On April 27, 1521, Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan was killed by natives in the Philippines.
Today in History: Ferdinand Magellan killed in the Philippines
Category: History
Today in History: Chernobyl nuclear plant disaster
On April 26, 1986, an explosion and fire at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine caused radioactive fallout to begin spewing into the atmosphere. (Dozens of people were killed in the immediate aftermath of the disaster while the long-term death toll from radiation poisoning is believed to number in the thousands.)
Vintage Chicago Tribune: The paper’s role in the demise of Richard Nixon’s presidency after Watergate
Fifty years ago this week, a small team of Tribune employees flew to Washington, D.C. and back in order to beat every other American newspaper to the punch — printing the entire transcript of the Watergate tapes, which were conversations recorded by Nixon in the White House.
Today in History: Lisa ‘Left Eye’ Lopes of TLC dies
On April 25, 2002, Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes of the Grammy-winning trio TLC died in an SUV crash in Honduras; she was 30.
Pulllman House Project spotlights resident who fought off city bulldozers
A Pullman group opened up the home of Italian immigrant Americo L. Lisciotto, who led an effort to keep Chicago’s Pullman neighborhood from being bulldozed as part of a 1960s industrial redevelopment project.
From Wrigley Field to Soldier Field: Where the Chicago Bears have played home games since 1921
The Chicago Bears primarily have played home games at Wrigley Field and then Soldier Field, but a sprinkling of other venues also have hosted the team.
Today in History: Final Unabomber-linked killing
Today’s Highlight in History: On April 24, 1995, the final bomb linked to the Unabomber exploded inside the Sacramento, California, offices of a lobbying group for the wood products industry, killing chief lobbyist Gilbert B. Murray. (Theodore Kaczynski was later sentenced to four lifetimes in prison for a series of bombings that killed three people and injured 29 others.) On this date: In 1877, federal troops were ordered out of New Orleans, ending the North’s post-Civil War rule in the South. In 1915, in what’s considered the start of the Armenian genocide, the Ottoman Empire began rounding up Armenian political […]
Today in History: Cesar Chavez dies
On April 23, 1993, labor leader Cesar Chavez died in San Luis, Arizona, at age 66.
Today in History: First Earth Day observed
On April 22, 1970, millions of Americans concerned about the environment observed the first “Earth Day.”
Landmarks: Ancient grove along Thorn Creek remains open thanks to 55-year-old grassroots effort
Once an industrialist’s hunting reserve, Thorn Creek Woods Nature Preserve in Park Forest remains open to everyone 55 years after a group of neighbors formed the Walnut Hill Gang to fight a powerful development group eyeing the land for housing.