April 7

Scott Winters April 7, 2025 1 Comment

A quick look at Today in History, check out some Celebrity Birthdays, and find out what Days of the Year to celebrate.

TODAY IN HISTORY:

1795 – France adopted the meter as the basic measure of length.

1827 – An English chemist, John Walker, sold the first friction match. He invited it a year earlier.

1864 – To raise money for charity, the first camel race in America was held in Sacramento, CA.

1888 – P.F. Collier published a weekly periodical for the first time under the name “Collier’”s.

1927 – The first long-distance TV transmission was sent from Washington, DC, to New York, NY. The audience saw an image of Commerce Secretary Herbert Hoover.

1930 – The first steel columns were set for the Empire State Building.

1933 – Prohibition in the United States was repealed for beer of no more than 3.2% alcohol by weight, eight months before the ratification of the 21st Amendment.

1940 – Booker T. Washington became the first black to be pictured on a U.S. postage stamp.

1948 – The United Nations’ World Health Organization began operations.

1953 – IBM unveiled the IBM 701 Electronic Data Processing Machine. It was IBM’s first commercially available scientific computer.

1957 – In New York, NY, the last of city’s electric trolleys completed its final run from Queens to Manhattan.

1963 – At the age of 23, Jack Nicklaus became the youngest golfer to win the Green Jacket at the Masters Tournament.

1964 – IBM announced the System/360.

1966 – The U.S. recovered a hydrogen bomb it had lost off the coast of Spain.

1969 – The Supreme Court unanimously struck down laws prohibiting private possession of obscene material.

1970 – John Wayne won his first and only Oscar for his role in “True Grit.” He had been in over 200 films.

1971 – President Richard Nixon pledged to withdraw 100,000 soldiers from Vietnam by December.

1978 – In Grand Rapids, MI, John Ball Park Zoo’s only elephant, Zooella, died.

1978 – Development of the neutron bomb was cancelled by President Jimmy Carter.

1982 – It was cold! Temperatures dropped to near zero around the Great Lakes as arctic high pressure moved into the area. Lansing fell to -2° for their latest sub-zero temperature on record. Muskegon dropped down to 1° and Grand Rapids saw a low of 3° for the coldest April temperatures on record.

1983 – Specialist Story Musgrave and Don Peterson made the first Space Shuttle spacewalk.

1983 – The Chinese government canceled all remaining sports and cultural exchanges with the U.S. for 1983.

1984 – Jack Morris threw a no hitter in a 4-0 shutout of Chicago. He was only the fourth Detroit Tiger to do so. It was the first time it had happened since 1958.

1990 – At Farm Aid IV, Elton John performed “Candle in the Wind” for Ryan White. White, a young boy with AIDS, died later the same day.

1990 – John Poindexter was found guilty of five counts at his Iran-Contra trial. The convictions were later reversed on appeal.

1990 – At Cincinnati, OH’s Contemporary Arts Center a display of Robert Mapplethorpe’s photographs went on display. On the same day the center and its director were indicted on obscenity charges. The charges resulted in acquittal.

1993 – The movie “The Sandlot” premiered in theaters.

1998 – George Michael was arrested in a public restroom in Beverly Hills, CA for lewd conduct. He was sentenced to community service for the incident.

1998 – Mary Bono, the widow of Sonny Bono, won a special election to serve out the remainder of her husband’s Congressional term.

2000 – President Bill Clinton signed the Senior Citizens Freedom to Work Act of 2000. The bill reversed a Depression-era law and allows senior citizens to earn money without losing Social Security retirement benefits.

2001 – The Mars Odyssey was launched.

2003 – U.S. troops captured Baghdad. Saddam Hussein’s regime fell two days later.

2006 – Meredith Viera confirmed she was leaving ABC’s “The View” to replace Katie Couric on “Today”.

2008 – More than 10 years after Princess Diana and her boyfriend, Dodi Fayed, died in a car wreck in Paris, a jury in London concluded that the two were killed by a combination of the “grossly negligent driving” of their chauffeur and the paparazzi pursuing their car.

2008 – Kathie Lee Gifford returned to TV, as co-host of the fourth hour of the “Today” show.

2016 – The final episode of the final season of TV’s “American Idol” aired on FOX.

2016 – The longest-ever python was captured in Malaysia. The snake was 26 feet long.

2021 – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that the SARS-CoV-2 Alpha variant had become the dominant strain of COVID-19 in the United States.

2021 – Action Comics #1, which introduced Superman for the first time, sold at auction. It brought in a recording-breaking price of $3.25 million.

2022 – Ketanji Brown Jackson becomes the first black female justice when she was confirmed for the Supreme Court of the United States.

BIRTHDAYS:

Bobby Bare – 90 years old (1935) – Country singer (“Detroit City”)

Francis Ford Coppola – 86 years old (1939) – Director (“Godfather” movies, “Apocalypse Now”, “The Conversation”, “American Graffiti”, “Patton”). Born in Detroit, MI.

