On This Day in History — April 28

Highlights of April 28

• 2008 — The 1,388-foot-tall (423.2 m) Trump International Hotel and Tower in Chicago, with the world's highest residence above ground level at the time, held its grand opening. Read more
• 1999 — A 14-year-old former student in Taber, Alberta, opened fire at his high school, killing one student and wounding another in Canada's first fatal school shooting in more than two decades. Read more
• 1996 — A spree shooter carried out the Port Arthur massacre, killing 35 people and injuring 23, in Tasmania, prompting stricter gun laws in Australia. Read more
• 1988 — Aloha Airlines Flight 243 experienced explosive decompression while airborne between Hilo and Honolulu, Hawaii, with one fatality as a flight attendant was ejected from the aircraft. Read more
• 1983 — The West German news magazine Stern published excerpts from the purported diaries of Adolf Hitler, later revealed to be forgeries. Read more
• 1973 — The album The Dark Side of the Moon by the British progressive rock band Pink Floyd entered the Billboard Top LPs & Tape chart, on which it spent a record 942 weeks. Read more
• 1972 — Scottish trade unionist Jimmy Reid condemned the capitalist "rat race" in his inaugural address as Rector of the University of Glasgow. Read more
• 1960 — The Sibley Commission issued their final report, urging the government of the U.S. state of Georgia to abandon its strategy of massive resistance and legalize some instances of school integration. Read more
• 1952 — Japan and the Republic of China signed the Treaty of Taipei, officially ending the Second Sino-Japanese War seven years after fighting ended due to World War II. Read more
• 1945 — World War II: Benito Mussolini, the deposed fascist dictator of Italy, was executed by partisans in Giulino. Read more
• 1941 — World War II: Presaging a campaign of genocide against the Serbs of Croatia, around 190 people were massacred by members of the Ustaše movement in Gudovac. Read more
• 1923 — The FA Cup final (crowd and police pictured) between Bolton Wanderers and West Ham United was held on the opening day of the Empire Stadium in London. Read more
• 1910 — Frenchman Louis Paulhan landed his biplane at Manchester, having departed from London the previous day, to win the world's first long-distance air race. Read more
• 1887 — A week after being arrested by the Prussian Secret Police, French police inspector Guillaume Schnaebelé (pictured) was released on the order of William I, German Emperor, defusing a possible war. Read more
• 1858 — Indian Rebellion of 1857: The Bawani Imli massacre saw 52 Indian freedom fighters hanged by British forces. Read more
• 1789 — Fletcher Christian, the acting lieutenant on board the Royal Navy ship Bounty, led a mutiny against the commander William Bligh in the South Pacific. Read more
• 1783 — Second Anglo-Mysore War: British troops surrendered the fortress of Bednore in southwestern India to French and Mysorean forces; many of the prisoners were later murdered. Read more
• 1611 — The University of Santo Tomas (seminary building pictured) in Manila, one of the oldest existing universities in Asia and one of the world's largest Catholic universities by enrollment, was founded. Read more
• 1253 — The Japanese monk Nichiren declared the mantra Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō, now a central part of Nichiren Buddhism. Read more
• 224 — The ancient Iranian Parthian Empire fell to the Sasanids after its forces were defeated at the Battle of Hormozdgan. Read more

