April 10th What Happened on the day you were born on This day in History
10th April 1971 : In an effort to build better relations between the U.S. and China a US table tennis team begins a week long visit to the People's Republic of China (PRC) at the invitation of China's communist government. As soon as I read this I realized the significance of the Table Tennis in the movie "Forrest Gump" which I always wondered how it fitted in with all the other major events from the time period.
10th April 1912 : Titanic sets sail on her maiden voyage from Southampton to New York the Titanic has been described as April 10, 1912: the worlds most luxurious floating hotel, and was only 5 days out when she hit an Iceberg and Sank in the Atlantic with the loss of many lives.
10th April 1919 : Emiliano Zapata the leader of the peasants during the Mexican Revolution, is ambushed and shot to death in Morelos by government forces
10th April 1925 : "The Great Gatsby" a story is set in Long Island's North Shore and New York City during the summer of 1922 . by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is published. and is now often regarded as an example of the Great American Novel. The Great Gatsby has become a standard text in high school and university courses on American literature in countries around the world.
10th April 1925 : Sixth Member of family succumbs to Arsenic poisoning after 5 other members of his family die not much hope is given for his survival
10th April 1932 : Adolf Hitler is beaten by Paul von Hindenburg for the German presidency
10th April 1936 : Britain Presses for Penalties on Italy after war in Abyssinia and threatened to take independent action heightening a war in Europe
9th April 1942 : The Japanese forced 75,000 captured American and Filipino soldiers to march more than 85 miles in six days from Bataan to a prison camp near Cabanatuan with only one meal of rice in total over the six days known as the "Bataan Death March" During the Forced march hundreds of Americans and many more Filipinos die.
10th April 1945 : Fall of Vienna to the Russian Cossack Allies and Russia Moves on Berlin US and Russia to make final assault on Berlin War in Europe expected to end soon
10th April 1956 : UN steps up peace pressure in Middle East conflict between Israel and its Arab Neighbors in an attempt to bring about a lasting peace
10th April 1959 : Japan's Crown Prince Akihito the current emperor of Japan, becomes the first Crown Prince to bring a commoner into the imperial family when he marries Miss Michiko Shōda
10th April 1963 : Nuclear-powered attack submarine USS Thresher and her crew of 129 was lost at sea in the Atlantic Ocean some 220 miles off Cape Cod, Mass.
10th April 1968 : A ferry the "TEV Wahine" capsizes in Wellington Harbour, New Zealand after running aground during one of the worst storms ever to ever hit New Zealand. The final death toll is expected to exceed 50 with most due to drowning.
10th April 1970 : Paul McCartney releases his first solo album after rifts between the group and announced that he has split from the Beatles
10th April 1972 : An Earthquake centered on the town of Ghir, in southern Iraq kills up to an estimated 4,000 people in the massive earthquake an aircraft which flew over the area reports that there was not a single dwelling left standing above the ground . Soldiers, police and villagers dig survivors from the rubble for almost four days after the disaster and the final death toll is closer to 5,300 than the original estimates
10th April 1972 : Seventy nations, including the United States and the Soviet Union, signed an agreement banning biological warfare.
10th April 1979 : Thirteen tornadoes ripped through Texas and Oklahoma today in a deadly outbreak that meteorologists later referred to as "Terrible Tuesday." The twisters destroyed thousands of homes.
10th April 1981 : The Imprisoned IRA hunger striker Bobby Sands is elected to Westminster as the MP for Fermanagh and South Tyrone. Bobby Sands continued his hunger strike and died less than a month later on 5 May 1981.
10th April 1985 : In the US President Reagan asks for all ties for US - Soviet to be checked prior to meeting next month with Soviet Union , meanwhile Gorbachev tells Russian congress he does not trust the Americans.
13th April 1992 : Conservatives under John Major win a forth term in the UK General Election.
10th April 1998 : After many years of violence in Ireland the Peace Accord ( called the Good Friday Agreement ) is signed today after 30 years of bitter rivalries and bloody attacks and can be considered a triumph for British Prime Minister Tony Blair and the Republic of Ireland's leader, Bertie Ahern, who have succeeded where all other attempts have failed
10th April 2002 : Restrictions were loosened further for mercy killings and assisted suicide for patients with unbearable, terminal illness. This follows earlier legislation in 1993 when the Netherlands decriminalized doctor-assisted suicide.
10th April 2002 : Eight Israelis are killed by a suicide bomber aboard a bus in Haifa.
10th April 2003 : The House passes the bill creating a national Amber Alert system and strengthening child pornography laws.
10th April 2008 : A Fundamentalist Mormon Polygamist Temple Sect is raided in West Texas, the authorities suspect that older men had sex with under-age girls and practised polygamy at Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the ranch in Eldorado, Texas. During the raid 416 children were placed in temporary state custody on suspicion of being abused or under the threat of abuse or neglect.
