Police: 22 Dead After Virginia Tech University Shooting

BLACKSBURG, Va. — At least 22 are dead after a shooting at Virginia Tech University Monday morning.

Campus police said there was only one shooter and he is now dead. They are unsure if the shooter was a student.

"Today the university was struck by a tragedy we consider of monumental proportions," Virginia Tech President Charles Steger said during a press conference shortly after noon. "I cannot begin to convey my own personal sense of loss over this senseless, incomprehensible, heinous act."

Steger said school officials are notifying victims' next if kin, and state police and the FBI are still investigating the various crime scenes. They are still trying to identify all the victims. The university will set up counseling centers for students and faculty...


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UPDATE - 3:35 PM - This story just keeps getting worse and worse. Reports now indicate 32 dead (including the gunman), and more than 20 wounded.


UPDATE 2 - 4:37 PM - The toll now is 33 dead, total, including the gunman. Apparently, the gunman carried no I.D., and only sketchy, largely unconfirmed details have been released.

Those of you who know students at that campus can find out more information at the following sites:

Virginia Tech Website: http://www.vt.edu

Virginia State Police: http://www.vsp.state.va.us

Labels: Breaking News, crime and punishment

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
RELEASE No. 20070415-16
April 15, 2007

Multi-National Division - North PAO

BAQUBAH, Iraq - Local citizens in Buhriz, a neighborhood within Baqubah, Iraq, informed Iraqi Security and Coalition Forces of six terrorists in the area, leading to their detention Friday.

The terrorists admitted being responsible for placing and detonating improvised explosive devices and have been transferred to a detention facility.

"The people are getting tired of the terrorists' continued violence, realizing the terrorists wish to bring nothing but destruction and harm to their families and their villages," said Col. David W. Sutherland, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division commander and senior U.S. Army officer in Diyala province. "They will not be swayed by the terrorists' actions and are beginning to turn to the security forces for help as they recognize the ISF are the true protectors of their
country."

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT MULTI-NATIONAL DIVISION - NORTH AT:

TFLIGHTNING.PAO-AT-US.ARMY.MIL

Labels: 1st Cavalry Division, 3BCT, Good News, Iraq, US Army

Pvt. Eric Rundquist, left, and Pvt. Jason Taylor, both with 1st Platoon, Company B, 1-12 Combined Arms Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, hold on to a strap inside a Bradley fighting vehicle after the Bradley hit a roadside bomb. The Soldiers were en route to the Forward Operating Base Gabe medical station after one of their fellow Soldiers was injured when they encountered sporadic sniper fire for about two hours during a house clearing mission in the Tahrir neighborhood of Baqubah. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Antonieta Rico, 5th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment)


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SR# B236
April 10, 2007


By Staff Sgt. Antonieta Rico
5th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment


BAQUBAH, Iraq -- Sweat mixed with dirt on the face of Pvt. Eric Rundquist. Slowly, it made glistening streaks down his face as he rode within the dusty confines of a Bradley fighting vehicle, March 28.

A muffled thud briefly shook the 40-ton personnel carrier, and those inside checked on each other. The Bradley had just hit a roadside bomb — another combat experience for Rundquist, as he rode away from the scene of his first firefight in Iraq.

His experience may have been similar to the media’s portrayal of a Soldier’s life in Iraq, but not identical. With little more than two weeks spent in Baqubah, Rundquist said he has learned that there’s more to his job than combat.

“As a little kid, watching war movies, I was like, ‘I want to be a Soldier,’” Rundquist said, “My uncle was a Soldier. He pretty much glorified it all for me.”
The 22-year-old Rundquist has been in the Army for nine months. He acknowledged the rush of adrenaline he felt during the firefight, but he can’t ignore the satisfaction he’d experienced when performing other duties, such as handing out food to the residents of Baqubah.

“It’s not always action,” he said of his duties to this point.

Rundquist now realizes he had a false impression about the Army and its presence in Iraq, which was shared by family and friends in his hometown of Streamwood, Ill. Their perceptions, he said, were influenced by what they’d seen on the news.

“You only hear about the bad stuff. You never hear about the good things,” Rundquist said. “I mean, we are doing good things out here.” [Emphasis mine -- Pam]

Rundquist, a member of Company B, 1-12 Combined Arms Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, said he didn’t know about the humanitarian aspect of being a Soldier until he arrived in Iraq.

