April 12 - New Friend

New Friend

This Day In History

1606

The Union Flag is adopted as the flag of Great Britain.

1633

The formal inquest of Galileo Galilei by the Inquisition begins.

1831

Soldiers marching on the Broughton Suspension Bridge in Manchester, England cause it to collapse.

1934

The strongest surface wind gust in the world at 231 mph, is measured on the summit of Mount Washington, New Hampshire.

1937

Sir Frank Whittle ground-tests the first jet engine designed to power an aircraft, at Rugby, England.

1955

The polio vaccine, developed by Dr. Jonas Salk, is declared safe and effective.

1961

The Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human to travel into outer space and perform the first manned orbital flight, in Vostok 3KA-2 (Vostok 1).

1981

Space Shuttle Columbia launches on the STS-1 mission.

1992

The Euro Disney Resort officially opens with its theme park Euro Disneyland. The resort and its park's name are subsequently changed to Disneyland Paris.

Famous Birthdays

1724

Lyman Hall, American signer of the Declaration of Independence (d. 1790)

1851

Edward Walter Maunder, English astronomer (d. 1928)

1908

Robert Lee Scott, Jr., American pilot (d. 2006)

1916

Beverly Cleary, American writer

1923

Ann Miller, American actor and dancer (d. 2004)

1940

Herbie Hancock, American musician and composer

1947

Tom Clancy, American author
David Letterman, American talk show host

1950

David Cassidy, American singer and actor

1956

Andy García, Cuban-born actor

1957

Vince Gill, American musician

1971

Nicholas Brendon, American actor