Scott Allsop's Blog, page 258

21st April 1918: Manfred von Richthofen, aka The Red Baron, shot down and killed

The German fighter pilot Baron Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen, better known as the Red Baron, was shot down and killed. Richthofen was born into the German aristocracy in 1892. He began military training when...

20th April 1965: Windows of the Houston Astrodome painted to stop glare

On the 20th April 1965, workers began painting skylight windows at the Houston Astrodome to limit glare from the sun.  The covered stadium, the first of its kind, was built in order to avoid the...

19th April 1839: The Treaty of London establishes an independent Belgium

The Treaty of London was signed, which recognised and guaranteed the independence and neutrality of Belgium. In 1813 Napoleon’s rule of the Netherlands was ended by the combined armies of Russia and Prussia, and control...

18th April 1775: Paul Revere’s Ride signals American Revolution

On the night of 18th April 1775, Paul Revere rode from Charleston to Lexington with his message that “the Regulars are coming!”  The action that was to signal the start of the American Revolutionary War...

17th April 1961: The Bay of Pigs invasion launched by Brigade 2506

The Bay of Pigs Invasion was launched by the CIA-sponsored paramilitary group Brigade 2506. The invasion saw over 1,400 American-trained Cuban exiles attempt to overthrow Fidel Castro. Castro had come to power in 1959 during...

16th April 1922: Treaty of Rapallo signed by Germany and Russia

On the 16th April 1922, former First World War enemies Germany and Russia signed the Treaty of Rapallo.  Both countries had been excluded from the League of Nations, and this acted as a catalyst for...

15th April 1989: 96 Liverpool fans killed in the Hillsborough Disaster

Ninety-six Liverpool Football Club fans died and hundreds more were injured in a crush at Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield. Liverpool were facing Nottingham Forrest in a sold out 1988-89 FA Cup semi-final. The match was...

14th April 1561: Nuremberg Celestial Phenomenon terrifies residents

On the morning of 14th April 1561, the people of Nuremberg in Germany witnessed a “dreadful apparition” in the sky. Modern UFO enthusiasts have used the Nuremberg celestial phenomenon as evidence of extra-terrestrial life, although...

13th April 1919: British troops commit the Amritsar Massacre

Troops from the British Indian Army committed the Amritsar Massacre when they opened fire on nonviolent protesters and pilgrims at Jallianwala Bagh. The First World War had seen the introduction of a series of emergency...

12th April 1945: Harry Truman becomes president of the USA

On the 12th April 1945, Harry Truman became the 33rd President of the United States when his predecessor, Franklin D Roosevelt, suddenly died while having his portrait painted. Truman was Roosevelt’s Vice-President, but had only...