“You think every time you go out there, its going to be a firefight,” he said.
But his first mission in Baqubah was handing out shoes and food to civilians. He said his interaction with the Iraqi people helped him let go of misconceptions about the country’s people, as well.

“There are good people out here,” said Rundquist, “They are just trying to live their life. They just happen to be caught in the middle of a war.”

In his first few weeks in Baqubah, Rundquist has faced the intensity of war. Minutes before the Bradley hit the roadside bomb, Rundquist and his fellow Soldiers had finished a sporadic engagement with insurgent snipers that lasted about two hours.

But Rundquist has also talked with Iraqi children. A feeling of compassion for the Iraqi people now dominates his attitude.

“People actually have to live around that stuff 24 hours a day, and people will and are getting killed,” he said. “I would somehow like to help. They deserve it - a normal life away from all this war.”

Before he joined the Army, Rundquist worked and spent time with his friends like most people his age. He said his experiences in Baqubah make him feel like he is living a small part of history.

Sometimes he thinks, “Look what you were, now look what you are … look where you have gone. Now, you are in Iraq, halfway around the world, in a street in Baqubah, in a firefight.”

He will remember when he returns home that war is not like what it’s portrayed as on the news, he said.

Until then, he is determined to keep his mind here in Iraq, and as the new kid in his squad, he’s determined to be an asset to his team.

“I’m going to keep my morale high, because I do not want to let anybody down,” he said.

Labels: 1-12 CAB, 1st Cavalry Division, Baqubah, FOB Gabe, Iraq, Tahrir, US Army

GIZO, Solomon Islands (April 14, 2007) – Aviation Anti-Submarine Warfare Technician 1st Class Christopher A. Holt, assigned to the Warhawks of Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron (HS) 10, Expeditionary Sea Command Unit (ESCU) 1, loads a U.S. Navy HH-60H Seahawk with rice for delivery to outlying islands. HS-10 is embarked aboard the Military Sealift Command (MSC) roll-on/roll-off ship USNS Stockham (T-AK 3017), and is assisting the Solomon Islands with humanitarian assistance operations led by the U.S. Department of State and non-governmental organizations. On April 2, an 8.1 magnitude earthquake and resulting tsunami struck the Solomon Islands causing casualties and significant damage. USNS Stockham is one of 16 Maritime Pre-Positioning Ships belonging to the MSC Pre-Positioning Program. The U.S. Navy is responding to a specific request on the part of the U.S. ambassador to Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Andrew Meyers

Labels: ESCU 1, helicopter, Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron 10, HH-60H, Humanitarian Aid, photos, Seahawk, US Navy, Warhawks

Riders are seen in the side mirror of a Hearts To Heroes ride participant as the group made its way around the Phoenix International Raceway. The ride, the third Cyclerides.com has hosted, is held to honor the troops and benefit troop-support organizations. Defense Dept. photo by Samantha L. Quigley


By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service

PEORIA, Ariz., April 15, 2007 – Servicemembers stationed in Baghdad got an earful – and an eyeful – yesterday from about 4,000 supporters who gathered here to show their appreciation during the third Cyclerides.com “Hearts to Heroes” motorcycle ride.

A two-way video connection, provided with help from the Pentagon Channel and the military, made that possible.

The idea to put the 56 troops, including Army Maj. Gen. William Caldwell, face-to-face with some of their biggest fans came from Barry Caraway’s childhood memories.

“I grew up in the era of the Vietnam vet, and I saw how those guys came back,” Caraway, owner of Cyclerides.com, said. “They weren’t treated very well. In fact they were treated shabbily.

“I wanted to change the mistakes of my generation and not allow that to happen in my daughter’s generation,” he added.

Roxie Merritt, chief of integrated internal communications for the assistant secretary of defense for public affairs, told the crowd that’s exactly why the Defense Department created “America Supports You.” America Supports You is a program connecting citizens and corporations with members of the military and their families at home and abroad.

“America Supports You … is to make sure … what happened to you (Vietnam veterans) never, never happens again,” she said during the opening ceremony.

