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What happened on April 4th?
The assassination that changed the Civil Rights Movement forever
Matthew Jones
April 04, 2025
1968 Martin Luther King Jr. Is Assassinated
On April 4, 1968, civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. was fatally shot in Memphis, Tennessee. His death sparked nationwide protests and mourning, dealing a major blow to the struggle for racial equality in the United States.
The photo shows garment workers at the Abe Schrader Shop listening to funeral services for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on a portable radio, on April 9, 1968.
🗞️Today’s Headlines
Everything important that’s ever happened on April 4:
2023 — US President Donald Trump was arraigned in a Manhattan court on 34 felony charges related to a hush-money scheme. He was convicted of all counts in May of 2024. Following his reelection as president in the 2024 election, he was granted an unconditional discharge.
1975 — Bill Gates and Paul Allen founded Microsoft, which would become the world’s largest personal-computer software company.
1969 — American surgeon Denton Cooley implanted the first complete artificial heart in a human.
1959 — The Mali Federation, a short-lived union between the Sudanese Republic and Senegal, was formed in West Africa.
1949 — The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was officially formed, establishing a key military alliance during the Cold War and beyond.
1841 — William Henry Harrison became the first US president to die in office, just one month after his inauguration.
🎂 Today’s Birthdays
On April 4, we’re singing to:
Caracalla (188) — Roman emperor known for granting citizenship to nearly all free men in the empire and commissioning the Baths of Caracalla.
Maya Angelou (1928) — Renowned poet and memoirist, best known for I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, which chronicled her life and struggles against racism and violence.
Anthony Perkins (1932) — American actor best remembered for his iconic role as Norman Bates in Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho, which became a landmark in thriller cinema.
Robert Downey Jr. (1965) — Actor who gained international fame for his roles in Chaplin and Iron Man, becoming one of the most successful and versatile actors of his generation.
Heath Ledger (1979) — Australian actor praised for his performance in Brokeback Mountain and his Oscar-winning portrayal of the Joker in The Dark Knight.
🪦Who Died Today?
On April 4, we’re saying goodbye to:
Gloria Swanson (1983) — Legendary actress of Hollywood’s silent era, best known for her role as Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard, a defining film of her career.
Roger Ebert (2013) — Influential film critic who shaped modern film criticism through his reviews for the Chicago Sun-Times and his long-running TV show Siskel & Ebert at the Movies.
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