Updated April 19, 2012, 2:28 pm
On April 20, 1971, the United States Supreme Court upheld the use of busing to achieve racial desegregation in schools.
On April 20, 1889, Adolf Hitler, the Nazi dictator of Germany who led his country into World War II and was responsible for persecuting millions of Jews, was born. Following his death on April 30, 1945, his obituary appeared in The Times.
Go to obituary » | Other birthdays »
On This Date
By The Associated Press
1792 France declared war on Austria, marking the start of the French Revolutionary wars. 1812 Vice President George Clinton, a former New York governor, died at age 73. 1836 The Territory of Wisconsin was established by Congress. 1889 Nazi leader Adolf Hitler was born in Braunau, Austria. 1902 Scientists Marie and Pierre Curie isolated the radioactive element radium. 1912 Fenway Park in Boston and Tiger Stadium in Detroit opened. 1939 Baseball Hall of Famer Ted Williams made his major league debut with the Boston Red Sox. 1940 RCA publicly demonstrated its new electron microscope. 1971 The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the use of busing to achieve racial desegregation in schools. 1972 The manned lunar module from Apollo 16 landed on the moon. 1980 The first Cubans sailing to the United States as part of the massive Mariel boatlift reached Florida. 1999 Two students went on a shooting rampage at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colo., killing 12 students and one teacher before taking their own lives. 2008 Danica Patrick became the first female winner in IndyCar history by capturing the Indy Japan 300. Current Birthdays
By The Associated Press
Actor George Takei (“Star Trek”) turns 75 years old today.
AP Photo/Matt Sayles
Actress Jessica Lange turns 63 years old today.
AP Photo/Chris Pizzello
1920 John Paul Stevens, Supreme Court justice, turns 92 1924 Leslie Phillips, Actor (“Harry Potter” films), turns 88 1936 Pat Roberts, U.S. senator, R-Kan., turns 76 1941 Ryan O’Neal, Actor (“Love Story,” “Paper Moon”), turns 71 1945 Steve Spurrier, College football coach, turns 67 1964 Crispin Glover, Actor, turns 48 1972 Carmen Electra, Actress, turns 40 1976 Joey Lawrence, Actor, turns 36
Historic Birthdays
Adolf Hitler 4/20/1889 – 4/30/1945 German leader of the Nazi party and dictator of Germany (1933-45).Go to obituary »
72 Johann Agricola 4/20/1494 – 9/22/1566
German Lutheran reformer; helped introduced Lutheranism to Frankfurt76 Odilon Redon 4/20/1840 – 7/6/1916
French painter, lithographer and etcher81 Daniel Chester French 4/20/1850 – 10/7/1931
American sculptor; works included Lincoln’s Memorial93 Charles G. Curtis 4/20/1860 – 3/10/1953
American inventor; devised a steam turbine54 Howard Vickery 4/20/1892 – 3/21/1946
American naval officer; vice admiral of the Navy (1944-46)78 Harold Lloyd 4/20/1893 – 3/8/1971
American motion-picture comedian90 Joan Miro 4/20/1893 – 12/25/1983
Spanish artist of abstract and Surrealist art79 William Dollar 4/20/1907 – 2/28/1986
American ballet dancer, choreographer and ballet master
