John Golden NYC for 44 performances

1967 “Walking Happy” closes at Lunt Fontanne Theater NYC after 161 performances

1972 “That’s Entertainment” closes at Edison Theater NYC after 4 performances

1974 “Words & Music” opens at John Golden Theater NYC for 127 performances

Today’s Historical Events in Sports

1900 4th Boston Marathon won by Canadian Jim Caffrey in race record 2:39:44.4

1906 10th Boston Marathon won by 18-year old Tim Ford in 2:45:45; youngest race winner

1912 Pirates turn a rare 5-3-7 doubleplay (left fielder covers 2nd base)

1917 21st Boston Marathon won by Bill Kennedy in 2:28:37.2

1923 27th Boston Marathon won by Clarence DeMar in 2:23:37.4 for second straight year; 3rd race victory

1928 32nd Boston Marathon won by Clarence DeMar in 2:37:07.8; back-to-back wins for his 6th race title

1929 New York Yankees become first MLB team to permanently feature numbers on backs of uniforms; numbers correspond to position in batting order

1934 38th Boston Marathon won by Dave Komonen of Canada in 2:32:53.8

April 15 Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.

2022 April 15

The Gator-back Rocks of Mars

Image Credit: NASAJPL-CaltechMSSS

Explanation: Wind-sharpened rocks known as ventifacts, cover this broad sloping plain in the foot hills of Mount Sharp, Gale crater, Mars. Dubbed gator-back rocks their rugged, scaly appearance is captured in these digitally stitched Mastcam frames from the Curiosity rover on mission sol 3,415 (March 15, 2022). Driving over gator-back rocks before has resulted in damage to the rover’s wheels, so Curiosity team members decided to turn around and take another path to continue the rover’s climb. Curiosity has been on an ascent of Gale crater’s central 5.5 kilometer high mountain since 2014. As it climbs, it’s been able to study layers shaped by water on Mars billions of years ago.

April 15 Today In History

Today’s Important Historical Events

1755 Samuel Johnson‘s “A Dictionary of the English Language” published in London

1861 Federal army (75,000 volunteers) mobilized by US President Abraham Lincoln (US Civil War)

1874 First ‘Impressionist’ exhibition opens in Paris, features Claude MonetEdgar DegasPierre Auguste RenoirCamille Pissarro and Berthe Morisot

1877 Boston-Somerville installs the world’s 1st telephone in Massachusetts

1912 RMS Titanic sinks at 2:27 AM off Newfoundland as the band plays on, with the loss of between 1,490 and 1,635 people

Today’s Historical Events

69 Battle at Bedriacum, North-Italy

1205 Battle at Adrianople: Bulgaria beats Emp Boudouin of Constantinople

1250 Pope Innocent IV refuses Jews of Cordova, Spain their request to build a synagogue

1250 Kublai is acclaimed the Great Khan by a Mongol Great Council

1450 French defeat English at Battle of Formigny in 100 Years’ War

1493 -20/4] Columbus meets with the Spanish monarchs Isabella I and Ferdinand II in Barcelona

1528 Pánfilo the Narváez, Spanish conquistador arrives in Florida with 350 men to a hostile reception from native indians

1534 Thomas Cromwell is appointed Chief Secretary to King Henry VIII of England

Today’s Historical Events in Film and TV

1948 KCPX (now KTVX) TV channel 4 in Salt Lake City, UT (ABC) 1st broadcast

1953 WHP TV channel 21 in Harrisburg, PA (CBS) begins broadcasting

1954 KARK TV channel 4 in Little Rock, AR (NBC) begins broadcasting

1954 WHO TV channel 13 in Des Moines, IA (NBC) begins broadcasting

1957 KTVI TV channel 2 in Saint Louis, MO (ABC) begins broadcasting

1958 10th Emmy Awards: Gunsmoke, Robert Young & Jane Wyatt win

1963 Steve Allen‘s musical “Sophie”, based on the life of American singer, and comic actress Sophie Tucker, opens at Winter Garden Theater, NYC; runs for 8 performances

