April 28, 2020

Today is Tuesday, April 28, the 119th day of 2020. There are 247 days left in the year.

Today’s highlight

On April 28, 1967, heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali was stripped of his title after he refused to be inducted into the armed forces.

On this date

In 1788, Maryland became the seventh state to ratify the Constitution of the United States.

In 1789, there was a mutiny on the HMS Bounty as rebelling crew members of the British ship, led by Fletcher Christian, set the captain, William Bligh, and 18 others adrift in a launch in the South Pacific. (Bligh and most of the men with him reached Timor in 47 days.)

In 1918, Gavrilo Princip, 23, the assassin of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and the archduke’s wife, Sophie, died in prison of tuberculosis.

In 1945, Italian dictator Benito Mussolini and his mistress, Clara Petacci, were executed by Italian partisans as they attempted to flee the country.

In 1958, the United States conducted the first of 35 nuclear test explosions in the Pacific Proving Ground as part of Operation Hardtack I. Vice President Richard Nixon and his wife, Pat, began a goodwill tour of Latin America that was marred by hostile mobs in Lima, Peru, and Caracas, Venezuela.

In 1963, at Broadway’s Tony Awards, “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” was named best play while “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” won best musical.

In 1967, U.S. Army Gen. William C. Westmoreland told Congress that “backed at home by resolve, confidence, patience, determination and continued support, we will prevail in Vietnam over communist aggression.”

In 1980, President Jimmy Carter accepted the resignation of Secretary of State Cyrus R. Vance, who had opposed the failed rescue mission aimed at freeing American hostages in Iran. (Vance was succeeded by Edmund Muskie.)

In 1986, the Soviet Union informed the world of the nuclear disaster at Chernobyl.

In 1988, a flight attendant was killed and more than 60 persons injured when part of the roof of an Aloha Airlines Boeing 737 tore off during a flight from Hilo to Honolulu.

In 1994, former CIA official Aldrich Ames, who had passed U.S. secrets to the Soviet Union and then Russia, pleaded guilty to espionage and tax evasion, and was sentenced to life in prison without parole.

In 1998, In a breakthrough for the government’s tobacco investigation, cigarette maker Liggett and Myers agreed to tell prosecutors whether the industry had hidden evidence of health damage from smoking.

Ten years ago: Coast Guard Rear Adm. Mary Landry said a massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico was worse than officials had believed, and that the federal government was offering to help industry giant BP contain the slick threatening the U.S. shoreline.

Five years ago: Urging Americans to “do some soul-searching,” President Barack Obama expressed deep frustration over recurring black deaths at the hands of police, rioters who responded with senseless violence and a society that would only “feign concern” without addressing the root causes. Nigerian troops rescued nearly 300 girls and women during an offensive against Boko Haram militants in the northeast Sambia forest; those rescued did not include any of the schoolgirls kidnapped a year earlier from Chibok. Jack Ely, the singer known for “Louie Louie,” the low-budget recording that became one the most famous songs of the 20th century, died in Redmond, Ore., at age 71.

One year ago: Former Republican Sen. Richard Lugar of Indiana, a leading voice on foreign policy during his 36 years in the Senate, died at a hospital in Virginia at the age of 87. A shooting in Topeka, Kansas, killed a Washburn University football player, Dwayne Simmons, and wounded a former team member, Corey Ballentine, who had been drafted just hours earlier by the New York Giants; authorities said they were “in the wrong place at the wrong time” when they were shot outside an off-campus house party. (Francisco Alejandro Mendez has pleaded not guilty to charges including first-degree murder.) “Avengers: Endgame” shattered the record for biggest opening weekend with an estimated $350 million in ticket sales domestically and $1.2 billion globally, on its way to becoming the highest-grossing film ever.

Notable birthdays

Former Secretary of State James A. Baker III is 90. Actress-singer Ann-Margret is 79. Actor Paul Guilfoyle is 71. Former “Tonight Show” host Jay Leno is 70. Rock musician Chuck Leavell is 68. Actress Mary McDonnell is 68. Rock singer-musician Kim Gordon (Sonic Youth) is 67. Actress Nancy Lee Grahn is 64. Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan is 60. Rapper Too Short is 54. Actress Bridget Moynahan is 49. Actor Chris Young is 49. Rapper Big Gipp is 48. Actor Jorge Garcia is 47. Actress Elisabeth Rohm is 47. Actress Penelope Cruz is 46. Actor Nate Richert is 42. TV personalities Drew and Jonathan Scott are 42. Actress Jessica Alba is 39. Actor Harry Shum Jr. is 38. Actress Jenna Ushkowitz is 34. Actress Aleisha Allen is 29.

