April 8, 1974 – Hank Aaron of the Atlanta Braves hits his 715th career home run, breaking Babe Ruth’s legendary record of 714 homers.
history
John Wayne Wins Best Actor Oscar
April 7, 1970 – The legendary actor John Wayne wins his first–and only–acting Academy Award, for his legendary performance in the director Henry Hathaway’s Western True Grit.
Peary And Henson First To The North Pole
April 6, 1909 – Americans Robert Peary and Matthew Henson claimed to be the first men to reach the North Pole.
Matthew Henson, center, waves in a photograph taken by Robert E. Peary in 1909 at or near the North Pole. Standing with Henson are the Inuit members of the team—from left to right, Ooqueah, Ootah, Egingwah, and Seeglo.
Ben Hur Sets Oscar Record
April 4, 1960 – William Wyler’s Technicolor epic Ben-Hur is the behemoth entry at the 32nd annual Academy Awards ceremony held at the RKO Pantages Theatre in Hollywood. Setting an Oscar record, the film swept 11 of the 12 categories in which it was nominated, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor (Charlton Heston).
“I’ve Been To The Mountaintop”
April 3, 1968 – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was in Memphis, TN where he gave his last and renowned “I’ve been to the mountaintop” speech to a packed audience.
Ponce de Leon Discovers Florida
April 2, 1513 – Near present-day St. Augustine, Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon comes ashore on the Florida coast, and claims the territory for the Spanish crown.
Eiffel Tower Dedication
March 31, 1889 – The Eiffel Tower is dedicated in Paris in a ceremony presided over by Gustave Eiffel, the tower’s designer, and attended by French Prime Minister Pierre Tirard, a handful of other dignitaries, and 200 construction workers.
Tom Jones Is Knighted
March 29, 2006 – Queen Elizabeth II made the Welsh sensation Tom Jones—now Sir Tom Jones—a Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire.
Elysian Waters 