1966 KHET TV channel 11 in Honolulu, HI (PBS) begins broadcasting

Today’s Historical Events in Music

1729 Johann Sebastian Bach‘s “St Matthew Passion” premieres in Leipzig

1738 Premiere in London of “Serse”, an Italian opera by George Frideric Handel

1960 Guy Carawan sings “We Shall Overcome” to a Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee in Raleigh – popularising the song as a protest anthem

1961 Meredith Willson’s musical “The Music Man”, starring Robert Preston and Barbara Cook, closes at Majestic Theater, NYC. after 1375 performances, 5 Tony Awards, and a Grammy

1966 The Rolling Stones release “Aftermath”, their fourth studio album in UK (6th in US)

1967 “Wait A Minim!” closes at John Golden Theater NYC after 457 performances

1970 “Cry for Us All” closes at Broadhurst Theater NYC after 8 performances

1971 “70, Girls, 70” opens at Broadhurst Theater NYC for 35 performances

Today’s Historical Events in Sports

1896 1st modern Summer Olympic Games close in Athens, Greece; USA wins gold medal count, 11; Greece wins total medal count, 46; IOC has retroactively assigned gold, silver & bronze medals to 3 best placed athletes in each event

1901 5th Boston Marathon won for second straight year by Canadian Jim Caffrey in race record 2:29:23.6

1907 11th Boston Marathon won by Canadian Tom Longboat in race record 2:24:24

1910 William Howard Taft is first US President to throw out the 1st ball at a baseball game

1911 Walter Johnson pitches a record tying 4 strike outs in an inning

1912 16th Boston Marathon won by Mike Ryan in race record 2:21:18.2

1918 22nd Boston Marathon won by Camp Devens relay team; race run as relay for 10-man military teams

1925 NHL’s NY Americans (formerly Hamilton Tigers) 1st game, lose 3-1

April 13 Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.

2022 April 13

Milky Way over Devils Tower

Image Credit & Copyright: MaryBeth Kiczenski

Explanation: What created Devils Tower? The origin of this extraordinary rock monolith in WyomingUSA is still debated, with a leading hypothesis holding that it is a hardened lava plume that never reached the surface to become a volcano. In this theory, the lighter rock that once surrounded the dense volcanic neck has now eroded away, leaving the dramatic tower. Known by Native Americans by names including Bear’s Lodge and Great Gray Horn, the dense rock includes the longest hexagonal columns known, some over 180-meters tall. High above, the central band of the Milky Way galaxy arches across the sky. Many notable sky objects are visible, including dark strands of the Pipe Nebula and the reddish Lagoon Nebula to the tower’s right. Green grass and trees line the foreground, while clouds appear near the horizon to the tower’s left. Unlike many other international landmarks, mountaineers are permitted to climb Devils Tower.

 

Birthday Surprise: What picture did APOD feature on your birthday? (post 1995)

April 11 Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.

2022 April 11

A Space Station Crosses a Busy Sun

Image Credit & Copyright: Wang Letian (Eyes at Night)

Explanation: Typically, the International Space Station is visible only at night. Slowly drifting across the night sky as it orbits the Earth, the International Space Station (ISS) can be seen as a bright spot several times a year from many locations. The ISS is then visible only just after sunset or just before sunrise because it shines by reflected sunlight — once the ISS enters the Earth’s shadow, it will drop out of sight. The only occasion when the ISS is visible during the day is when it passes right in front of the Sun. Then, it passes so quickly that only cameras taking short exposures can visually freeze the ISS’s silhouette onto the background Sun. The featured picture did exactly that — it is actually a series of images taken earlier this month from BeijingChina with perfect timing. This image series was later combined with separate images taken at nearly the same time but highlighting the texture and activity on the busy Sun. The solar activity included numerous gaseous prominences seen around the edge, highlighted in red, filaments seen against the Sun’s face, and a dark sunspot.