Events

• 2004 — CBS News releases evidence of the Abu Ghraib torture and prisoner abuse. The photographs show rape and abuse from the American troops over Iraqi detainees. Read more
• 1996 — Whitewater controversy: President Bill Clinton gives a 41⁄2 hour videotaped testimony for the defense. Read more
• 1996 — Port Arthur massacre, Tasmania: A gunman, Martin Bryant, opens fire at the Broad Arrow Cafe in Port Arthur, Tasmania, killing 35 people and wounding 23 others. Read more
• 1994 — Former Central Intelligence Agency counterintelligence officer and analyst Aldrich Ames pleads guilty to giving US secrets to the Soviet Union and later Russia. Read more
• 1991 — Space Shuttle Discovery launches on STS-39, the first unclassified shuttle mission for the United States Department of Defense. Read more
• 1988 — Near Maui, Hawaii, flight attendant Clarabelle "C.B." Lansing is blown out of Aloha Airlines Flight 243, a Boeing 737, and falls to her death when part of the plane's fuselage rips open in mid-flight. Read more
• 1986 — High levels of radiation resulting from the Chernobyl disaster are detected at Forsmark Nuclear Power Plant in Sweden, leading Soviet authorities to publicly announce the accident. Read more
• 1983 — The West German news magazine Stern begins publishing excerpts from the purported diaries of Adolf Hitler, later revealed to be forgeries. Read more
• 1978 — The President of Afghanistan, Mohammad Daoud Khan, is overthrown and assassinated in a coup led by pro-communist rebels. Read more
• 1977 — The Red Army Faction trial ends, with Andreas Baader, Gudrun Ensslin and Jan-Carl Raspe found guilty of four counts of murder and more than 30 counts of attempted murder. Read more
• 1975 — General Cao Văn Viên, chief of the South Vietnamese military, departs for the US as the North Vietnamese Army closes in on victory. Read more
• 1973 — The Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd, recorded in Abbey Road Studios goes to number one on the US Billboard chart, beginning a record-breaking 741-week chart run. Read more
• 1970 — Vietnam War: US President Richard Nixon formally authorizes American combat troops to take part in the Cambodian campaign. Read more
• 1969 — Charles de Gaulle resigns as President of France. Read more
• 1967 — Vietnam War: Boxer Muhammad Ali refuses his induction into the United States Army and is subsequently stripped of his championship and license. Read more
• 1965 — United States occupation of the Dominican Republic: American troops land in the Dominican Republic to "forestall establishment of a Communist dictatorship" and to evacuate US Army troops. Read more
• 1952 — Dwight D. Eisenhower resigns as Supreme Allied Commander of NATO in order to campaign in the 1952 United States presidential election. Read more
• 1952 — The Treaty of San Francisco comes into effect, restoring Japanese sovereignty and ending its state of war with most of the Allies of World War II. Read more
• 1952 — The Sino-Japanese Peace Treaty (Treaty of Taipei) is signed in Taipei, Taiwan between Japan and the Republic of China to officially end the Second Sino-Japanese War. Read more
• 1949 — The Hukbalahap are accused of assassinating former First Lady of the Philippines Aurora Quezon, while she is en route to dedicate a hospital in memory of her late husband; her daughter and ten others are also killed. Read more
• 1948 — Igor Stravinsky conducts the premiere of his American ballet, Orpheus at the New York City Center. Read more
• 1947 — Thor Heyerdahl and five crew mates set out from Peru on the Kon-Tiki to demonstrate that Peruvian natives could have settled Polynesia. Read more
• 1945 — Benito Mussolini and his mistress Clara Petacci are shot dead by Walter Audisio, a member of the Italian resistance movement. Read more
• 1945 — The Holocaust: Nazi Germany carries out its final use of gas chambers to execute 33 Upper Austrian socialist and communist leaders in Mauthausen concentration camp. Read more
• 1944 — World War II: Nine German E-boats attack US and UK units during Exercise Tiger, the rehearsal for the Normandy landings, killing 946. Read more
• 1941 — The Ustaše massacre nearly 200 Serbs in the village of Gudovac, the first massacre of their genocidal campaign against Serbs of the Independent State of Croatia. Read more
• 1937 — South African medical researcher Max Theiler develops the yellow fever vaccine at the Rockefeller Foundation in New York City. Read more
• 1930 — The Independence Producers host the first night game in the history of Organized Baseball in Independence, Kansas. Read more
• 1923 — Wembley Stadium is opened, named initially as the Empire Stadium. Read more
• 1920 — The Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic is founded. Read more
• 1910 — Frenchman Louis Paulhan wins the 1910 London to Manchester air race, the first long-distance aeroplane race in the United Kingdom. Read more
• 1887 — A week after being arrested by the Prussian Secret Police, French police inspector Guillaume Schnaebelé is released on order of Wilhelm I, German Emperor, defusing a possible war. Read more
• 1881 — Billy the Kid escapes from the Lincoln County jail in Mesilla, New Mexico. Read more
• 1869 — Chinese and Irish laborers for the Central Pacific Railroad working on the first transcontinental railroad lay ten miles of track in one day, a feat which has never been matched. Read more
• 1859 — The sailing clipper ship Pomona is wrecked on the coast of Ireland with the loss of 424 of the 448 passengers and crew aboard. Read more
• 1858 — The Bawani Imli massacre, where 52 Indian freedom fighters are hanged to death on a tamarind tree by British colonial forces. Read more
• 1796 — The Armistice of Cherasco is signed by Napoleon Bonaparte and Vittorio Amedeo III, King of Sardinia, expanding French territory along the Mediterranean coast. Read more
• 1794 — Sardinians, headed by Giovanni Maria Angioy, start a revolution against the Savoy domination, expelling Viceroy Balbiano and his officials from Cagliari, the capital and largest city of the island. Read more
• 1792 — France invades the Austrian Netherlands (present day Belgium and Luxembourg), beginning the French Revolutionary Wars. Read more
• 1789 — The Mutiny on the Bounty occurs, with the ship's captain, Lieutenant William Bligh and 18 sailors, set adrift, and the rebel crew setting sail for Tahiti. Eventually the majority of rebels sail for Pitcairn Island. Read more
• 1788 — Maryland becomes the seventh state to ratify the United States Constitution. Read more
• 1758 — The Marathas defeat the Afghans in the Battle of Attock and capture the city. Read more
• 1738 — Pope Clement XII issues the first papal condemnation of Freemasonry and formally prohibits Catholics from becoming Freemasons. Read more
• 1625 — A combined Spanish and Portuguese fleet of 52 ships commences the recapture of Bahia from the Dutch during the Dutch–Portuguese War. Read more
• 1611 — Establishment of the Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas, the Catholic University of the Philippines and the largest Catholic university in the world. Read more
• 1503 — The Battle of Cerignola is fought. It is noted as one of the first European battles in history won by small arms fire using gunpowder. Read more
• 1294 — Temür, grandson of Kublai, is elected Khagan of the Mongols with the reigning title Oljeitu. Read more
• 1253 — Nichiren, a Japanese Buddhist monk, propounds Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō for the first time and declares it to be the essence of Buddhism, in effect founding Nichiren Buddhism. Read more
• 1192 — Assassination of Conrad of Montferrat (Conrad I), King of Jerusalem, in Tyre, two days after his title to the throne is confirmed by election. The killing is carried out by Hashshashin. Read more
• 357 — Emperor Constantius II enters Rome for the first time to celebrate his victory over Magnus Magnentius. Read more
• 224 — The Battle of Hormozdgan is fought. Ardashir I defeats and kills Artabanus V, effectively ending the Parthian Empire. Read more

