April 1, 1789 - The first full meeting of the United States House of Representatives convened in New York City, then consisting only of Manhattan. It was not until 1898 that what are now the five boroughs were joined much to the dissatisfaction of some, especially in Brooklyn.
April 2, 1513 - Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon possibly arrived in what is now called Florida. Some believe he actually landed in the Bahamas. He had been searching for the Fountain of Youth. He named what he found "Florida" which means "flowery." Some think it was named that as it was found in the Easter season. de Leon had founded the first settlement in Puerto Rico in 1508 and was the first Governor.
April 3, 1775 - the Colonial Assembly of New York held its last session.
April 3, 1860 - The Pony Express mail service began. In those "olden" days it often took less time for riders to get mail from New York City to Boston than it does today!
April 4, 1928 - Maya Angelou, the poet and author, was born. In 1971 she won the Pulitzer Prize for poetry. She has written six-series autobiographies. Angelou was active in the Civil Rights movement, working with The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
April 4, 1968 - The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in Memphis, TN. He had led the Civil Rights movement, transforming the country. His birthday, January 15th, is now a national holiday.
April 7, 1867 - Abolitionist Frederick Douglass and an African-American delegation met with President Andrew
Johnson at the White House.
April 8, 1974 - Hank Aaron of the Atlanta Braves hit his 715th home run. He broke Babe Ruth's record of 714 home runs. Aaron was born on April 5, 1934.
April 9, 1833 - The first free public library in the United States opened in New Hampshire.
April 9, 1866 - Congress overrode a presidential veto - - that of President Andrew Johnson - - of a Civil Rights bill.
April 10, 1880 - Francis Perkins was born. She was the first woman to hold a cabinet position in the United States government, having been appointed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, as Secretary of Labor. Today, we have our third female Secretary of State, Hillary Rodham Clinton.
April 11, 1968 - President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act into law.
April 12, 1945 - President Franklin Delano Roosevelt died. Harry S. Truman was sworn in as President and went on to win the
next election as President.
April 16, 1778 - a British Delegation sailed for New York to offer terms of peace. They were not accepted and the American Revolution did not end until 1783 when terms of peace were signed in London. New York City was occupied from 1776 to 1783.
April 19, 1775 - African-American and White militiamen fought side-by-side in the Battle at Lexington and Concord against the British. This was a seminal moment in what came to be called "The American Revolution." Paul Revere, of course, was a major player in this battle with his ride to tell people the British were coming on the 18th of April.
Editor's Note: I have visited his Revere's home in Boston many times. It is a tiny seventeenth century building with a huge fireplace and low-beamed ceilings. Some example of his work as a silversmith are on display at The Metropolitan Museum of Art and worth a visit to see them and the new American Wing galleries. Both his home and the Met are well worth a Google or Bing and a visit.
April 21, 1789 - John Adams took the oath of office as the first Vice President of the United States. He later became the second President. His son, John Quincy Adams, became the sixth President. John and Abigail Adams were the first to live in the White House and Abigail hung the laundry in the Blue Room. She preferred Massachusetts to D.C. which was largely still swamp land.
April 21, 1926 - Queen Elizabeth II of England was born. Last year she celebrated 50 years on the throne.
Editor's Note: My late grandfather stood in the streets of London to see some Royal processions, a story handed down to me, including Queen Victoria's carriage during her Jubilee, her funeral cortege and the Coronation of her son, Edward VII as well as serving on a jury in Old Bailey Court House.
April 22, 1964 - The second New York World's Fair opened in Queens.
April 23, 1564 - William Shakespeare was born. There is still debate over whether he wrote the plays he is credited with writing. Recently a portrait has been tentatively identified as a young Shakespeare. By the way, his name has been spelled a multitude of ways over the centuries.
April 24, 1800 - The Library of Congress was established. Some of the books came from Thomas Jefferson's personal library.
April 30, 1789 - George Washington was sworn as the first President of the United States on the site of the present Federal Hall on Wall Street. Each year there is a re-enactment which is open to the public. He did not want to be President, saying he was going to be facing "an ocean of difficulties." Martha Washington did not want him to be President and didn't arrive until the next month.
They lived in a house on Cherry Street in Lower Manhattan. When Washington arrived in Manhattan, there were fireworks and large crowds and a few women fainted from excitement - sort of like at a pop concert today!
April 30, 1803 - The United States bought the Louisiana Territory from France during the administration of President Thomas Jefferson. This was very controversial, with some questioning whether this was constitutional.
April 30, 1865 - The Freedmen's Bureau was established to assist those who had been enslaved with education, health care and employment assistance during Reconstruction. It had been initiated by President Abraham Lincoln and a law passed by Congress the month before. It existed from 1865 to 1872 as part of the United States Department of War (now the Defense Department).
April 30, 1939 - The first New York City World's Fair opened. President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Mayor Fiorello H. LaGuardia presided at the opening.
Historically yours and Happy Spring,
Phyllis