April 21
1649 - The Maryland Toleration Act, which provided for freedom of worship for all Christians, was passed by the Maryland Assembly.
1789 - John Adams was sworn in as the first vice president of the United States.
1836 - The Texas army under the command of Sam Houston defeated Mexicans in the Battle of San Jacinto, assuring the independence of Texas.
1910 - Author Samuel Clemens, better known under the pen name of "Mark Twain", died at age 74 in Redding, Connecticut.
1918 - Baron Manfred von Richtofen, the notorious World War I German flying ace known as the "Red Baron," was killed in action.
1930 - Fire broke out inside the overcrowded Ohio Penitentiary in Columbus, killing 332 inmates.
1960 - Brazil inaugurated its new capital, Brasilia, transferring the seat of the national government from Rio de Janeiro.
1975 - South Vietnamese President Nguyen Van Thieu resigned.
1976 - Clinical trials of the swine flu vaccine began in Washington, D.C.
1992 - Robert Alton Harris became the first person executed by the state of California in 25 years as he was put to death in the gas chamber for the 1978 murder of two teenage boys.
1995 - Timothy McVeigh was arrested in connection with the Oklahoma City bombing.
1997 - The ashes of Timothy Leary, Gene Roddenberry and 22 others were blasted into space for the first "space funerals".
1998 - Astronomers announced in Washington that they had discovered possible signs of a new family of planets orbiting a star 220 light-years away, the clearest evidence to date of worlds forming beyond our solar system.
2004 - Five suicide attackers detonated car bombs against police buildings in Basra, Iraq, killing at least 74 people.
2011 - Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., announced he would step down amid a developing ethics probe while insisting he'd done nothing wrong.
2016 - Prince, one of the most inventive and influential musicians of modern times, was found dead at his home in suburban Minneapolis; he was 57.
2018 - Barbara Bush was remembered as the “first lady of the Greatest Generation” during a funeral in Houston attended by four former U.S. presidents and hundreds of others.
2021 - An Indonesian submarine with 53 crew members aboard disappeared after its last reported dive off the resort island of Bali; officials later concluded that the sub sank and broke apart, killing all those on board.
Birthdays
27 - Jordan Knox (reality star)
31 - Frank Dillane (actor)
33 - Nikki Cross (professional wrestler)
34 - Chistoph Sanders (actor)
34 - Robbie Amell (actor)
37 - Rachel Lindsay (reality star)
40 - Terrence J (actor)
42 - Tony Romo (football player)
43 - James McAvoy (actor)
49 - Brian White (football player/actor)
52 - Nicole Sullivan (comedian)
52 - Rob Riggle (actor)
53 - Toby Stephens (actor)
54 - Leslie Silva (actress)
59 - John Cameron Mitchell (actor)
64 - Andie MacDowell (actress)
68 - James Morrison (actor)
71 - Tony Danza (actor)
73 - Patti LuPone (actress)
75 - Iggy Pop (inger)
90 - Elaine May (actress/comedian)
96 - Queen Elizabeth II (British monarch)
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Today in Sports History - April 21
1951 - The Rochester Royals defeat the New York Knicks in seven games to win the NBA championship.
1951 - The Toronto Maple Leafs defeat the Montreal Canadiens to win the Stanley Cup.
1977 - New York Yankees manager Billy Martin pulls his lineup out of a hat, goes on to defeat the Toronto Blue Jays 8-6.
1980 - Rosie Ruiz, the first woman to cross the finish line at the Boston Marathon, was disqualified when officials discovered she had jumped into the race about a mile from the finish.
1982 - The Atlanta Braves continue the record-breaking start to the season with their 13th consecutive win.
1984 - David Palmer (Montreal Expos) pitched the fourth shortened, perfect game in major league baseball history. The game was called due to rain after five innings. Palmer had made 57 pitches.
1987 - The Milwaukee Brewers lose their first game of the season after having won their first 13 games.
1991 - The Dallas Cowboys select Miami (FL) defensive tackle Russell Maryland with the first pick in the NFL Draft.
1994 - Eddie Murray sets a major league record with switch hit home runs in a game for the 11th time in his career.
2001 - The Atlanta Falcons select Virginia Tech quarterback Michael Vick with the first pick in the NFL Draft.
2012 - Phil Humber threw the first perfect game in the majors in almost two years, leading the Chicago White Sox to a 4-0 victory over the Seattle Mariners; it was the 21st perfect game in MLB history.
