Today In History [4th April, 2015]

A chronological timetable of historical events that occurred on this day in history. Historical facts of the day in the areas of military, politics, science, music, sports, arts, entertainment and more. Discover what happened today in history.

April 4

527		In Constantinople, Justin, seriously ill, crowns his nephew Justinian as his co-emperor.
1581		Francis Drake completes circumnavigation of the world.
1812		The territory of Orleans becomes the 18th state and will become known as Louisiana.
1818		The United States flag is declared to have 13 red and white stripes and 20 stars.
1841		President William Henry Harrison, aged 68, becomes the first president to die in office, just a month after being sworn in.
1862		The Battle of Yorktown begins as Union gen. George B. McClellan closes in on Richmond, Va.
1917		The U.S. Senate votes 90-6 to enter World War I on Allied side.
1918		The Battle of the Somme ends.
1941		Field Marshal Erwin Rommel captures the British held town of Benghazi in North Africa.
1949		The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) treaty is signed.
1968		Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. is assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee.
1974		Hank Aaron ties Babe Ruth's home-run record.
1979		Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, the president of Pakistan is executed.
1985		A coup in Sudan ousts President Nimeiry and replaces him with General Dahab.
Born on April 4
1780		Edward Hicks, Quaker preacher and painter (The Peaceable Kingdom).
1792		Thaddeus Stevens, U.S. Republican congressional leader.
1802		Dorothea Dix, American social reformer.
1821		Linus Yale, inventor of the Yale lock.
1884		Isoroku Yamamoto, Japanese naval commander during WWII.
1896		Arthur Murray, ballroom dance instructor.
1896		Robert Sherwood, playwright.
1914		Marguerite Duras, French author (The Lover).
1915		Muddy Waters, American blues musician.
1928		Maya Angelou, American poet and author.
1932		Anthony Perkins, actor (Psycho).
1938		Bart Giamatti, baseball commisioner, president of Yale.