UPI Almanac for Thursday, April 11, 2024

Today is Thursday, April 11, the 102nd day of 2024 with 264 to follow.

The moon is waxing. Morning stars are Mars, Saturn and Venus. Evening stars are Jupiter and Uranus.

Those born on this date are under the sign of Aries. They include American statesman/orator Edward Everett in 1794; U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice Charles Evans Hughes in 1862; first Black woman to be a judge in U.S., Jane Matilda Bolin, in 1908; fashion designer Oleg Cassini in 1913; Ethel Kennedy, wife of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, in 1928 (age 96); actor Joel Grey in 1932 (age 92); actor Louise Lasser in 1939 (age 85); Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Ellen Goodman in 1941 (age 83); actor Peter Riegert in 1947 (age 77); actor Meshach Taylor in 1947; actor Bill Irwin in 1950 (age 74); musician Jim Lauderdale in 1957 (age 67); TV personality Jeremy Clarkson in 1960 (age 64); actor Johnny Messner in 1970 (age 54); musician Dylan Keefe (Marcy Playground) in 1970 (age 54); actor Tricia Helfer in 1974 (age 50); musician Chris Gaylor (All-American Rejects) in 1979 (age 45); baseball player Mark Teixeira in 1980 (age 44); actor Matt Ryan in 1981 (age 43); actor Kelli Garner in 1984 (age 40); actor Will Tudor in 1987 (age 37); singer Joss Stone in 1987 (age 37); actor Dakota Blue Richards in 1994 (age 30); actor Milly Alcock in 2000 (age 24).

On this date in history:

In 1945, Allied troops liberated Buchenwald concentration camp in Germany. French writer Marcel Conversy would describe his 15 months there as a "living hell."

In 1947, the Brooklyn Dodgers' Jackie Robinson became the first Black player to take the field for a Major League Baseball team, playing in an exhibition game against the New York Yankees. Four days later, on April 15, Robinson made his official MLB debut, playing on opening day at Ebbets Field against the Boston Braves.

In 1951, President Harry Truman relieved Army Gen. Douglas MacArthur of his command in Korea.

In 1968, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act, granting fair housing options to all regardless of race, religion or national origin.

In 1970, the Apollo 13 spacecraft was launched from Cape Canaveral, Fla., on the third U.S. moon-landing mission. The attempt was aborted after an oxygen tank exploded but the astronauts safely returned to Earth.

In 1983, voters elected Harold Washington as the first Black mayor of Chicago.

In 1989, Philadelphia Flyers' Ron Hextall became the first NHL goaltender to score in a playoff game, defeating the Washington Capitals.

In 1993, a riot that would last 11 days erupted at the maximum-security Southern Ohio Correctional Facility near Lucasville. Nine inmates and a guard died.

In 1996, 7-year-old Jessica Dubroff, trying to become the youngest person to pilot a plane across the United States, her father and her flight instructor were killed when their plane crashed on takeoff from Cheyenne, Wyo.

In 2002, Rep. James Traficant, D-Ohio, was convicted of racketeering and corruption. He served seven years in prison.

In 2002, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez was overthrown in a military coup. He was returned to office two days later riding a wave of public sentiment.

In 2006, Ariel Sharon was officially relieved of his duties as prime minister of Israel when the Cabinet declared him to be permanently incapacitated. Sharon had a major stroke on Jan. 4, 2006, and fell into a coma a short time later. He died in 2014.

In 2011, France became the first European nation to ban the wearing of full veils in public.

In 2021, a Brooklyn Center, Minn., police officer fatally shot Daunte Wright during a traffic stop. Former officer Kim Potter, who said she thought she was using her Taser, was found guilty of manslaughter and sentenced to two years in prison.

A thought for the day: "Minds are like parachutes. They only function when they are open." -- Scottish businessman Thomas Dewar