On April 21st 1989, about 100,000 students gathered at Beijing's Tiananmen Square to commemorate Hu Yaobang, and voice their discontent with China's authoritative communist government. Hu, the deposed, reform-minded leader of the Chinese Communist Party, had died six days earlier. The next day, an official memorial service for Hu Yaobang was held in Tiananmen's Great Hall … Continue reading April 21 1989 Tiananmen Square Protest Begins In China
On April 20th 1689, James II, the former British king, began a siege of Londonderry, a Protestant stronghold in Northern Ireland. James, having encircled Londonderry, began a bombardment of the fortified city, causing devastating fires and significant loss of life. However, despite this and other assaults, the city refused to surrender, and its poorly supplied … Continue reading April 20 1689 Siege Of Londonderry
On April 19th 1824, George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron, died in what is now Greece, where he had travelled to support the Greek struggle for independence from Turkey. Even today, he is considered a Greek national hero. Byron's scandalous history, exotic travels, and flamboyant life made such an impression on the world that the … Continue reading April 19 1824 Death of Lord Byron in Greece
On April 18th 1906, at 5:13 am., an earthquake estimated at about 8.0 on the Richter scale struck San Francisco, California, killing hundreds of people as it toppled numerous buildings. The quake was caused by a slip of the San Andreas Fault over a segment about 275 miles long, and shock waves could be felt … Continue reading April 18 1906 Great San Francisco Earthquake
On April 17th 1970, with the world anxiously watching, Apollo 13, a U.S. lunar spacecraft that suffered a severe malfunction on its journey to the moon, safely returned to Earth. On April 11th, the third manned lunar landing mission was launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, carrying astronauts James A. Lovell, John L. Swigert, and Fred … Continue reading April 17 1970 Apollo 13 Returns To Earth
Craig Hill 