Born on April 28

• 2001 — Anthony Volpe, American baseball player Read more
• 2000 — Victoria De Angelis, Italian musician Read more
• 2000 — Alek Thomas, American baseball player Read more
• 1998 — Song Yu-bin, South Korean singer and actor Read more
• 1997 — Amaia Aberasturi, Spanish actress Read more
• 1997 — Shane McClanahan, American baseball player Read more
• 1997 — Denzel Ward, American football player Read more
• 1995 — Connor Clifton, American ice hockey player Read more
• 1995 — Mara Sattei, Italian singer-songwriter Read more
• 1995 — Melanie Martinez, American singer Read more
• 1994 — Jakob Butturff, American bowler (died 2026) Read more
• 1994 — Wonpil, South Korean musician Read more
• 1993 — Matt Chapman, American baseball player Read more
• 1993 — Eva Samková, Czech snowboarder Read more
• 1992 — Blake Bortles, American football player Read more
• 1992 — DeMarcus Lawrence, American football player Read more
• 1989 — Emil Salomonsson, Swedish footballer Read more
• 1989 — Kim Sung-kyu, South Korean singer Read more
• 1988 — Jonathan Biabiany, French footballer Read more
• 1988 — Juan Mata, Spanish footballer Read more
• 1987 — Daequan Cook, American basketball player Read more
• 1987 — Drew Gulak, American wrestler Read more
• 1987 — Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Indian actress and model Read more
• 1987 — Bradley Johnson, English footballer Read more
• 1987 — Zoran Tošić, Serbian footballer Read more
• 1986 — Roman Polák, Czech ice hockey player Read more
• 1986 — Jenna Ushkowitz, Korean-American actress, singer, and dancer Read more
• 1985 — Lucas Jakubczyk, German sprinter and long jumper Read more
• 1985 — Deividas Stagniūnas, Lithuanian ice dancer Read more
• 1984 — Dmitri Torbinski, Russian footballer Read more
• 1983 — Josh Brookes, Australian motorcycle racer Read more
• 1983 — David Freese, American baseball player Read more
• 1983 — Roger Johnson, English footballer Read more
• 1983 — Thomas Waldrom, New Zealand-English rugby player Read more
• 1982 — Nikki Grahame, English model and journalist (died 2021) Read more
• 1982 — Chris Kaman, American basketball player Read more
• 1981 — Jessica Alba, American model and actress Read more
• 1980 — Bradley Wiggins, English cyclist Read more
• 1979 — Scott Fujita, American football player and sportscaster Read more
• 1978 — Lauren Laverne, English singer and television and radio host Read more

