The Los Angeles riots of 1992 were a searing eruption of pent-up anger and frustration that shook the city to its core. Triggered by the acquittal of four white police officers charged with the brutal beating of Rodney King, a black motorist, the riots…
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On the night of April 28, 1881, one of the most legendary figures of the American West, Billy the Kid, staged his most daring feat: a violent and dramatic escape from the Lincoln County jail in Mesilla, New Mexico. Already infamous as an outlaw…
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In 1789, the crew of the HMS Bounty launched one of the most famous mutinies of all time. Led by Acting Lieutenant Fletcher Christian, several members of the crew rebelled against the commanding officer, Captain William Bligh. The voyage of the HMS Bounty was commissioned by the British…
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In April 1953, as aerial battles continued to rage fiercely over Korea, the United States military launched an ambitious psychological warfare campaign designed to destabilize enemy morale and gain a strategic intelligence advantage. This unusual operation, codenamed Operation Moolah, was aimed squarely at communist…
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On April 27, 1805, one of the most daring and consequential events of the First Barbary War unfolded—the American-led assault on the Tripolitan city of Derna. This audacious expedition, immortalized in the Marine Corps hymn with the phrase “to the shores of Tripoli,” showcased…
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In the early hours of April 26, 1986, the worst nuclear accident in history unfolded at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant near Pripyat, in the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic. Reactor No. 4 exploded during a late-night safety test gone awry, releasing massive amounts of…
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The morning of April 26, 1607, broke clear and bright over the Atlantic. After 144 days at sea, the weary passengers of the Susan Constant, Godspeed, and Discovery caught sight of the low, sandy shore of what would become Virginia. With cautious excitement, they…
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On April 25, 1901, New York became the first state in the United States to require license plates for automobiles—an unassuming administrative milestone that marked the beginning of a new era in transportation regulation. As motor vehicles began their ascent from elite novelty to…
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The Thornton Affair, also known as the Thornton Skirmish, served as one of the most consequential fights in American history. On April 25, 1846, Americans and Mexicans found themselves in a standoff near the Rio Grande, just north of present-day Brownsville, Texas. The incident…
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On April 24, 1990, a Space Shuttle Discovery mission designated STS-31 changed the course of modern astronomy. From low Earth orbit, it deployed one of the most ambitious scientific instruments ever built: the Hubble Space Telescope. Decades in the making and plagued by delays…
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