On This Day: Benedict XVI becomes Roman Catholic pope

On April 24, 2005, Benedict XVI was installed in Rome as the 265th Roman Catholic pope.

By UPI Staff
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Pope Benedict XVI leads the beatification ceremony of Pope John Paul II in St. Peter's square in the Vatican on May 1, 2011. On April 24, 2005, Benedict XVI was officially installed in Rome as the 265th Roman Catholic pope. File Photo by Stefano Spaziani/UPI
1 of 4 | Pope Benedict XVI leads the beatification ceremony of Pope John Paul II in St. Peter's square in the Vatican on May 1, 2011. On April 24, 2005, Benedict XVI was officially installed in Rome as the 265th Roman Catholic pope. File Photo by Stefano Spaziani/UPI | License Photo

April 24 (UPI) -- On this date in history:

In 1704, the Boston News-Letter became the first U.S. newspaper to be published on a regular basis.

In 1800, the U.S. Congress established the Library of Congress.

In 1913, the Woolworth Building, designed by architect Cass Gilbert, an early proponent of skyscrapers, opened to the public and its tenants.

In 1914, the Easter Rising began. Irish republicans armed themselves in rebellion against the British government. Nearly 500 people died --including more than 250 civilians -- during the six-day skirmish, and the British executed 16 rebels.

In 1957, the Suez Canal was reopened to shipping after being shut for more than five months following a conflict between Egypt, and the trio of Israel, Britain and France.

File Photo by Jim Hampshire/U.S. Navy

In 1980, Operation Eagle Claw, the attempt to rescue 52 embassy staff held captive in Tehran, ends with the death of eight servicemen when a helicopter crashed into a transport aircraft.

In 1983, German endurance racing driver Rolf Stommelen died during a crash at the Riverside International Raceway in California. He was 39.

In 1990, the Hubble Space Telescope was launched into space from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida aboard the space shuttle Discovery.

In 1996, the Palestinian National Council voted to drop its official commitment to the destruction of Israel.

File Photo by Jemal Countess/UPI

In 2005, Benedict XVI was installed in Rome as the 265th Roman Catholic pope.

In 2013, a building that housed clothing factories collapsed in Bangladesh, killing more than 1,000 people.

In 2023, Fox News announced that its top opinion show host, Tucker Carlson, agreed to leave the network in the wake of the network settling a defamation lawsuit with Dominion Voting Systems for $787.5 million.

File Photo by Peter Foley/UPI

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