April 2
1513 - Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon landed in Florida.
1792 - Congress authorized the first U.S. mint, in Philadelphia.
1865 - Confederate President Jefferson Davis and most of his cabinet fled the Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia.
1870 - Victoria Claflin Woodhull announced her candidacy for president of the United States.
1917 - President Woodrow Wilson asks Congress for a declaration of war against Germany, saying "The world must be made safe for democracy." (Congress approved the declaration four days later.)
1932 - Charles Lindbergh paid a $50,000 ransom for the return of his kidnapped son.
1980 - President Jimmy Carter signed into law a windfall profits tax on the oil industry. (The tax was repealed in 1988.)
1982 - Argentina seized the Falkland Islands from Britain.
1992 - Mob boss John Gotti was convicted in New York of murder and racketeering.
2002 - Israel seized control of Bethlehem; Palestinian gunmen forced their way into the Church of the Nativity, the traditional birthplace of Jesus, beginning a 39-day standoff.
2005 - Pope John Paul II died at age 84.
2007 - The Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases are air pollutants under the Clean Air Act.
2009 - A 19-count federal racketeering indictment was returned against former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who denied doing anything illegal.
2011 - Highly radioactive water leaked into the sea from a crack at Japan's stricken nuclear power plant.
2016 - Mormon leaders meeting in Salt Lake City called on church members to practice tolerance despite political differences, providing guidance at a conference amid a presidential campaign between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton that was marked by harsh rhetoric and bickering.
2020 - The number of confirmed coronavirus cases worldwide passed the 1 million mark, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.
Birthdays
22 - Sophie Reynolds (actress)
28 - Aaron Kelly (singer)
33 - Jesse Plemons (actor)
34 - Briga Heelan (actress)
35 - Drew Van Acker (acto)
35 - Lee Dewyze (singer)
40 - Bethany Joy Lenz (actress)
44 - Michael Fassbender (actor)
46 - Adam Rodriguez (actor)
46 - Pedro Pascal (actor)
48 - Roselyn Sanchez (actress)
57 - Jana Marie Hupp (actress)
59 - Clark Gregg (actor)
59 - Billy Dean (country singer)
60 - Keren Woodward (singer)
60 - Christopher Meloni (actor)
72 - Dave Robinson (singer)
72 - Pamela Reed (actress)
74 - Sam Anderson (actor)
74 - Emmylou Harris (singer)
76 - Linda Hunt (actress)
81 - Penelope Keith (actress)
86 - Sharon Acker (actress)
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Today in Sports History - April 2
1939 - Ralph Guldahl wins the Masters.
1980 - In his first full season in the NHL, Wayne Gretzky of the Edmonton Oilers becomes the youngest player in NHL history to score 50 goals in a season at 19 years and 2 months of age.
1980 - Guy Lafleur of the Montreal Canadiens becomes the first player in NHL history with six consecutive 50-goal seasons.
1984 - Georgetown defeats Houston 84-75 to win the NCAA Tournament.
1985 - The NCAA Rules Committee adopted the 45-second shot clock for men's basketball, to begin with the 1986-87 season.
1986 - The NCAA Rules Committee adopts the 3-point shot to begin with the 1986-87 season, setting the arc at 19 feet, 9 inches (the NBA was set at 21 feet).
1986 - Paul Coffey (Edmonton Oilers) scored his 47th and 48th goals of the season. He broke Bobby Orr's NHL record for most goals by a defenseman. Orr had scored 46 goals in 1974-75.
1989 - Tennessee defeats Auburn 76-60 to win the NCAA Women's Tournament.
1989 - WrestleMania V is held in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The main event saw Hulk Hogan defeat "Macho Man" Randy Savage for the WWF Championship.
1990 - UNLV defeats Duke 103-73 to win the NCAA Tournament with the largest margin of victory in a championship game in tournament history.
1995 - Connecticut defeats Tennessee 70-64 to win the NCAA Women's Tournament and capped the first undefeated season in Division I women's basketball since Texas in 1986.
