Friday, April 4, 1997
Today's Events
The space shuttle Columbia blasts off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, for a 16-day science mission.
Spain's King Juan Carlos and Queen Sophia pay a state visit to Mexico to commemorate 20 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
Finance ministers of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meet in the Philippines to discuss the free flow of capital in the region.
The three leaders of the Serbian opposition coalition Zajedno, Vesna Pesic, Vuk Draskovic and Zoran Djindjic, meet U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright in Washington.
The assets of Italian sports car legend Bugatti are due to be auctioned off in Modena after attempts to salvage the heavily indebted firm failed.
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On the horizon
On Saturday, April 5, the U.S. and Japan are scheduled to hold defense-related talks.
On Sunday, April 6, most of the continental U.S. returns to Daylight Savings
Time. Clocks will be set ahead one hour at 2 a.m.
On Monday, April 7, the Turkish Defense Minister Turhan Tayan makes an official visit to Israel.
On Tuesday, April 8, NATO Secretary General Javier Solana is scheduled to visit Moscow for a new round of talks with Russia on NATO expansion.
On Wednesday, April 9, a London court decides on extradition for Roisin McAliskey, wanted by Germany over IRA mortar attack on British army barracks last summer.
On Thursday, April 10, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu holds talks with representatives of Dutch the presidency of the European Union at The Hague.
On Friday, April 11, the British garrison in Hong Kong closes down HMS Tamar Hong Kong naval base on Stonecutters' Island, a key milestone in Britain's military withdrawal ahead of the territory's July 1 takeover by China.
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On this day
In 1802, the famous social reformer Dorothea Dix was born in Hampden, Maine
In 1818, Congress approved the United States' first official flag.
In 1859, Daniel Emmett introduced "I Wish I Was In Dixie's Land" (later named "Dixie") in New York City. Just two years later, the song became the Civil War song of the Confederacy.
In 1887, Susanna M. Salter became the first female mayor in the U.S. Salter was elected by the people of Argonia, Kansas. She won by a two-thirds majority but didn't even know she was in the running until she went into the voting booth.
In 1891, distinguished American actor, Edwin Booth, made his final stage appearance in a production of "Hamlet" at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.
In 1914, the first known serialized moving picture opened in New York City. "The Perils of Pauline" starred Pearl White.
In 1932, Professor C.G. King of the University of Pittsburgh isolated vitamin C after five years of research.
In 1949, representatives from 12 nations met in Washington, D.C., to sign the treaty that established the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
In 1954, Arturo Toscanini conducted his last concert with the NBC Symphony Orchestra at Carnegie Hall in New York City. Toscanini ended a 17-year association with the orchestra.
In 1967, Johnny Carson quit "The Tonight Show" on this night. He returned three weeks later with an additional $30,000 a week.
In 1968, Martin Luther King was shot and killed at Memphis, Tennessee.
In 1971, Veterans stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was dedicated. At the time, it was the largest baseball park in the National League with a baseball capacity of 56,371.
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Newslink
Interested in all this talk about High Definition Television, but still not entirely sure what it entails? Sony Online offers a Basic High Definition Information page that can answer some of your questions.
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Holidays and more
It is Heroes Day in Lesotho.
Senegal celebrates its Independence Day.
Taiwan celebrates Women and Children's Day.
Poet and author Maya Angelou is 69.
Composer Elmer Bernstein is 75.
Actor Robert Downey Jr. is 32.
U.S. Sen. Richard Lugar of Indiana is 65.
Actor Craig T. Nelson is 51.
Actress Elizabeth Wilson is 72.
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Sources: Associated Press,
Chase's Calendar of Events 1997, J.P. Morgan
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