Today in History for 4th April 2024

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Historical Events

1828 - Casparus van Wooden patents chocolate milk powder in Amsterdam
1862 - Siege of Yorktown, fought in York County and Newport News, Virginia begins (Yorktown campaign), inconclusive result (US Civil War)
1913 - 75th Grand National: Percy Woodland wins aboard 100/9 chance Covertcoat; owner Sir Charles Assheton-Smith's 2nd straight GN victory and 3rd overall
1939 - Faisal II ascends to throne of Iraq
1971 - Stephen Sondheim's "Follies" opens at Winter Garden Theater, NYC; runs for 524 performances, then most expensive Broadway musical at the time
2013 - 9 people have been killed on an axe-murdering rampage in Chhattisgarh state, India

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Famous Birthdays

1716 - Johann Evangelist Schreiber, Swiss Baroque composer, born in Arth, Switzerland (d. 1800)
1772 - Nachman of Breslov, Ukrainian founder of Breslov Hasidut, born in Międzybóż, Kingdom of Poland (d. 1810)
1870 - George Albert Smith, American religious leader, 8th President of Latter-day Saints, born in Salt Lake City, Utah (d. 1951)
1919 - Antony Tudor, English dancer and choreographer (Metropolitan Opera 1957), born in London (d. 1987)
1957 - Paul Downton, English cricketer (England wicket-keeper in 80's), born in Farnborough, London
1988 - Frank Fielding, English football goalkeeper, born in Blackburn, Lancashire

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Famous Deaths

1643 - Simon Episcopius [Bisschop], Dutch theologist, dies at 60
1661 - Alexander Leslie, 1st Earl of Leven, Scottish soldier (b. circa 1580)
1662 - Davis Mell, British violinist, composer, and clockmaker, dies at 57
1693 - Isaac Aboab da Fonseca, Portuguese-Jewish rabbi, scholar and religious writer prominent in Amsterdam and in Dutch Brazil, dies at 88
1905 - Constantin Meunier, Belgian painter and sculptor, dies at 73
1988 - Ludwig Stiel, German pianist, composer, and conductor, dies at 86

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