April 18th
1775
Paul Revere rode from Charlestown to Lexington to warn Massachusetts colonists of the arrival of British troops during the American Revolution.
1783
Fighting ceases in the American Revolution, eight years to the day since it began.
1881
Billy the Kid escapes from the Lincoln County jail in Mesilla, New Mexico.
1906
The Great San Francisco Earthquake destroyed over 4 sq mi. and killed over 500 people.
1923
The first game was played in Yankee Stadium (“the House that Ruth built”). Yankees beat the Boston Red Sox 4–1.
1955
Physicist Albert Einstein died at age 76.
1956
Ed Rommel became the first umpire to wear glasses during a major league baseball game. The game was between the New York Yankees and the Washington Senators.
1968
London Bridge was sold to an American. It was rebuilt in Arizona.
1999
Wayne Gretzky (New York Rangers) played his final game in the NHL. During the game Gretzky got his 2,857th NHL point. He retired as the NHL's all-time leading scorer and holder of 61 individual records.
Birthdays
88 Barbara Hale Actress
79 Clive Revill Actor
75 James Drury Actor ("The Virginian")
72 Robert Hooks Actor
63 Hayley Mills Actress
62 Dorothy Lyman Actor, director
62 Cindy Pickett Actress
62 Walt Richmond Country musician (The Tractors)
62 James Woods Actor
56 Rick Moranis Actor
53 John James Actor
53 Eric Roberts Actor
51 Les Pattinson Rock musician (Echo and the Bunnymen)
48 Jane Leeves Actress ("Frasier")
48 Steve Lombardi Professional wrestler (aka: The Brooklyn Brawler, Doink the Clown)
46 Conan O'Brien Talk show host
44
sli38 Cigar Asylum Inmate
42 Maria Bello Actress
41 Mary Birdsong Actress ("Reno 911!")
39 Greg Eklund Rock musician
38 David Tennant Actor
35 Marvin Evatt Country musician (Carolina Rain)
33 Melissa Joan Hart Actress ("Sabrina the Teenage Witch")
33 Sean Maguire Actor
25 America Ferrera Actress ("Ugly Betty")
20 Alia Shawkat Actress ("Arrested Development')
88 Sam Crawford 4/18/1880 - 6/15/1968 Baseball Hall of Famer