Mick Abrahams – 82 years old (1943) – Guitarist (Jethro Tull)

Carol Douglas – 77 years old (1948) – Singer (“Doctor’s Orders”)

John Oates – 77 years old (1948) – Songwriter, singer (Hall and Oates)

Janis Ian – 74 years old (1951) – Singer

Jackie Chan – 71 years old (1954) – Actor (“Rush Hour” movies, “The Karate Kid”, “The Tuxedo”, “Around the World in 80 Days”, “The Spy Next Door”)

Tony Dorsett – 71 years old (1954) – Football player

James “Buster” Douglas – 65 years old (1960) – Boxer

Russell Crowe – 61 years old (1964) – Actor (“A Beautiful Mind,” “”he Insider”)

Bill Bellamy – 60 years old (1965) – Actor (“The Brothers”, “Any Given Sunday”, “How to Be a Player”, “Love Jones”, “Love Stinks”)

Tiki and Ronde Barber – 50 years old (1975) – Football players, identical twin brothers both played in the NFL

Alexis Jordan – 33 years old (1992) – Singer (TV’s “America’s Got Talent” Season 1 contestant)

TODAY IS:

National No Housework Day: Give yourself a break. Eat off paper plates, order in, and ignore that vacuum. Do whatever you want on National No Housework Day—just so long as it’s not chores.
National Beer Day: Visit a brewery, crack open a cold one with your friends, or learn how to brew your own beer on this hoppy holiday. Not a drinker? Try alcohol-free beer!
International Beaver Day: Beavers are very important for the environment, creating natural dams and helping cleanse water. Help raise awareness about the threats facing this declining species.
National Coffee Cake Day: Marrying layers of delicate sweetness, this culinary masterpiece beckons discerning palates to savor its timeless allure.
Metric System Day: Metric System Day is an annual celebration of a nearly-universal system of measurement. This system uses standardized units like meters, kilograms, and liters. In most of the world, the metric system is the global standard; it’s perfect for simplifying and unifying measurements across the world. However, a few countries still hold...
National Making The First Move Day: Join founder Greshun De Bouse and take the pledge to prevent and end bullying and its effects. Make the first move in being kind to yourself and others.
National IEP Writing Day: Crafting an Individualized Education Program (IEP) is a vital step in tailoring education to meet the unique needs of students with disabilities. National IEP Writing Day highlights the importance of creating effective IEPs that support each student's learning journey. Teachers, parents, and specialists collaborate to develop these personalized plans, ensuring that...
Girl, Me Too Day: Fostering unity, women empower, uplift, and champion one another, creating a powerful network of solidarity.
National Schwa Day: Discover the enigmatic sound at the heart of linguistics, a subtle symbol of linguistic nuance and pronunciation variance.
World Health Day: Listen to the World Health Organization and begin taking steps to improve your health: join a gym, start taking vitamins, or get outside on World Health Day.
National Library Week: Silent realms of knowledge, these havens harbor stories and wisdom, inviting exploration beyond the whispers of time.
Discover National Parks Fortnight: Discover National Parks Fortnight invites everyone to join in on an adventure - exploring the stunning landscapes and rich biodiversity of national parks. This fantastic outdoor-themed event spans two weeks each year. This period is the ideal opportunity to reconnect with the great outdoors and appreciate the environmental treasures within...
Community Garden Week: Community Garden Week comes around each year vibrant spring flowers begin to light up the landscape. This special week-long observation highlights the many worthy community and school gardens that dot our landscapes. These gardening efforts do more than add beauty (although they undoubtedly do!). Indeed, they serve as hubs for...
Bee Active Bee Healthy Bee Happy Week: "Bee Active Bee Healthy Bee Happy Week is so much more than just a catchphrase. Indeed, it is a call to action. This week, founded by The Running Bee Foundation in Manchester, United Kingdom, is an effort to help reduce childhood obesity. Their goal is to help children learn the...
Make Mine Chocolate: "Make Mine Chocolate" is a lively campaign urging people to think twice before giving live rabbits as Easter gifts. The campaign encourages people to opt for chocolate bunnies instead. This approach helps spread the message of responsible pet ownership while offering a sweet alternative that won't end up in shelters...
National Green Week: National Green Week is an exciting initiative that brings attention to the importance of environmental sustainability. Schools and organizations across the country use this week to engage students in activities that promote greener living. The event aims to inspire young minds to adopt eco-friendly habits that can make a lasting...
International Pooper Scooper Week: Get ready to grab your gloves and bags because International Pooper Scooper Week is here! Every year, from April 1st to 7th, this unique event unites dog lovers worldwide to tackle a stinky problem—pet waste. This week serves as a lively reminder of our responsibilities as pet owners, pushing us...
March Madness: Get your game face on for March Madness! This high-energy tournament is a slam dunk of excitement, passion, and heart-pumping action. So grab your team colors, gear up for the showdown, and let the madness begin!
Blue Ribbon Week: Blue Ribbon Week is a time dedicated to raising awareness about child abuse, symbolized by the blue ribbon. Across communities, people come together to support efforts that protect children from harm. During this week, the focus shifts to understanding the serious impact of abuse and neglect, which often goes unnoticed...
Be Kind to Spiders Week: Be Kind to Spiders Week encourages people to change their perspective on these misunderstood creatures. Despite their reputation for being creepy or scary, spiders play a vital role in controlling insect populations. This annual event asks people to pause before squashing a spider, instead suggesting relocating them safely outdoors. It's...
FOP Awareness Month: Raising awareness for a rare condition, efforts unite to support those facing the challenges of Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva.
National Public Health Week: The well-being of communities — disease prevention, and better living through knowledge and action, towards a healthier world.