Today in History: April 23

Circa 1600, Shakespeare (1564 - 1616) reading Hamlet to his family. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
On April 23, 1616 (Old Style calendar), English poet and dramatist William Shakespeare died in Stratford-upon-Avon on what has traditionally been regarded as the 52nd anniversary of his birth in 1564. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
Illustration showing an exterior view of George Washington's house, known as the Samuel Osgood House or the Walter Franklin House, located on 1 Cherry Street, with carriage traffic at the intersection, in New York, 1789. Washington occupied the house while President, during the time that New York was the capital of the country. Published in Harper's Encyclopaedia of United States History, volume 10, 1912. (Photo by Interim Archives/Getty Images)
In 1789, President-elect George Washington and his wife, Martha, moved into the first executive mansion, the Franklin House, in New York. (Photo by Interim Archives/Getty Images)
Future president John F. Kennedy, at right, with his PT-109 crew. (Collections of the U.S. National Archives, downloaded from the Naval Historical Center)
In 1943, U.S. Navy Lt. (jg) John F. Kennedy assumed command of PT-109, a motor torpedo boat, in the Solomon Islands during World War II. (On Aug. 2, 1943, PT-109 was rammed and sunk by a Japanese destroyer, killing two crew members; Kennedy and 10 others survived.) Future president John F. Kennedy, at right, with his PT-109 crew. (Collections of the U.S. National Archives, downloaded from the Naval Historical Center) (Collections of the U.S. National Archives, downloaded from the Naval Historical Center)
Brewers slugger Hank Aaron shatters his bat during second inning play of the 1975 All-Star Game at Milwaukee County Stadium in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
In 1954, Hank Aaron of the Milwaukee Braves hit the first of his 755 major-league home runs in a game against the St. Louis Cardinals. (The Braves won, 7-5.) (Getty Images)
Sirhan Bishara Sirhan is escorted by his attorney, Russell E. Parsons from Los Angeles county jail chapel to enter plea to charge of murder, June 28, 1968. (AP Photo/George Brich)
In 1969, Sirhan Sirhan was sentenced to death for assassinating New York Sen. Robert F. Kennedy. (The sentence was later reduced to life imprisonment.) (AP Photo/George Brich)
In 1971, hundreds of Vietnam War veterans opposed to the conflict protested by tossing their medals and ribbons over a wire fence in front of the U.S. Capitol. Veterans protesting the war in Vietnam, throw medals and other articles on the step of the Capitol on April 23, 1971 in Washington. (AP Photo/John Duricka)
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Circa 1600, Shakespeare (1564 - 1616) reading Hamlet to his family. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
Illustration showing an exterior view of George Washington's house, known as the Samuel Osgood House or the Walter Franklin House, located on 1 Cherry Street, with carriage traffic at the intersection, in New York, 1789. Washington occupied the house while President, during the time that New York was the capital of the country. Published in Harper's Encyclopaedia of United States History, volume 10, 1912. (Photo by Interim Archives/Getty Images)
Future president John F. Kennedy, at right, with his PT-109 crew. (Collections of the U.S. National Archives, downloaded from the Naval Historical Center)
Brewers slugger Hank Aaron shatters his bat during second inning play of the 1975 All-Star Game at Milwaukee County Stadium in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Sirhan Bishara Sirhan is escorted by his attorney, Russell E. Parsons from Los Angeles county jail chapel to enter plea to charge of murder, June 28, 1968. (AP Photo/George Brich)

Today is Tuesday, April 23, the 113th day of 2019. There are 252 days left in the year.

Today’s Highlights in History:

On April 23, 1954, Hank Aaron of the Milwaukee Braves hit the first of his 755 major-league home runs in a game against the St. Louis Cardinals. (The Braves won, 7-5.)

On this date:

In 1616 (Old Style calendar), English poet and dramatist William Shakespeare died in Stratford-upon-Avon on what has traditionally been regarded as the 52nd anniversary of his birth in 1564.

In 1789, President-elect George Washington and his wife, Martha, moved into the first executive mansion, the Franklin House, in New York.

In 1898, Spain declared war on the United States, which responded in kind two days later.

In 1943, U.S. Navy Lt. (jg) John F. Kennedy assumed command of PT-109, a motor torpedo boat, in the Solomon Islands during World War II. (On Aug. 2, 1943, PT-109 was rammed and sunk by a Japanese destroyer, killing two crew members; Kennedy and 10 others survived.)

In 1968, student protesters began occupying buildings on the campus of Columbia University in New York; police put down the protests a week later. The Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church merged to form the United Methodist Church.

In 1969, Sirhan Sirhan was sentenced to death for assassinating New York Sen. Robert F. Kennedy. (The sentence was later reduced to life imprisonment.)

In 1971, hundreds of Vietnam War veterans opposed to the conflict protested by tossing their medals and ribbons over a wire fence in front of the U.S. Capitol.

In 1987, 28 construction workers were killed when an apartment complex being built in Bridgeport, Connecticut, suddenly collapsed.

In 1988, a federal ban on smoking during domestic airline flights of two hours or less went into effect.

In 1995, sportscaster Howard Cosell died in New York at age 77.

In 1998, James Earl Ray, who confessed to assassinating the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and then insisted he’d been framed, died at a Nashville, Tennessee, hospital at age 70.

In 2005, the recently created video-sharing website YouTube uploaded its first clip, “Me at the Zoo,” which showed YouTube co-founder Jawed Karim standing in front of an elephant enclosure at the San Diego Zoo.

Ten years ago: President Barack Obama met privately with leading executives of credit-card issuing companies; afterward, the president said he was determined to get a credit-card law passed that eliminated the tricky fine print, sudden rate increases and late fees.

Five years ago: Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal signed a law allowing legally owned guns in bars without restriction and in some churches, schools and government buildings under certain circumstances. Facebook reported its earnings had nearly tripled and revenue had grown sharply in the first quarter, surpassing Wall Street’s expectations.

One year ago: A man plowed a rental van into crowds of pedestrians in Toronto, killing 10 people and leaving 16 others hurt; police said the suspect, Alek Minassian, had posted a Facebook message indicating anger toward women. (Minassian is due to go to trial in February 2020.) French President Emmanuel Macron began a three-day state visit to Washington by visiting George Washington’s Mount Vernon estate with his host, President Donald Trump, and their wives. The Duchess of Cambridge, formerly known as Kate Middleton, gave birth to a new prince who was fifth in line to the British throne; Louis Arthur Charles was the third child for the duchess and her husband, Prince William.

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