The standing ovation that greeted the troops helped drive home that sentiment. The clapping, “Ooh Rahs,” and “Hooahs” went on for more than a minute, causing Caldwell to break into a wide grin.

While the video connection provided the means for the supporters to show their appreciation in person, it also provided the troops an opportunity to thank the ride’s three beneficiaries. Packages From Home and Operation Homefront are America Supports You members.

“It allows us to collect donations for the troops that are overseas because part of the admission into this is not only the $15 entry fee, but a sack of goodies or donations for the troops that are over there,” Vonn Magnin of Packages From Home said. “This allows us to send things over to our men and women overseas.”

Margy Bons, president of Operation Homefront’s Arizona chapter, agreed that the donation from the ride to her group would be most helpful.

“For Operation Homefront of Arizona, it will allow us to have some funding to support the families when they give us a call and they have a need,” she said. “(It) will also support our troops overseas, because they will know their family is being taken care of.”

The third beneficiary, Phoenix International Raceway’s “Salute to Military Families” program, provides military families with tickets to events at the track. The three groups will equally split the $15 per bike entry fee.

“On behalf of all the men and women serving in uniform, (and) all those serving in civilian clothes over here, we just want to say thanks to all of you,” Caldwell, a Multinational Force Iraq spokesman, said. “Thank you very much.”

Army Sgt. John Jones, an Arizona National Guardsman who spent a year in Iraq, understood just where that appreciation was coming from. He received many care packages while serving overseas.

“Packages From Home meant so much to all of us over there,” he said. “It touches my heart that people work this hard for the people over there.”

Jones also knows how much the live feed meant to the servicemembers in Baghdad. “It’s almost like part of you is home when you’re doing a live feed,” he said.

During the live feed, a few Arizona servicemembers got a chance to briefly catch up with loved ones who blew them kisses and wished them a safe and speedy homecoming.

After musical tributes dedicated to the servicemembers and a prayer for the safety of all those present, the bikers hit the road for a sun-baked 60-mile ride.

An impressive sight, the nearly mile-long line of motorcycles drew cheers and peace signs from those along the route. While that was a boost, most found taking a lap around the Phoenix International Raceway the highlight of the ride.

The ride, which also passed Luke Air Force Base in Phoenix, ended with live musical entertainment at a venue near the University of Arizona’s Cardinal Stadium.

Caraway, who’s already begun planning next year’s ride, said the it helps accomplish one of his main goals; keeping support for the troops high in spite of an individual’s views of the war.

“These are our guys in our United States military uniforms, and they come before anything,” Barry Caraway. “My personal belief, growing up in the Vietnam era, that after seeing how those guys came home, we have to separate the war from the warrior.

Related Sites:
America Supports You
Packages From Home
Operation Homefront of Arizona
Cyclerides.com

Related Articles:
America Supports You: Troops in Iraq Thank Supporters in Arizona


More Photos Here

Labels: Hearts to Heroes, Supporting the troops

AFGHAN AIR CORPS
Afghan National Air Corps MI-17 helicopters take off in a formation practice. Air Force mentors assigned to Defense Reform Directorate Air Division under Combined Security Transition Command - Afghanistan provide guidance to soldiers with the Afghan Maintenance Operations Group. U.S. Air Force photo Tech. Sgt. Cecilio M. Ricardo Jr.

Labels: Afghan Air Corps, Afghan Maintenance Operations Group, helicopter, MI-17, Operation Enduring Freedom, photos, USAF

News of Note
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Radical Iraqi Cleric Orders Six Cabinet Ministers to Resign
Cheney Spars With Dems Over Iraq War Funding
Bombings Kill 45 in Iraq; U.K. Choppers Crash After Collision
Crisis looms for Iraqi refugees: Amnesty
Air Force fills out Army ranks in Iraq

Operation Enduring Freedom
Suicide bomber kills nine Afghan policemen
Taliban Suffer Considerable Losses in Sangin

Homeland Security / War on Terror / Hamas-Hezbollah Happenings
U.S. Shuts Consulate in Casablanca After Bombings
Pearl honored with Holocaust victims

Troops on Trial
Marines killed Afghans after bombing: report

Other Military News
Troops Face Medical Treatment Obstacles
Russia launches new generation nuclear submarine

