April 12

April 12, One Of Most Historic Days On Calendar: 1861, 1945, 1961

Every day on the calendar, historically, has had some interesting event occur, but April 12 is an unusually historic day worth remembering.

Three path breaking events occurred on April 12.

In 1861, the attack by South Carolina on the US fort, Fort Sumter, in Charleston Harbor, occurred, the first shots of the Civil War.

In 1945, the greatest President of the 20th century, and the President who has had the greatest impact on us of any President, Franklin D. Roosevelt, died in Warm Springs, Georgia, thrusting Harry Truman into the Presidency at a time of great challenge, with the Second World War not yet ended, and the challenge to overcome Japan in Asia still ahead of us.

FDR did more for America domestically than any President, and much of what he accomplished is now under attack by the Trump Administration.

At the same time, Truman, despite questions about his competence to become our President, proved his ability to take on the responsibility, and is now rated 5th or 6th among all of our Presidents, while FDR is rated 2nd or 3rd greatest.

And in 1961, exactly a century after Fort Sumter, the Space Age began, as far as manned space exploration, with Yuri Gagarin of the Soviet Union being the first astronaut to orbit the earth, and now further space exploration is in the offing.

To have the Civil War start on this day; the promoter of the New Deal to cope with the Great Depression, and also the Second World War President, FDR, to die on this day; the accession to power of Harry Truman; and the inception of the Space Age—all on this day, makes April 12 a special day in the historical calendar!

April 12: So Significant A Date In History In So Many Ways!

Every day of the calendar year has events that make the date historic, but April 12 is a particularly amazing day in so many ways in history!

April 12, 1961, saw the first man in space orbit, Yuri Gagarin of the Soviet Union, exactly 50 years ago today!

April 12, 1981, saw the first US Space Shuttle flight, and the program is soon ending, 30 years after its inception!

April 12, 1954, saw the recording of the first Rock and Roll record, with Rock Around The Clock being recorded by Bill Haley and the Comets. Fifty seven years later, the genre of Rock and Roll still prospers, and there is a great museum giving testimony to it in Cleveland, Ohio, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum, which the author and his two sons will be visiting in August on vacation!

Even with the advances into space and into Rock and Roll music as a significant form of culture, there are two other events even more significant and discussed in the next two blog entries following this one, so look ahead and see the two path breaking events that have transformed this nation!