Died on April 28

• 2024 — Brian McCardie, Scottish actor and writer (born 1965) Read more
• 2021 — Michael Collins, American astronaut (born 1930) Read more
• 2021 — El Risitas, Spanish comedian (born 1956) Read more
• 2019 — Richard Lugar, American politician (born 1932) Read more
• 2019 — John Singleton, American film director (born 1968) Read more
• 2018 — James Hylton, American race car driver (born 1934) Read more
• 2017 — Mariano Gagnon, American Catholic priest and author (born 1929) Read more
• 2016 — Jenny Diski, English author and screenwriter (born 1947) Read more
• 2015 — Antônio Abujamra, Brazilian actor and director (born 1932) Read more
• 2015 — Marcia Brown, American author and illustrator (born 1918) Read more
• 2015 — Michael J. Ingelido, American general (born 1916) Read more
• 2014 — Barbara Fiske Calhoun, American cartoonist and painter (born 1919) Read more
• 2014 — William Honan, American journalist and author (born 1930) Read more
• 2014 — Dennis Kamakahi, American guitarist and composer (born 1953) Read more
• 2014 — Edgar Laprade, Canadian ice hockey player (born 1919) Read more
• 2014 — Jack Ramsay, American basketball player, coach, and sportscaster (born 1925) Read more
• 2014 — Idris Sardi, Indonesian violinist and composer (born 1938) Read more
• 2014 — Frederic Schwartz, American architect, co-designed Empty Sky (born 1951) Read more
• 2014 — Ryan Tandy, Australian rugby player (born 1981) Read more
• 2013 — Brad Lesley, American baseball player (born 1958) Read more
• 2013 — Fredrick McKissack, American author (born 1939) Read more
• 2013 — John C. Reynolds, American computer scientist and academic (born 1935) Read more
• 2013 — Jack Shea, American director, producer, and screenwriter (born 1928) Read more
• 2013 — János Starker, Hungarian-American cellist and educator (born 1924) Read more
• 2013 — Paulo Vanzolini, Brazilian singer-songwriter and zoologist (born 1924) Read more
• 2013 — Bernie Wood, New Zealand journalist and author (born 1939) Read more
• 2012 — Fred Allen, New Zealand rugby player and coach (born 1920) Read more
• 2012 — Matilde Camus, Spanish poet and author (born 1919) Read more
• 2012 — Al Ecuyer, American football player (born 1937) Read more
• 2012 — Patricia Medina, English actress (born 1919) Read more
• 2012 — Milan N. Popović, Serbian psychiatrist and author (born 1924) Read more
• 2012 — Aberdeen Shikoyi, Kenyan rugby player (born 1985) Read more
• 2011 — Erhard Loretan, Swiss mountaineer (born 1959) Read more
• 2009 — Ekaterina Maximova, Russian ballerina and actress (born 1939) Read more
• 2009 — Richard Pratt, Polish-Australian businessman (born 1934) Read more
• 2007 — Dabbs Greer, American actor (born 1917) Read more
• 2007 — René Mailhot, Canadian journalist (born 1942) Read more
• 2007 — Tommy Newsom, American saxophonist and bandleader (born 1929) Read more
• 2007 — Carl Friedrich von Weizsäcker, German physicist and philosopher (born 1912) Read more
• 2007 — Bertha Wilson, Scottish-Canadian lawyer and jurist (born 1923) Read more

Holidays & observances

Christian feast day: Aphrodisius and companions; Christian feast day: Gianna Beretta Molla; Christian feast day: Kirill of Turov (Orthodox, added to Roman Martyrology in 1969); Christian feast day: Louis de Montfort; Christian feast day: Blessed Marie Louise Trichet; Christian feast day: Pamphilus of Sulmona; Christian feast day: Peter Chanel; Christian feast day: Vitalis and Valeria of Milan; Christian feast day: April 28 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics); Mujahideen Victory Day (Afghanistan); National Heroes Day (Barbados); Restoration of Sovereignty Day (Japan); Sardinia Day (Sardinia); Workers' Memorial Day and World Day for Safety and Health at Work (international) National Day of Mourning (Canada); Ed Balls Day

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