Religion of Peace??
Report: Serial Killers Cleared by Iranian Supreme Court as Victims' Activities Were Un-Islamic
Indonesia's Jemaah Islamiah forms hit squad: paper
Pakistan minister faces edict over hug

Worldwide Wackos
U.S. tells North Korea bank funds are available
Chavez challenges U.S. with energy summit

Homegrown Moonbats
Report: Michael Moore Takes Ground Zero Responders to Cuba for Medical Treatment

Politics / Government
World Bank Head Wolfowitz Vows to Stay
Wolfowitz Gets New Lifeline in Scandal
World Bank staff panel scolds Wolfowitz
Hillary Reports She Has $24 Million to Spend
Gonzales: 'Fired Attorneys Not Victims'
Corzine Regains Some Skills After Accident
Son says Corzine recognized him
Corzine has unscheduled operation after crash
Gonzales concedes missteps in attorney firings
Washington, after 200 years, may get vote in Congress
Algeria summons U.S. envoy to protest at alert

In the Courts / Crime and Punishment / Law and Order
Tragic Blaze May Have Been Revenge in Family Dispute
Northwest Pilot Nabbed With Suspected Cocaine After Border Chase
Maryland Boy Hospitalized for Burns After Using Playground Equipment Doused With Drain Cleaner
Louisiana Teen, 16, Accused of Paying Another Teen $5 to Kill Dad
New Details in Panama Murder of Socialite

U.N. News
Saudi says Darfur deal reached
China says Taiwan not eligible for WHO membership

Media in the Media / Bloggers in the News / Watching the Web
Google, Clear Channel in broad U.S. radio ads deal
Adobe player frees viewers to watch video offline

Science / Medicine / Technology
Study adds data that vegetables reduce cancer risk
Study finds strong genetic link to bowel ailment

Mother Nature
Teen Surfer Loses Teeth in Sea Lion Attack Off Australia

News from My Neck of the Woods
Nor'easter Creates State of Emergency - VIDEO - PHOTOS
3 deaths blamed on East Coast storm

Other News of Note
Reinstated Omaha Principal Defends Controversial School Newspaper Article Using Racial Ephithet
More Mideast states eyeing nuclear power
German in racist video still on duty

Fox News
'Our Prom Has Been Stolen From Us'
Players Mark Jackie Robinson's Debut
Brits Speculate on Why Prince William and Kate Middleton Split Up

Reuters: Top News
Correa wants Ecuador overhaul after referendum win
Opposition protests erupt after flawed Nigeria poll
Mega-church weathers gay sex scandal
Chicago is U.S. candidate to host 2016 Games
Brazil pays for inequality with violence
Arctic mosque stays open but Muslim numbers shrink
Disney to offer gowns for Princess brides
Spielberg protege leads box office with thriller
Asia stocks gain
Yen hits new low vs euro after G7, rebounds
Oil edges up, eyeing Nigeria vote, McKee refinery
Earnings and CPI to drive stocks
Earnings threaten to cut oil rally short
Nasdaq should hurry up and buy
Clear Channel bidders suggest sweeter offer: source
Sallie Mae agrees to be sold for $25 bln: paper
Google rivals urge antitrust scrutiny of deal
ABN gives early Q1 numbers as merger talks intensify
China's Sinopec Q1 beats forecast
Wesfarmers mum on Coles bid

AP World News
Malawi awaits Madonna's return
Graf needs stitches after Andre's miscue
Odd couple aim to put civilians in space
Christie's auctions prehistoric objects
2 pull bids for Anna Nicole diaries
Scutaro takes Mo deep as A's stun Yanks
Pope marks 80th birthday with huge Mass
Menudo reforming for MTV reality series
Pujols homers twice to end April drought
Traveler taxes awarded to small airports

Military.com
Def Tech: Robot Rules of War
The Sandbox: On Being Home
Opinion: TV Tyranny of the Left
Check Out the Latest Video News
Podcast: Our Military Kids
Poll: Effect of 15-month Tours?

