Moments in Time: Bay of Pigs invasion
The History Channel
On April 13, 1012, a ransom of 48,000 pounds was paid by King Aethelred the Unready and British authorities to the Viking army led by Thorkell the Tall for the liberation of Canterbury, after a raid on the city and the capture of Alphege, Archbishop of Canterbury, who was murdered a few days later because he refused to let his followers pay for his release.
On April 14, 1831, 74 soldiers from the 60th Rifle Corps, marching in step, caused the Broughton Suspension Bridge in Manchester, England, to collapse when their rhythmic footsteps led to the snapping of a poorly forged iron bolt in the bridge's supporting stay-chains. Around 40 men were thrown into the Irwell River, but there were no fatalities, as the water was shallow. The unexpected incident led, however, to the British army's prohibition of marching in unison while crossing bridges.
On April 15, 1911, Walter "the Big Train" Johnson pitched a record-tying four strikeouts in a single inning for the Washington Senators.
On April 16, 1946, auto racer Arthur Chevrolet, brother of Chevrolet auto namesake Louis Chevrolet, died at the age of 61 by hanging himself in his garage in Slidell, Louisiana, following a long struggle with depression.
On April 17, 1961, the Bay of Pigs invasion began when a CIA-financed and trained group of Cuban refugees landed in Cuba and attempted to topple Fidel Castro's communist government. The mission failed completely, ending in the deaths of more than 100 and the capture of more than 1,100 men.
On April 18, 2012, Dick Clark, the TV personality and producer best known for hosting "American Bandstand," died of a heart attack at age 82 in Santa Monica, California. Affectionately dubbed "America's Oldest Teenager," he also hosted the annual holiday show "New Year's Rockin' Eve" and headed an entertainment empire that developed game, awards and talk shows, as well as made-for-TV movies and other programs.
On April 19, 2020, Turkey surpassed Iran as the Middle Eastern country with the most COVID-19 cases, with 86,306 infections, though Iran continued to experience the most fatalities from the virus.
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