1995 - WrestleMania XI is held in Hartford, Connecticut. The main events featured Diesel defeating Shawn Michaels for the WWF Championship and football star Lawrence Taylor defeating Bam Bam Bigelow.
2000 - Connecticut defeats Tennessee 71-52 tow in the NCAA Women's Tournament.
2000 - WrestleMania 2000 is held in Anaheim, California. The main event saw Triple H defeat The Rock, Mick Foley and Big Show in a four-way match for the WWF Championship.
2001 - Duke defeats Arizona 82-72 to win their third NCAA Tournament.
2001 - Roger Clemens of the New York Yankees becomes the American League's all-time strikeout leader with 3,509, passing Walter Johnson.
2003 - Alex Rodriguez (Texas Rangers) became the youngest player to hit 300 homeruns. He beat Jimmie Foxx's record by 79 days.
2006 - WrestleMania 22 is held in Rosemont, Illinois. The main events featured Rey Mysterio defeating Randy Orton and Kurt Angle for the World Heavyweight Championship and John Cena defeating Triple H for the WWE Championship.
2007 - Florida defeats Ohio State 84-75 to win the NCAA Tournament.
2010 - Kobe Bryant signs a three-year contract extension with the Los Angeles Lakers worth $87 million.
2012 - Kentucky defeats Kansas 67-59 to win the NCAA Tournament.
2017 - South Carolina defeats Mississippi State 67-55 to win the NCAA Women's Tournament.
2017 - WrestleMania 33 is held in Orlando, Florida. The top matches on the card saw Randy Orton defeat Bray Wyatt for the WWE Championship, Brock Lesnar defeating Goldberg for the WWE Universal Championship and Roman Reigns defeating The Undertaker.
2018 - Villanova defeats Michigan 79-62 to win the NCAA Tournament.
2019 - Russell Westbrook of the Oklahoma City Thunder becomes the second player in NBA history to have 20+ points (20), rebounds (20) and assists (21) in a game.
1513 - Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon landed in Florida.
1792 - Congress authorized the first U.S. mint, in Philadelphia.
1865 - Confederate President Jefferson Davis and most of his cabinet fled the Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia.
1870 - Victoria Claflin Woodhull announced her candidacy for president of the United States.
1917 - President Woodrow Wilson asks Congress for a declaration of war against Germany, saying "The world must be made safe for democracy." (Congress approved the declaration four days later.)
1932 - Charles Lindbergh paid a $50,000 ransom for the return of his kidnapped son.
1980 - President Jimmy Carter signed into law a windfall profits tax on the oil industry. (The tax was repealed in 1988.)
1982 - Argentina seized the Falkland Islands from Britain.
1992 - Mob boss John Gotti was convicted in New York of murder and racketeering.
2002 - Israel seized control of Bethlehem; Palestinian gunmen forced their way into the Church of the Nativity, the traditional birthplace of Jesus, beginning a 39-day standoff.
2005 - Pope John Paul II died at age 84.
2007 - The Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases are air pollutants under the Clean Air Act.
2009 - A 19-count federal racketeering indictment was returned against former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who denied doing anything illegal.
2011 - Highly radioactive water leaked into the sea from a crack at Japan's stricken nuclear power plant.
2016 - Mormon leaders meeting in Salt Lake City called on church members to practice tolerance despite political differences, providing guidance at a conference amid a presidential campaign between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton that was marked by harsh rhetoric and bickering.
2020 - The number of confirmed coronavirus cases worldwide passed the 1 million mark, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.