CENTCOM: News Releases
COALITION FORCES RESCUE CIVILIANS FROM DISABLED HELICOPTER
STATEMENT FROM MULTI-NATIONAL FORCE-IRAQ CONDEMING CONTINUED ATTACKS

USJFCOM
Secretary of the Air Force visits U.S. Joint Forces Command - podcast
USJFCOM continues to improve Joint National Training Capability - podcast
USJFCOM supports intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance conference - podcast

DefenseLink
Delay in War-Spending Bill Will Impact Troops - Story - Transcript
Establishing Democracy in Iraq Worthy Cause - Story
Coalition Kills, Detains Extremists in Afghanistan - Story
Top Enlisted Leader Meets With Marines - Story
Terror Attack in Baghdad Strengthens Resolve - Story
Commander Apologizes for No Notice Extensions - Story

More Headline News
Corps Commander Highlights Progress in Iraq
Detainee Denies Participation in Bombings
Top Official Describes Reserve Mobilization Policy

Military News
Osprey Aircraft to Make Combat Debut in Iraq
Recruiting, Retention Rates Remain Solid in March
Huachuca to be Home of Human-Intel Training

War on Terror
Five Soldiers Killed in Iraq - Story
Terror Suspects Killed
Forces Capture 18 Suspects
Taliban Fighters Killed

America Supports You
Troops Thank Supporters in Arizona
Group Entertains Troops
Arizona City Lauded for Support

Transformation
Sailors Will Need CAC to Log In
Chaplain Invents New Chapel Kit
Program Connects Troops to Public

Face of Defense
Pre-dawn Mission Brings Results - Story
Soldier Takes Oath in a Chinook
Army Captain Embraces Life
Siblings Reunite for Promotion

DefendAmerica
NEWS UPDATES
Commander Highlights Progress - Story

ON THE GROUND
Police Trainers Helping Iraqis Break Risky Habits - Story
Air National Guard Crew Flies First C-5 to Djibouti - Story
Kabul Hosts Engineering Contractor Open House - Story
Transition Team Finds Iraqi Police Eager to Learn - Story

IN IRAQ
Terrain Team Ensures Roads are Mapped Out
Officials Honor Audie Murphy Club Inductees
Expert Reconstruction Team Arrives on Taji
Stryker Troops Lead Initial Push into Diwaniyah

IN AFGHANISTAN
Marines Prepare for Afghanistan Deployment
Bagram Airmen Move Army Force Provider Camps
Female Medics Take Forward Mission to Heart

IN DJIBOUTI
U.S. Military Conducts Human Rights Training
Families Donate Soccer Balls to Orphanage
Airmen Help Djiboutians Learn English

BACKGROUND
IRAQ
Renewal In Iraq
Iraq: Security, Stability
Fact Sheet: Progress and Work Ahead
Report: Strategy for Victory in Iraq
Iraq Daily Update
This Week in Iraq
Multinational Force Iraq
State Dept. Weekly Iraq Report
'Boots on the Ground' Audio Archive
Weekly Reconstruction Report (PDF)
Iraq Reconstruction
Maps

AFGHANISTAN
Afghanistan Update
Maps

WAR ON TERRORISM
Fact Sheet: Budget Request
Fact Sheet: Terror Plots Disrupted
Waging and Winning the War on Terror
Terrorism Timeline
Terrorism Knowledge Base

Weather
Afghanistan
Bost/Laskar Ghurian Herat Kabul Qandahar

Germany
Ansbach Aschaffenburg Berlin Berlin-Tempelhof Berlin/Schonefeld Bremerhaven
Darmstadt Frankfurt Frankfurt/Main Freiburg/Breisgau Garmisch
Garmisch-Partenkirchen Geilenkirchen Gelnhausen Giessen Kitzingen
Hanau Am Main Heidelberg Mainz Mannheim Nurnberg Stuttgart Trier
Wiesbaden Wurzburg

Gitmo

Guam
Agana Agana Heights Agat Andersen AFB Asan Barrigada

Iraq
Al Azamiyah Al Basrah Al Hillah Al Karkh Al Kazimiyah Al Kut
An Nasiriyah Baghdad Baqubah Mosul Najaf Nineveh Tall Kayf

