On this day in history.

[J. A.]

April 16, 1912: Harriet Quimby becomes the first woman to fly an airplane across the English Channel.

1178 BC: The calculated date of the Greek king Odysseus' return home from the Trojan War.

 

[scifan57]

April 16, 1972; Apollo 16 is launched from Cape Canaveral. It was the fifth of six successful lunar landing missions.

 

[J. A.]

April 16, 1972; Apollo 16 is launched from Cape Canaveral. It was the fifth of six successful lunar landing missions.

Crew members were:
John Young (only person who piloted 4 different spacecraft: Gemini, Apollo CSM and LM, Space Shuttle), Charles Duke, youngest person to walk on the Moon, and Ken Mattingly (scheduled to fly on Apollo 13 but held back).




Wikipedia

 

[J. A.]

April 17, 1973: George Lucas begins writing the treatment for The Star Wars.

 

[J. A.]

April 18, 1981: The longest professional baseball game is begun in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. The game is suspended at 4:00 the next morning and finally completed on June 23.

 

[J. A.]

April 19, 1770: Captain James Cook sights the eastern coast of what is now Australia.

 

[J. A.]

April 20, 1972: Apollo 16, commanded by John Young, lands on the moon.

 

[J. A.]

April 21, 753 BC: Romulus and Remus founded Rome (traditional date).

 

[Richard Brown]

On the 21st of April 1926, Queen Elizabeth II was born Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary in London.

Sent from my iPad using iPF

 

[scifan57]

April 21, 753 B.C.; tradition holds that the city of Rome was founded by Romulus and his twin brother Remus.

 

[scifan57]

April 21, 1918; the German flying ace, Manfred von Richthoven, known as the Red Baron, is killed by enemy fire. At the time of his death he had 80 victories to his credit.



Photo credit: Wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manfred_von_Richthofen

 

[The OB]

April 21, 1918; the German flying ace, Manfred von Richthoven, known as the Red Baron, is killed by enemy fire. At the time of his death he had 80 victories to his credit.



View attachment 39907 Photo credit: Wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manfred_von_Richthofen

It's interesting that the WW1 highest military honour, the Pour le Merite (the Blue Max), with the baron here wearing it, ended with the end of the Prussian monarchy in November 1918. Also interesting is that it adopted a French name, a country they were fighting.



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[J. A.]

April 22, 1970: The first Earth Day is celebrated.

 

[J. A.]

April 23, 1564: William Shakespeare, English playwright and actor is believed to be born.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Shakespeare

 

[KevinJS]

April 23, 1564: William Shakespeare, English playwright and actor is born.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Shakespeare

He also died on the same date.