Birthdays
22 - Sophie Reynolds (actress)
28 - Aaron Kelly (singer)
33 - Jesse Plemons (actor)
34 - Briga Heelan (actress)
35 - Drew Van Acker (acto)
35 - Lee Dewyze (singer)
40 - Bethany Joy Lenz (actress)
44 - Michael Fassbender (actor)
46 - Adam Rodriguez (actor)
46 - Pedro Pascal (actor)
48 - Roselyn Sanchez (actress)
57 - Jana Marie Hupp (actress)
59 - Clark Gregg (actor)
59 - Billy Dean (country singer)
60 - Keren Woodward (singer)
60 - Christopher Meloni (actor)
72 - Dave Robinson (singer)
72 - Pamela Reed (actress)
74 - Sam Anderson (actor)
74 - Emmylou Harris (singer)
76 - Linda Hunt (actress)
81 - Penelope Keith (actress)
86 - Sharon Acker (actress)
=========================================
Today in Sports History - April 2
1939 - Ralph Guldahl wins the Masters.
1980 - In his first full season in the NHL, Wayne Gretzky of the Edmonton Oilers becomes the youngest player in NHL history to score 50 goals in a season at 19 years and 2 months of age.
1980 - Guy Lafleur of the Montreal Canadiens becomes the first player in NHL history with six consecutive 50-goal seasons.
1984 - Georgetown defeats Houston 84-75 to win the NCAA Tournament.
1985 - The NCAA Rules Committee adopted the 45-second shot clock for men's basketball, to begin with the 1986-87 season.
1986 - The NCAA Rules Committee adopts the 3-point shot to begin with the 1986-87 season, setting the arc at 19 feet, 9 inches (the NBA was set at 21 feet).
1986 - Paul Coffey (Edmonton Oilers) scored his 47th and 48th goals of the season. He broke Bobby Orr's NHL record for most goals by a defenseman. Orr had scored 46 goals in 1974-75.
1989 - Tennessee defeats Auburn 76-60 to win the NCAA Women's Tournament.
1989 - WrestleMania V is held in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The main event saw Hulk Hogan defeat "Macho Man" Randy Savage for the WWF Championship.
1990 - UNLV defeats Duke 103-73 to win the NCAA Tournament with the largest margin of victory in a championship game in tournament history.
1995 - Connecticut defeats Tennessee 70-64 to win the NCAA Women's Tournament and capped the first undefeated season in Division I women's basketball since Texas in 1986.
1995 - WrestleMania XI is held in Hartford, Connecticut. The main events featured Diesel defeating Shawn Michaels for the WWF Championship and football star Lawrence Taylor defeating Bam Bam Bigelow.
2000 - Connecticut defeats Tennessee 71-52 tow in the NCAA Women's Tournament.
2000 - WrestleMania 2000 is held in Anaheim, California. The main event saw Triple H defeat The Rock, Mick Foley and Big Show in a four-way match for the WWF Championship.
2001 - Duke defeats Arizona 82-72 to win their third NCAA Tournament.
2001 - Roger Clemens of the New York Yankees becomes the American League's all-time strikeout leader with 3,509, passing Walter Johnson.
2003 - Alex Rodriguez (Texas Rangers) became the youngest player to hit 300 homeruns. He beat Jimmie Foxx's record by 79 days.
2006 - WrestleMania 22 is held in Rosemont, Illinois. The main events featured Rey Mysterio defeating Randy Orton and Kurt Angle for the World Heavyweight Championship and John Cena defeating Triple H for the WWE Championship.
2007 - Florida defeats Ohio State 84-75 to win the NCAA Tournament.
2010 - Kobe Bryant signs a three-year contract extension with the Los Angeles Lakers worth $87 million.
2012 - Kentucky defeats Kansas 67-59 to win the NCAA Tournament.
2017 - South Carolina defeats Mississippi State 67-55 to win the NCAA Women's Tournament.
2017 - WrestleMania 33 is held in Orlando, Florida. The top matches on the card saw Randy Orton defeat Bray Wyatt for the WWE Championship, Brock Lesnar defeating Goldberg for the WWE Universal Championship and Roman Reigns defeating The Undertaker.
2018 - Villanova defeats Michigan 79-62 to win the NCAA Tournament.
2019 - Russell Westbrook of the Oklahoma City Thunder becomes the second player in NBA history to have 20+ points (20), rebounds (20) and assists (21) in a game.