Today is Thursday, April 17, the 107th day of 2025. There are 258 days left in the year.
Today in history:
On April 17, 1961, around 1,400 CIA-trained Cuban exiles launched the Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba in an attempt to overthrow Fidel Castro, but their efforts were quickly crushed by Castro’s forces within three days.
Also on this date:
In 1964, Jerrie Mock made history by completing the first solo around-the-world flight by a woman, landing her single-engine Cessna plane in Columbus, Ohio after a 29-day journey.
In 1969, a jury in Los Angeles found Sirhan Sirhan guilty of assassinating Sen. Robert F. Kennedy. Sirhan was initially sentenced to death, which was later commuted to life in prison with the possibility of parole. He remains in prison to this day.
In 1970, Apollo 13 astronauts James A. Lovell, Fred W. Haise, and Jack Swigert safely splashed down in the Pacific after a harrowing mission that saw a ruptured oxygen tank cripple their spacecraft while en route to the moon.
In 1972, the Boston Marathon welcomed women to compete for the first time, with Nina Kuscsik becoming the first officially recognized women’s champion with a time of 3:10:26.
In 1975, Cambodia’s five-year civil war came to an end as the capital Phnom Penh fell to the Khmer Rouge, marking the start of a brutal regime that claimed the lives of an estimated 1.7 million people until its overthrow in 1979.
In 1991, the Dow Jones industrial average closed above 3,000 for the first time, reaching 3,004.46 by the end of the day.
In 1993, a federal jury in Los Angeles convicted two former police officers of violating the civil rights of Rodney King, a beaten motorist. Two other officers involved were acquitted.
In 2020, President Donald Trump took to Twitter to urge supporters to “LIBERATE” three states led by Democratic governors, sparking protests against stay-at-home mandates amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Today’s Birthdays:
- Actor David Bradley turns 83 today.
- Actor Clarke Peters celebrates his 73rd birthday.
- Author Nick Hornby is 68 years old.
- Actor Sean Bean turns 66.
- Rock singer Maynard James Keenan (Tool) is 61 today.
- Actor Lela Rochon celebrates her 61st birthday.
- Actor Kimberly Elise turns 58.
- Singer-songwriter Liz Phair is also 58.
- Director-producer Adam McKay celebrates his 57th birthday.
- Rapper-actor Redman turns 55 today.
- Football Hall of Famer Tony Boselli is 53 years old.
- Actor Jennifer Garner celebrates her 53rd birthday.
- Singer Victoria Beckham turns 51 today.
- Actor Rooney Mara is 40 years old.