1649 - The Maryland Toleration Act, which provided for freedom of worship for all Christians, was passed by the Maryland Assembly.
1789 - John Adams was sworn in as the first vice president of the United States.
1836 - The Texas army under the command of Sam Houston defeated Mexicans in the Battle of San Jacinto, assuring the independence of Texas.
1910 - Author Samuel Clemens, better known under the pen name of "Mark Twain", died at age 74 in Redding, Connecticut.
1918 - Baron Manfred von Richtofen, the notorious World War I German flying ace known as the "Red Baron," was killed in action.
1930 - Fire broke out inside the overcrowded Ohio Penitentiary in Columbus, killing 332 inmates.
1960 - Brazil inaugurated its new capital, Brasilia, transferring the seat of the national government from Rio de Janeiro.
1975 - South Vietnamese President Nguyen Van Thieu resigned.
1976 - Clinical trials of the swine flu vaccine began in Washington, D.C.
1992 - Robert Alton Harris became the first person executed by the state of California in 25 years as he was put to death in the gas chamber for the 1978 murder of two teenage boys.
1995 - Timothy McVeigh was arrested in connection with the Oklahoma City bombing.
1997 - The ashes of Timothy Leary, Gene Roddenberry and 22 others were blasted into space for the first "space funerals".
1998 - Astronomers announced in Washington that they had discovered possible signs of a new family of planets orbiting a star 220 light-years away, the clearest evidence to date of worlds forming beyond our solar system.
2004 - Five suicide attackers detonated car bombs against police buildings in Basra, Iraq, killing at least 74 people.
2011 - Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., announced he would step down amid a developing ethics probe while insisting he'd done nothing wrong.
2016 - Prince, one of the most inventive and influential musicians of modern times, was found dead at his home in suburban Minneapolis; he was 57.
2018 - Barbara Bush was remembered as the “first lady of the Greatest Generation” during a funeral in Houston attended by four former U.S. presidents and hundreds of others.
2021 - An Indonesian submarine with 53 crew members aboard disappeared after its last reported dive off the resort island of Bali; officials later concluded that the sub sank and broke apart, killing all those on board.
Birthdays
27 - Jordan Knox (reality star)
31 - Frank Dillane (actor)
33 - Nikki Cross (professional wrestler)
34 - Chistoph Sanders (actor)
34 - Robbie Amell (actor)
37 - Rachel Lindsay (reality star)
40 - Terrence J (actor)
42 - Tony Romo (football player)
43 - James McAvoy (actor)
49 - Brian White (football player/actor)
52 - Nicole Sullivan (comedian)
52 - Rob Riggle (actor)
53 - Toby Stephens (actor)
54 - Leslie Silva (actress)
59 - John Cameron Mitchell (actor)
64 - Andie MacDowell (actress)
68 - James Morrison (actor)
71 - Tony Danza (actor)
73 - Patti LuPone (actress)
75 - Iggy Pop (inger)
90 - Elaine May (actress/comedian)
96 - Queen Elizabeth II (British monarch)
==================================
Today in Sports History - April 21
1951 - The Rochester Royals defeat the New York Knicks in seven games to win the NBA championship.
1951 - The Toronto Maple Leafs defeat the Montreal Canadiens to win the Stanley Cup.
1977 - New York Yankees manager Billy Martin pulls his lineup out of a hat, goes on to defeat the Toronto Blue Jays 8-6.
1980 - Rosie Ruiz, the first woman to cross the finish line at the Boston Marathon, was disqualified when officials discovered she had jumped into the race about a mile from the finish.
1982 - The Atlanta Braves continue the record-breaking start to the season with their 13th consecutive win.
1984 - David Palmer (Montreal Expos) pitched the fourth shortened, perfect game in major league baseball history. The game was called due to rain after five innings. Palmer had made 57 pitches.
1987 - The Milwaukee Brewers lose their first game of the season after having won their first 13 games.
1991 - The Dallas Cowboys select Miami (FL) defensive tackle Russell Maryland with the first pick in the NFL Draft.
1994 - Eddie Murray sets a major league record with switch hit home runs in a game for the 11th time in his career.
2001 - The Atlanta Falcons select Virginia Tech quarterback Michael Vick with the first pick in the NFL Draft.
2012 - Phil Humber threw the first perfect game in the majors in almost two years, leading the Chicago White Sox to a 4-0 victory over the Seattle Mariners; it was the 21st perfect game in MLB history.
