This Date in History - April 26

Whenever it's Carol Burnett's birthday, she will get her picture on this blog. And this date turns out to have a connection to another famous redhead.   Read on.

1478:  THE PAZZI FAMILY ATTACK LORENZO DE' MEDICI AND KILL HIS BROTHER GIULIANO DURING HIGH MASS IN FLORENCE CATHEDRAL.

Some people will do anything to avoid putting money in the offering plate.

1564:  PLAYWRIGHT WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE IS BAPTIZED IN STRATFORD-UPON-AVON, ENGLAND.

To be born or not to be born...

1721:  A MASSIVE EARTHQUAKE DEVASTATES THE IRANIAN CITY OF TABRIZ.  

Which probably started their move to the United States.

1777:  SYBIL LUDDINGTON, AGED 16, RIDES 40 MILES TO ALERT AMERICAN COLONIAL FORCES TO THE APPROACH OF BRITISH TROOPS.

Paul Revere, feh.

1802:  NAPOLEON BONAPARTE SIGNS A GENERAL AMNESTY TO ALLOW ALL BUT ABOUT ONE THOUSAND OF THE MOST NOTORIOUS EMIGRES OF THE FRENCH REVOLUTION TO RETURN TO FRANCE.

And you thought Trump started all this shit?

1865:  UNION TROOPED CORNER AND SHOOT DEAD JOHN WILKES BOOTH, ASSASSIN OF PRESIDENT LINCOLN.

That manhunt took eleven days.

1925:  PAUL VON HINDENBURG DEFEATS WILHELM MARX IN THE SOUND RECORD OF THE GERMAN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION TO BECOME THE FIRST DIRECTLY ELECTED HEAD OF STATE OF THE WEIMAR REPUBLIC.

After Paul gained a few pounds, people were whispering that he was a big blimp.

1933:  THE GESTAPO, THE OFFICIAL SECRET POLICE FORCE OF NAZI GERMANY, IS ESTABLISHED.

One-Adolf-12.

1933:  ACTRESS CAROL BURNETT IS BORN.

And she received flowers every birthday from Lucille Ball.   Even though....well, keep reading.

1945:  WORLD WAR II - LAST SUCCESSFUL GERMAN TANK-OFFENSIVE OF THE WAR AND LAST NOTEWORTHY VICTORY OF THE WEHRMACHT.

Wehrmacht?  There, Macht.

1954:  THE GENEVA CONFERENCE, AN EFFORT TO RESTORE PEACE IN INDOCHINA AND KOREA, BEGINS.

And thus ending any future plots for M*A*S*H*.

1958:  FINAL RUN OF THE BALTIMORE AND OHIO RAILROAD.

Although it's still running on Monopoly boards all over the world.

1960:  FORCED OUT BY THE APRIL REVOLUTION, PRESIDENT OF SOUTH KOREA SYNGMAN RHEE RESIGNS AFTER TWELVE YEARS OF DICTATORIAL RULE.

A sad Mother's Day in the offing for Mrs. Rhee.

1962:  NASA'S RANGER 4 SPACECRAFT CRASHES INTO THE MOON.

Was it supposed to do that?

1965:  COMIC KEVIN JAMES IS BORN.

A slow day for birthdays if this unfunny guy gets mentioned here.

1970:  STRIPPER GYPSY ROSE LEE DIES.

She took it ALL off.

1973:  ACTRESS IRENE RYAN DIES.

Ran out of rheumatiz medicine.

1981:  DR. MICHAEL HARRIS OF USC-SF PERFORMS THE WORLD'S FIRST HUMAN OPEN FETAL SURGERY.

Sad to say he's out of network.

1981:  ACTOR JIM DAVIS DIES.

Jock on "Dallas."

1984:  BANDLEADER COUNT BASIE DIES.

Down for the...well...you know.

1986:  ACTOR BRODERICK CRAWFORD DIES.

Arrested for the last time.

1986:  A NUCLEAR REACTOR ACCIDENT OCCURS AT THE CHERNOBYL POWER PLANT IN THE SOVIET UNION, CREATING THE WORLD'S WORST NUCLEAR DISASTER.

Think about all those hair stylists in Russia now out of work.

1989:  ACTRESS LUCILLE BALL DIES.

Lucy died early in the morning.  Carol got Lucy's birthday flowers in the afternoon.

1991:  SEVENTY TORNADOES BREAK OUT IN THE CENTRAL UNITED STATES.

Well, that certainly gave the Weather Channel something to do.

2011:  SINGER PHOEBE SNOW DIES.

Melted.

2015:  TV PERSONALITY JAYNE MEADOWS DIES.

No secret.

Dinner last night:  Leftover chicken and vegetables.