This Day In History – April 20th

Posted: 20 Apr 2011 06:05 AM PDT

After careful consideration and valued feedback from the Sifter’s highly respected readers, Current Events Around the Globe will cease to exist. Replacing the weekly Wednesday post will be: THIS DAY IN HISTORY. A brief look back at notable events in our history. Enjoy!

WRIGLEY FIELD OPENS – APRIL 20, 1916

Photograph via 107.7 The End

On April 20th, 1916, the Chicago Cubs played their first game at Weeghman Park (currently Wrigley Field), defeating the Cincinnati Reds 7-6 in 11 innings. Wrigley Field is the oldest National League ballpark and the second oldest active major league ballpark after Fenway. It is also the only remaining Federal League park. [Source: Wikipedia]

Photograph by Jblesage

HITLER’S 50TH BIRTHDAY – APRIL 20, 1939

Photograph via German Federal Archive

Adolf Hitler’s 50th birthday on April 20, 1939 was a national holiday in Nazi Germany. On that day, the largest military parade in the history of the Third Reich was held in Berlin. In total, 40,000 to 50,000 German troops took part in the parade, which lasted about five hours and included 12 companies of the Luftwaffe, 12 companies of the Army, and 12 companies of sailors, as well as the SS. 162 warplanes flew over the city of Berlin.

The grandstand comprised 20,000 official guests, and the parade was watched by several hundreds of thousands of spectators. Features of the parade were large long range air defence artillery guns, emphasis on motorized artillery and development of air defense units. [Source: Wikipedia]

Photograph via German Federal Archive

Hitler’s “Eagle’s Nest” was designed and built for Adolf Hilter’s 50th Birthday by his personal secretary and Head of the Nazi Party, Chancellery Martin Bormann. The monument is called “Kehlsteinhaus” in German because it was originally intended to be a “Teahouse” for the head of the Third Reich. This mountain-top hideaway played a prominent role as the main unit objective in HBO’s critically acclaimed mini-series “Band of Brothers.” [Source: Let's Go Europe]

Photograph via Let’s Go Europe

APOLLO 16 LANDS ON MOON – APRIL 20, 1972

Photograph by NASA

Apollo 16, the tenth manned mission in American Apollo space program, was the fifth mission to land on the Moon and the first to land in a highlands area. It was a J-class mission, featuring a Lunar Rover; and brought back 94.7 kg of lunar samples. The crew splashed down in the Pacific Ocean on April 27.

Commander: John W. Young – Fourth spaceflight
Command Module Pilot: T. Kenneth Mattingly Jr. – First spaceflight
Lunar Module Pilot: Charles M. Duke Jr. – First spaceflight

Source: Wikipedia

Photograph by NASA

COLUMBINE HIGH SCHOOL MASSACRE – APRIL 20, 1999

The Columbine High School massacre occurred on Tuesday, April 20, 1999, at Columbine High School in Columbine, Colorado, United States. Two senior students, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, embarked on a massacre, killing 12 students and one teacher. They also injured 21 other students directly, and three people were injured while attempting to escape.

The pair then committed suicide. It is the fourth-deadliest school massacre in United States history, after the 1927 Bath School disaster, 2007 Virginia Tech massacre and the 1966 University of Texas massacre. It is the deadliest for an American high school. [Source: Wikipedia]

DANICA PATRICK WINS INDY JAPAN 300 – APRIL 20, 2008

Photograph by Morio

Danica Sue Patrick (born March 25, 1982) is an American auto racing driver, currently competing in the IndyCar Series and the NASCAR Nationwide Series. She is also a model and advertising spokeswoman. Patrick was named the Rookie of the Year for both the 2005 Indianapolis 500 and the 2005 IndyCar Series season.

With her win in the 2008 Indy Japan 300, Patrick became the first woman in history to win an Indy car race. Patrick currently drives the #7 GoDaddy.com Honda/Dallara for Andretti Autosport. [Source: Wikipedia]

DEEPWATER HORIZON OIL RIG EXPLODES – APRIL 20, 2010

Photograph by AP Photo/Gerald Herbert

Deepwater Horizon was an ultra-deepwater, dynamically positioned, semi-submersible offshore oil drilling rig owned by Transocean. Built in 2001 in South Korea by Hyundai Heavy Industries, the rig was commissioned by R&B Falcon, which later became part of Transocean, registered in Majuro, Marshall Islands, and leased to BP plc from March 2008 until September 2013.

In September 2009, the rig drilled the deepest oil well in history at a vertical depth of 35,050 ft (10,683 m) and measured depth of 35,055 ft (10,685 m) in the Tiber field at Keathley Canyon block 102, approximately 250 miles (400 km) southeast of Houston, in 4,132 feet (1,259 m) of water.

On 20 April 2010, while drilling at the Macondo Prospect, an explosion on the rig caused by a blowout killed 11 crewmen and ignited a fireball visible from 35 miles (56 km) away. The resulting fire could not be extinguished and, on 22 April 2010, Deepwater Horizon sank, leaving the well gushing at the sea floor and causing the largest offshore oil spill in United States history. [Source: Wikipedia]

Photograph by AP Photo/Gerald Herbert

Picture of the Day: Incredible Water Bridge in Germany

Posted: 19 Apr 2011 02:00 PM PDT

picture-of-the-day

INCREDIBLE WATER BRIDGE IN GERMANY

Photograph by WHITEDRAGON

The Magdeburg Water Bridge is a navigable aqueduct in Germany, opened in October 2003. It connects the Elbe-Havel Canal to the Mittelland Canal, crossing over the Elbe River. It is notable for being the longest navigable aqueduct in the world, with a total length of 918 metres (3,012 ft).

The Elbe-Havel and Mittelland canals had previously met near Magdeburg but on opposite sides of the Elbe. Ships moving between the two had to make a 12-kilometre (7.5 mi) detour, descending from the Mittelland Canal through the Rothensee boat lift into the Elbe, then sailing downstream on the river, before entering the Elbe-Havel Canal through Niegripp lock.

Low water levels in the Elbe often prevented fully laden canal barges from making this crossing, requiring time-consuming off-loading of cargo.

via Wikipedia