Thought for today

“We have two lives ... the one we learn with and the life we live with after that.” — Bernard Malamud, American author (1914-1986).

 Holidays and Observances

2020 Daily Holidays that fall on April 28, include:

• Biological Clock Day 
• Brave Hearts Day 
• Great Poetry Reading Day 
• Kiss your Mate Day 
• National Blueberry Pie Day 
• National BraveHearts Day 
• National Superhero Day 
• Pay It Forward Day 
• Workers Memorial Day 
• World Day for Safety and Health at Work 

2020 Weekly Holidays that include April 28, are:

• Air Quality Awareness Week - April 26 - May 2, 2020
• Festival of Ridvan - April 19 - May 1, 2020
• International Mariachi Week - April 22-29, 2020
• National Green Week - February 2 - April 30, 2020
• National Infants Immunization Week - April 26 - May 3, 2020 (Fourth Week of April)
• National Scoop the Poop Week - April 24-30
• Preservation Week - April 26 - May 2, 2020
• Ramadan - Evening of April 23, 2020 - Evening of May 23, 2020
• Screen-Free Week (Digital Detox Week) - April 26 - May 3, 2020
• Stewardship Week - April 26 - May 3, 2020 (Last Sunday in April to First Sunday in May)
• UN Global Road Safety Week - April 23-29
• World Immunization Week - April 24-30
• Yom HaAtzmaut - Evening of April 28, 2020 to Evening of April 29, 2020
• Yom HaZikaron - Evening of April 27, 2020 to Evening of April 28, 2020

2020 Monthly Holidays that include April 28, are:

There are too many monthly holidays to include here, so please check out our April Holidays page to see all of the holidays that are celebrated the entire month of April.

NOTE:

1. A page on each holiday will be coming soon and linked above.
2. If a date is a movable holiday, that is different every year, I'll include the year as well as the date rule above. Otherwise, the holiday falls on the same date each year.

Astrological Sign

The Astrological Sign for April 28 is Taurus.

Birth Flower of the Month

The Birth Flower(s) for the Month for April are:

• Daisy - signifies innocence, loyal love, and purity
• Sweet Pea - signify blissful pleasure, but are also used to say good-bye.

Birthstone

The Birthstone(s) for April is the diamond, a symbol of enduring love.

Famous Birthdays

• 1758 - James Monroe, American politician, soldier, lawyer and 5th President of the U.s from 1817-1825 (d. 1831)
• 1868 - Lucy Booth, English songwriter and Salvation Army commander (d. 1953)
• 1937 - Saddam Hussein, 5th President of Iraq (d. 2006)
• 1941 - Ann-Margret, Swedish-American actress, singer and dancer, (Tommy, Street Car Named Desire)
• 1950 - Jay Leno, American comedian, talk show host (Tonight Show), and producer
• 1952 - Mary McDonnell, American actress (Dances with Wolves, Independence Day)
• 1974 - Penelope Cruz - Spanish-American actress (Vanilla Sky)
• 1981 - Jessica Alba, American model, actress and co-founder of The Honest Company (Dark Angel, Sin City, Fantastic Four)

Famous Deaths

• 1945 - Benito Mussolini, Italian journalist, politician - 27th Prime Minister of Italy and leader of the National Fascist Party (b. 1883)
• 2007 - Tommy Newsom, American bandleader and saxophonist  (The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson) (b. 1929)

Famous Weddings and Divorces

• 1982 - George Foreman, professional boxer marries Andrea Skeete
• 2007 - Roma Downey, actress (Touched by an Angel) married Mark Burnett, Reality TV producer

Quote of the Day

I totally agree with this!

Recipe of the Day or a
Healthy Diet Habit Tip of the Day

April is National Food Month, so we have been concentrating on Healthy Foods.  One great Healthy Diet Habit, is to choose Non GMO Foods.

