On April 1, 1974, Robert Opel was just a photographer and art gallery owner. On April 2nd, he became a legend when he ran across stage butt naked during the 46th Academy Awards.
On February 1,1979 Patty Hearst -- a young woman made famous after being brainwashed by her kidnappers and robbing a bank -- was released from prison after serving 22 months for robbing a bank with her captors.
On this day in 1980, Paul McCartney was finally released after nine days in a Tokyo jail, following his arrest for attempting to walk through the Tokyo airport customs with a half pound of weed during his tour with Wings.
Here’s a look at some interesting events that took place on this day in history:
1643: The first legal divorce in the American colonies takes place (more info)
1925: Nellie Tayloe Ross of Wyoming becomes the first female governor in the United States (more info)
Here’s a look at some interesting events that took place on this day in history:
1870: The construction of the Brooklyn Bridge begins (more info)
1938: The March of Dimes is established by President Franklin D. Roosevelt (more info)
Here’s a look at some interesting events that took place on this day in history:
1863: President Abraham Lincoln signs the final Emancipation Proclamation, ending slavery in the rebelling states (more info)
1934: Alcatraz Island becomes a United States federal prison (more info)
Here’s a look at some interesting events that took place on this day in history:
1879: Thomas Edison demonstrates incandescent lighting to the public for the first time (more info)
1907: The first New Year's Eve celebration is held in Times Square -- then known as Longacre Square -- in New York City (more info)
Here’s a look at some interesting events that took place on this day in history:
1620: William Bradford and the Mayflower Pilgrims land on what is now known as Plymouth Rock in Plymouth, Massachusetts (more info)
1898: Pierre and Marie Curie discover radium (more info)
Here’s a look at some interesting events that took place on this day in history:
1803: The Louisiana Purchase is completed at a ceremony in New Orleans (more info)
1860: South Carolina becomes the first state to secede from the United States (more info)