Look back in time and examine the amazing events that happened on this day in history and which helped shape the world as we know it.
This Day in History: April
Look back in time and examine the amazing events that happened on this day in history and which helped shape the world as we know it.
01: April 2, 1805: Hans Christian Andersen Is Born
Join professional storyteller Hannah B. Harvey as she reveals a bit of history about Hans Christian Andersen and performs a truly delightful re-telling of “Thumbelina."
13 min
02: April 9, 1865: Robert E. Lee Surrenders
Award-winning professor Gary Gallagher reveals some astounding details about Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia to Lt. General Ulysses S. Grant, who led the Union Army. Look at the factors that went into making the decision of surrender, the fallout for the Confederates after the surrender, and the ramifications this one day had on the future of American democracy.
6 min
03: April 18, 1906: The Great San Francisco Earthquake
Starting in the twilight hours of the morning, a devastating earthquake in 1906 launched fires in San Francisco that raged for three days, killed thousands, and tore through 28,000 buildings. Esteemed history professor Patrick N. Allitt takes you through how San Francisco gained the title “The Capital of the American West” and what the the great San Francisco earthquake ultimately took away.
4 min
04: April 22, 1509: King Henry VIII Begins His Reign
Unpack the impact of King Henry VIII’s first day in power and the widespread political and religious ramifications of his desire for an annulment.
5 min
05: April 23, 1564: William Shakespeare Is Born
Get to know Shakespeare like never before as you travel 450 years in the past to understand what it was like to see his plays in his time. English Professor Marc C. Connor takes you through a typical stage performance, highlighting everything from the mixed-classes of the typical audience to the bare-bone, dimly lit sets, giving you insights into what and how Shakespeare wrote.
11 min
06: April 24, 1479 BC: Queen Hatshepsut Seizes Power
Follow a truly fascinating tale of the king who was a woman as you delve into the story of Hatshepsut, who ruled Egypt for 22 years and then was erased from history. Follow an Egyptologist as he sorts through history, hieroglyphs, and hearsay to bring you the story of this amazing figure.
7 min
07: April 3, 1973: First Cellular Telephone Call Is Made
Join Professor Stephen Ressler to look back at how the first cellular phone was developed, how cellular networks operate, and how the pivotal first cell phone call paved the way for creating the smartphone and technology we use every day.
7 min
08: April 15, 1989: The Tiananmen Square Protests Begin
Take a look back at the evolution, and understand the context, of what led up to the deadly confrontation in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square.
6 min
09: April 5, 1722: European Discovery of Easter Island
Dutch explorer Jacob Roggeveen was the first European to land on the remote Polynesian island of Rapa Nui, or as he named it, Easter Island. Roggeveen was astounded to discover a thriving culture of several thousand living on one of Earth’s most barren and isolated islands. Though most famous today for its giant stone statues, the Polynesian settlement of Rapa Nui is itself a wonder of the world.
8 min
10: April 14, 2003: The Human Genome Project Is Completed
The Human Genome Project, which sought to map every base pair of human DNA, was completed on April 14, 2003. Internationally, thousands of scientists and dozens of governments, companies, and universities participated. See how the largest, collaborative biological project was fraught with infighting, setbacks, and disappointments. Consider if this landmark of modern science delivered everything it promised it would.
8 min
11: April 6, 1909: Peary Reaches the North Pole … or Does He?
Seeking fame for being the first to accomplish what no rival explorer could, Robert Peary was quick to set out for the North Pole and declare his success upon discovering it. But findings within the following decades would bring to light unexpected issues surrounding that success.
5 min
12: April 14, 1865: Lincoln Is Assassinated
President Abraham Lincoln, busy planning post-Civil War Reconstruction, took a rare break from work and attended a play at Ford’s Theatre. John Wilkes Booth, a man violently opposed to Lincoln's plans, was waiting for him. Booth's attack on Lincoln not only felled one of the nation's most beloved presidents, but also irrevocably changed the course of postwar America.
7 min
Overview Course No. 90046