Japan
Kadena Air Base Okinawa Tokyo Yokohama

Today in History
0556 - Pelagius I begins his reign as Catholic Pope
1346 - King Stefanus IX of Serbia proclaims himself czar of Greece
1509 - French army under Louis XII enters Alps
1521 - Martin Luther arrives at Diet of Worms
1705 - Queen Anne of England knights Isaac Newton at Trinity College
1724 - 1st Easter observed
1746 - Battle at Culloden - Troops of "James VIII & III" defeat Charles Stuart
1777 - Battle of Bennington-New England's Green Mountain Boys rout British
1789 - George Washington heads for 1st presidential inauguration
1818 - Senate ratifies Rush-Bagot amendment (unarmed US-Canada border)
1854 - San Salvador destroyed by earthquake; Steamer "Long Beach" sinks off Long Beach, NY, killing 311
1861 - US President Abraham Lincoln outlaws business with Confederate states
1862 - Confederate President Jefferson Davis approves conscription act for white males between 18-35; Slavery abolished in District of Columbia
1865 - Battle of Columbus & West Point GA (Fort Tyler)
1866 - Nitroglycerine at Wells Fargo & Company office explodes; Karakozov attempts to assassinate Tsar Alexander II of Russia
1868 - Louisiana voters approve new constitution
1869 - Ebenezer Bassett, 1st US Black diplomat, begins service in Haiti
1871 - German Empire ends all anti-Jewish civil restrictions
1900 - US Post Office issues 1st books of postage stamps
1908 - Natural Bridges National Monument established (Lake Powell UT)
1912 - Harriet Quimby becomes 1st woman pilot to cross the English Channel
1917 - Lenin returns to Russia to start Bolshevik Revolution
1921 - Liberal Freedom League forms in The Hague
1922 - Annie Oakley sets record by breaking 100 clay targets in a row; German-Russia treaty signed in Italy, Soviet Union recognized
1929 - New York Yankees become 1st team to use numbers on uniforms
1935 - Babe Ruth's 1st National League game, for Boston Braves, included a homerun
1938 - Great-Britain recognizes Italian annexation of Abyssinia
1939 - Stalin requests British, French & Russian anti-nazi pact
1940 - 1st televised baseball game, WGN-TV, (White Sox vs Cubs exhibition)
1942 - Japanese occupying army on Java installs film censorship; King George VI awards George Cross to Island of Malta
1943 - 40 New Zealand bombers attack Haarlem Netherlands (85 killed)
1945 - German troops in Groningen surrender; Red Army begins Battle of Berlin; US troops land on He Shima, Okinawa
1946 - 1st US launch of captured V-2 rocket, White Sands NM; 8 km altitude; NSB mayor of Rotterdam Netherlands, FE Müller sentence to 100 years in jail
1947 - Lens to provide zoom effects demonstrated (New York, NY); Massive explosion & fire kills 500 in Texas City, TX; Explosions & fire on French ship Grandcamp
1948 - Organization for European Economic Cooperation (EEC) forms in Paris France
1951 - British submarine Affray sinks in English Channel, killing 75
1953 - British royal yacht Britannica taken out of service
1958 - French government of Gaillard falls due to Tunisia crisis
1959 - Datu Abdul Rozak inaugurated as premier of Malaysia federation
1962 - Walter Cronkite begins anchoring CBS Evening News; Brazil nationalizes US businesses
1964 - 9 men sentenced 25-30 years for Britain's 1963 "Great Train Robbery"
1965 - Test flight of heavy Saturn S-1C-rocket
1966 - Rhodesian PM Ian Smith breaks diplomatic relations with Britain
1967 Yankees beat Boston 7-6 in 18 innings
1967 "Walking Happy" closes at Lunt Fontanne Theater NYC after 161 performances
1970 - 70 die in an avalanche (France)
1972 - Apollo 16 launched; 5th manned lunar landing (Decartes Highlands)
1979 - Failed Palestinian attack on Zaventem Airport in Belgium
1981 - Columbia space shuttle returns
1982 - Queen Elizabeth proclaims Canada's new constitution
1986 - To dispel rumors he's dead, Moammar Qadhafi appears on TV
1987 - FCC imposes a broader definition of indecency over airwaves
1990 - Supreme Court rejects appeal from retarded man, Dalton Prejean, condemned to death for murdering a Louisiana state trooper in 1977
1992 - Afghánistán President Najibullah resigns
1993 - Jury reaches guilty verdict in Federal case against cop who beat Rodney King, but the verdict is not read until April 17th

