On April 12, but in 1961, the Soviet Yuri Gagarin made a 1 hour and 48 minute flight aboard the Vostok I spacecraft outside the Earth’s atmosphere, making him the first cosmonaut in history.
OTHER EVENTS
1861.- The Civil War begins between the northern and southern states of the North American Union.
1877.- After the assassination of Juan Bautista Gill, Higinio Uriarte assumes the presidency of Paraguay, which begins a period of terror to quell the uprisings.
1932.- Eight volcanoes in the Andean mountain range erupt with such violence that their ashes reach the Chilean city of Valparaíso from the west and Buenos Aires and Montevideo from the east.
1944.- New York premiere of the complete version of “El amor brujo”, by Manuel de Falla.
1950.- Prince Rainier ascends to the throne of Monaco.
1954.- Bill Haley and his Comets record Rock Around the Clock, one of the most important songs in the history of rock and roll.
1955.- Great victory against polio: it is reported that the Salk vaccine is effective in 80 percent of cases.
1985.- 18 people die and 82 are injured in an attack against the restaurant “El Descanso”, on the outskirts of Madrid, which is attributed to Islamic Jihad.
1999.- British architect Norman Foster wins the Pritzker Architecture Prize.
.- The President of the United States Bill Clinton is summoned by the Supreme Court for false testimony in the scandal of his sexual relations with the Mónica Lewinsky scholar.
2002.- A transitional government headed by businessman Pedro Carmona assumes power in Venezuela.
2003.- Hungary approves its entry into the European Union in a referendum.
2014.- A gigantic fire in Valparaíso (Chile) leaves twelve dead and 8,000 homeless.
2019.- The International Criminal Court refuses to authorize the investigation requested by the Prosecutor’s Office to examine alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Afghanistan by US troops, the Taliban and the country’s authorities.
.- At least 24 people died in the collapse of two buildings in Rio de Janeiro, which had been built irregularly in an area controlled by parapolice groups.
2022.- British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Economy Minister Rishi Sunak are fined by police for partying on Downing Street during the pandemic lockdown.
BIRTHS
1539.- Garcilaso de la Vega, “El Inca”, historian and Spanish soldier, born in Cuzco.
1908.- Carlos Lleras Restrepo, former president of Colombia.
1933.- Montserrat Caballé, Spanish lyric singer.
1942.- Carlos Reutemann, former rally driver and Argentine politician.
1947.- Tom Clancy, American writer.
1950.- Flavio Briatore, former Italian director of the Renault Formula One team.
1956.- Andy García, American actor.
1962.- Carlos Sainz, Spanish rally driver.
DEATHS
1555.- Juana de Castilla, daughter of the Catholic Monarchs and mother of Carlos I.
[1945-FranklinDRooseveltfourtimespresidentoftheUnitedStates
1975.- Josephine Baker, American singer and dancer.
2004.- Juan Valderrama Blanca, “Juanito Valderrama”, Spanish singer.
2017.- Michael Ballhaus, German cinematographer.
2018.- Sergio Pitol, Mexican writer.
2020.- Carlos Seco Serrano, Spanish historian.EFE
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