Choosing non GMO foods is an educated decision! Each of us should be educated enough to make a decision about whether avoiding genetically modified foods is something that we should do.

Here are some important tips from Kerry, of Healthy Diet Habits, on choosing Non GMO Foods. (link goes to her website)

This Day in History

• 1770 - Captain James Cook and his crew of the Endeavour, lands at Botany Bay in Australia
• 1788 - Maryland becomes the 7th U.S. State to ratify the Constitution
• 1789 - Fletcher Christian leads the mutiny on the HMS Bounty and Captain William Bligh and 18 sailors are set adrift
• 1792 - France invades Belgium and starts the French Revolutionary War
• 1910 - The 1st night air flight in England
• 1932 - A yellow fever vaccine for humans is announced
• 1934 - Frankin D. Roosevelt signs the Home Owners Loan Act
• 1944 - During Exercise Tiger, a rehearsal for the Normandy landings during World War II, 9 German E-Boats attacked US and UK soldiers - 750 US soldiers died
• 1945 - Benito Mussolin and his mistress Clara Petacci are executed by firing squad by members of the Italian resistance movement
• 1952 - The World War II Pacific Peace Treaty takes effect
• 1952 - Dwight D. Eisenhower resigns as Supreme Allied Commander of NATO
• 1965 - U.S. Marines invade Dominican Republic to forestall establishment of a Communist dictatorship. They remain until October of 1966.
• 1973 - 82 500 pound bombs detonate at a railyard in Antelope, California over the course of 18 hours.
• 1988 - Aloha Airlines Boeing 737 has a roof that tears off during the flight and kills a stewardess
• 1994 - Aldrich Ames, a former CIA officer and his wife plead guilty to spying and giving U.S. secrets to the Soviet Union

This Day in Music

• 1940 - Glenn Miller records 'Pennsylvania 6-5000'
• 1966 - The Beatles, record 'Eleonor Rigby'
• 1973 - Pink Floyd's, The Dark Side of the Moon is the #1 Album
• 1974 - Grand Funk's The Loco-Motion hits #1
• 1975 - John Lennon makes a guest appearance on Tonight, and Ringo Star makes a guest appearance on the Smothers Brothers Show
• 1979 - Blondie's Heart of Glass hits #1
• 1999 - Members of The Verve release a statement announcing their breakup
• 1999 - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
• 2003 - Apple launches iTunes which works with their iPod

Above is Bittersweet symphony by The Verve!  (Love this song!)

This Day in Sports

• 1956 - Cincinnati Reds Frank Robinson hits his 1st of 586 home runs
• 1967 - Muhammad Ali refuses induction into the Army and is stripped of his boxing title
• 1971 - Hank Aaron hits his 600th career home run. He ended his career with 755 home runs
• 1972 - Due to drugs given before the race to Dancer's Image, the 1968 Kentucky Derby money is given to the 2nd place winner
• 1985 - Billy Martin is named the New York Yankee Manager for the 4th time
• 1993 - 30 soccer players die when a Zambian plane craches in Libreville, Gabon

Word of the Day from Wiktionary

Wishing You a Great Day Today!

Solo Build It, or SBI, is the awesome E-Business software that we are using for this site!

TORONTO -- Canada has hit 48,500 total cases of COVID-19, with more than 27,500 cases still active. Here’s what else you need to know to start your day. 

1. 'Long way off': Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says that "normal" is a "long way off" for all Canadians, and that some changes implemented as a result of lessons learned during this pandemic will last for "years." 

2. Blood clots: Doctors are concerned about an increasing number of COVID-19 patients developing blood clots that may lead to stroke or limb amputations in severe cases. 

3. Student aid vote: The House of Commons is being recalled virtually for the first time on Wednesday, to study, debate and likely pass the federal government's promised suite of measures aimed at helping students during the pandemic. 

4. Second emergency: A mandatory evacuation alert has been issued for the entire lower townsite of Fort McMurray because of rising water levels. 

5. Where we stand: With some modelling data suggesting Canada has passed its peak of the pandemic, CTV News has compiled a guide on where each province and territory stands on reopening their economies. 

One more thing…

New purpose: A restaurant in Washington, D.C. that would have otherwise closed due to the pandemic is using its staff and facilities to cook warm meals for those in need.