Once Upon A Time – April 26 – 1986 – World’s Worst Nuclear Disaster: 4th Reactor At Chernobyl Nuclear Power Station In USSR Explodes

1478 Pazzi conspirators attack Lorenzo de’Medici and kill Giuliano de’Medici in Florence

1920 Harlow Shapley and Heber D. Curtis hold “great debate” on the nature of nebulae, galaxies and size of the universe at US National Academy of Sciences, Washington, D.C.

1945 Marshal Philippe Pétain, leader of France’s Vichy collaborationist regime during World War II, arrested for treason

1956 First modern container ship, the Ideal X, leaves Port Newark, New Jersey for Houston, Texas

1986 World’s worst nuclear disaster: 4th reactor at Chernobyl nuclear power station in USSR explodes, 31 die, radioactive contamination reaches much of Western Europe

2005 Under international pressure, Syria withdraws the last of its 14, 000 troop military garrison in Lebanon, ending its 29-year military domination of that country.

Historical Events Today

Today In Film & TV

1954 “Seven Samurai”, Japanese film directed by Akira Kurosawa, starring Toshiro Mifune, is released

Today In Music

1965 Charles Ives’ 4th Symphony premieres at Carnegie Hall, New York, 11 years after the composer’s death

Today In Sport

1941 A tradition begins, 1st organ at a baseball stadium (Chicago Cubs)

Do You Know This Fact About Today?

1859 Dan Sickles is acquitted of murder on grounds of temporary insanity – 1st time this defense used successfully in the US

Would You Believe This Fact About Today?

1952 Patty Berg scores 64, best competitive round of golf by a woman