Birthdays
1628 - Cornelis Evertsen de Young, Vice Admiral of Zealand
1652 - Clement XII [Lorenzo Corsini], Pope (1730-40)
1660 - Hans Sloane, English physician/naturalist; founded British Museum
1682 - John Hadley, mathematician/inventor (1st reflecting telescope)
1703 - Caffarelli [Gaetano Majorano], Italian castra singer/duke
1728 - Joseph Zwart, Scottish chemist/physicist
1808 - Caleb Blood Smith, Union Secretary of Interior
1816 - Edward "Old Allegheny" Johnson, Confederate Major General
1823 - Mother Joseph [Esther Pariseau] religious leader (US capital); Orlando Bolivar Wilcox, Union Brevet Major General
1867 - José de Diego, patriot/Puerto Rican Secretary of Justice; Wilbur Wright, of aeronautical fame (Wright Brothers)
1881 - Edward Frederick Wood, 1st Earl of Halifax/ambassador to US (1940-46)
1886 - Ernst Thälmann, German communist presidential candidate
1897 - John B. Glubb, British commandant/writer (A soldier with the Arabs)
1901 - Leo Poos, nazi police officer (caught Dutch underground agents)
1904 - Clifford Case (Senator-R-NJ)
1905 - John Lee-Barber, Admiral
1906 - Cobina W. "Coby" Molenaar, Dutch peace activist
1920 - John William Farr, bank robber (FBI Most Wanted List)
1931 - Piet de Visser, economist/Dutch MP (PvdA)
1940 - Margrethe II, Queen of Denmark
1941 - Cliff Stearns (Representative-R-FL)
1955 - Henri, Heir Apparent, Prince of Luxembourg
1956 - David M. Brown, Commander USN/astronaut

Passings
1115 - Svjatopolk II, great monarch of Kiev [or 1113]
1496 - David van Bourgondie, Bishop of Utrecht (1456-96), at about 69
1529 - Louis de Berquin, French humanist/reformer/heretic, burned at stake
1687 - George Villiers 2nd duke of Buckingham, at 59
1756 - Jacques Cassini, French astronomer (Discovered rings of Saturn), at 79
1760 - Laurence, 4th Earl Ferrers, executed for murder of his steward
1850 - Marie [Gresholtz] Tussaud, maker of wax figures
1860 - Carolina, duchess of Berry/daughter of crown prince of Naples
1865 - Robert C. Tyler, Confederate Brigadier-General, in battle
1870 - Anatoli O. Demidov, Russian ruler of Donato/traveller
1879 - Bernadette, saint/(saw Virgin Mary at Lourdes), in Nevers, France
1914 - George W. Hill, US astronomer (moon orbit), at 76
1948 - Babe Ruth, baseball legend
1949 - Sutan Ibrahim gelor Datuk Tan Malaka, Indon communist, executed at 54
1955 - Abdullah Seif el-Islam, brother of Yemenite king Ahmed, beheaded
1970 - Péter Veres, Hungarian minister of defense/writer, at 73
1971 - Mihály Váci, Hungarian poet/politician, at 46
1978 - Lucius D. Clay, General/Governor, US zone West Germany (airlift), at 80
1988 - Jacques de Kadt, Dutch 2nd chamber member (Socialist-Democrat), at 90; Khalil al-Wazir, PLO military commander, assassinated by Israeli commandos

Reported Missing in Action
1966
Chesley, Larry J., USAF (ID); F4C shot down (w/Johnson) - released by DRV February, 1973 - retired as a Lt. Colonel, served as an Arizona senator

Johnson, Samuel R., USAF (TX); F4C shot down (w/Chesley) - released by DRV February, 1973 - retired as a Colonel, served in the Texas legislature

1969
Konyu, William M., US Army (NJ); UH1H shot down (pilot), believed KIA/BNR

1970
Ayers, Richard L., USAF (IA); RF4C disappeared while on mission (Weapons System Officcer, w/Rausch)

Rausch, Robert E., USAF (NY); RF4C disappeared while on mission (pilot, w/Ayers)

1972
Jones, Orvin C., Jr., USAF (VA); F105G shot down (w/Mateja)

Mateja, Alan P., USAF (KY); F105G shot down (w/Jones)

1975
Lewis, James F., ; released from Hanoi October, 1975 - deceased

Labels: Headlines, History