This Day In History, April 4th.
Five Historical Events That Happened on April 4th.
Elizabeth I knighted Francis Drake at Deptford, London, aboard the Golden Hind in 1581. English maritime commander and privateer Sir Francis Drake sailed around the world and was a key player in the downfall of the Spanish Armada.
Martin Luther King Jr., a well-known civil rights activist, was killed in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1968. He was shot as he was on the Lorraine Motel's balcony.
In 1975, Bill Gates and Paul Allen established Microsoft in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The business would later develop into one of the most prosperous and significant technological corporations in the world.
When a helicopter crashed with Pennsylvania Senator John Heinz's jet over a playground in Merion, Pennsylvania, in 1991, Heinz and six other persons perished. Heinz was a reputable senator and the son of the H. J. Heinz Company, a significant food producer.
Each new state that joined the Union received a star when it was added to the flag of the United States by the United States Congress in 1818. This resulted in the current flag, which has 50 stars, one for each state.
Francis Drake was knighted by Queen Elizabeth I aboard the Golden Hind in Deptford, London. Drake was an English sea captain and privateer who circumnavigated the globe and played a crucial role in the defeat of the Spanish Armada.
Francis Drake was a well-known English adventurer and naval captain well remembered for his 1577–1580 circumnavigation of the globe. He also participated in the Spanish Armada's defeat in 1588 as a privateer who pillaged Spanish ships. On April 4, 1581, Drake received a knighthood from Queen Elizabeth I onboard the Golden Hind in honor of his accomplishments and services to the British Empire.
April 4th, 1968: Martin Luther King Jr., a prominent civil rights leader, was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee.
Baptist clergyman and well-known civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. is most recognized for his involvement in the American Civil Rights Movement. He was a pioneer in the fight for social justice and racial equality, supporting peaceful civil disobedience as a means of enacting change. King was in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 4, 1968, to support the strike of African American sanitation workers. He was shot and killed by James Earl Ray, a runaway from the Missouri State Penitentiary, when he was standing on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel. King's passing was a severe setback for the civil rights movement and triggered large-scale grief and protests across the country.
Microsoft was founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The company would go on to become one of the most successful and influential technology companies in the world.
Bill Gates and Paul Allen established Microsoft Corporation on April 4, 1975, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The company's first offering was a BASIC programming language for the Altair 8800 computer, and its early concentration was on creating software for personal computers. Microsoft developed the widely used Windows operating system, the Office suite of productivity software, as well as a variety of other programs and services, eventually emerging as a dominating force in the technology sector. One of the biggest and most prosperous technological businesses in the world today is Microsoft.
Senator John Heinz of Pennsylvania and six other people were killed when a helicopter collided with Heinz's plane over a schoolyard in Merion, Pennsylvania. Heinz was a well-respected senator and heir to the H. J. Heinz Company, a major food manufacturer.
Senator John Heinz of Pennsylvania and six other persons perished on April 4, 1991, when their plane and a chopper collided over a playground in Merion, Pennsylvania. Heinz, a Republican senator who has been in government since 1977, was renowned for his support of free trade and advocacy for environmental causes. Additionally, he was the great-grandson's heir to the H. J. Heinz Company, a significant food producer. Heinz had been a respected and significant member of the United States Senate, therefore the tragedy was a devastating loss for both the state of Pennsylvania and the Senate.
The United States Congress decided on the flag of the United States by adding a star for each new state that joined the Union. This led to the current flag with 50 stars representing each state.
On July 4, 1960, a congressional act established the current United States flag's design, which has 50 stars, one for every state in the Union. On April 4, 1818, Congress approved a law mandating that the American flag have 13 stripes and one star for each state, with an additional star to be added for any new state that joined the Union. This started the tradition of adding stars for each new state. This law codified the flag's design and guaranteed that it would evolve to represent the progress of the nation when additional states were included.