Updated April 16, 2012, 2:28 pm
On April 17, 1961, about 1,500 CIA-trained Cuban exiles launched the disastrous Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba in a failed attempt to overthrow the government of Fidel Castro.
On April 17, 1894, Nikita S. Khrushchev, who made important policy changes in the Soviet Union during his rule as premier from 1958 to 1964, was born. Following his death on Sept. 11, 1971, his obituary appeared in The Times.
Go to obituary » | Other birthdays »
On This Date
By The Associated Press
1521 Martin Luther went before the Diet of Worms to face charges stemming from his religious writings. 1790 American statesman Benjamin Franklin died in Philadelphia at age 84. 1861 The Virginia State Convention voted to secede from the Union. 1951 Baseball Hall of Famer Mickey Mantle made his major league debut with the New York Yankees. 1961 About 1,500 CIA-trained Cuban exiles launched an invasion at the Bay of Pigs on the southwestern coast of Cuba in a failed attempt to overthrow Fidel Castro. 1964 The Ford Motor Co. unveiled the Mustang. 1975 Phnom Penh fell to Communist insurgents, ending Cambodia’s five-year civil war. 1996 Lyle and Erik Menendez were spared the death penalty by a Los Angeles jury, which recommended they serve life in prison without parole for killing their wealthy parents. 2001 Barry Bonds of the San Francisco Giants hit his 500th career home run, becoming the 17th major leaguer to reach the mark. Current Birthdays
By The Associated Press
Actress Jennifer Garner (“Alias”) turns 40 years old today.
AP Photo/Evan Agostini
Singer Victoria Beckham (Spice Girls) turns 38 years old today.
AP Photo/Jonathan Short
1948 Jan Hammer, Composer, musician, turns 64 1965 William Mapother, Actor (“Lost”), turns 47 1967 Liz Phair, Rock singer, turns 45 1970 Redman, Rapper, actor, turns 42
Historic Birthdays
Nikita S. Khrushchev 4/17/1894 – 9/11/1971 Russian statesman; premier of the Soviet Union (1958-64).Go to obituary »
70 Samuel Chase 4/17/1741 – 6/19/1811
American jurist and signer of the Declaration of Independence64 William Simms 4/17/1806 – 6/11/1870
American journalist and novelist76 J. P. Morgan 4/17/1837 – 3/31/1913
American financier; formed U. S. Steel80 Sir Leonard Woolley 4/17/1880 – 2/20/1960
English archaeologist; excavated the Sumerian city of Ur69 Artur Schnabel 4/17/1882 – 8/15/1951
Austrian pianist and teacher77 Isak Dinesen 4/17/1885 – 9/7/1962
Danish writer78 Thornton Wilder 4/17/1897 – 12/7/1975
American novelist and playwright95 Sir Vincent Wigglesworth 4/17/1899 – 2/11/1994
English entomologist68 Harry Reasoner 4/17/1923 – 8/6/1991
American newscaster, correspondent and journalist
