Discover what happened on April 10 in history, along with notable events that shaped innovation, exploration, and science.
What Happened on April 10 in History?
From the launch of the Titanic’s fateful journey to the birth of the U.S. patent system and a groundbreaking image of a black hole, April 10 has delivered moments that changed how we build, travel, and understand the universe.
APRIL 10 – TODAY IN HISTORY:
1790 – The U.S. patent system was established when President George Washington signed the Patent Act of 1790 into law. The very first patent went to Samuel Hopkins of Philadelphia, PA for “making pot and pearl ashes” which was a cleaning formula used in making soap.
1825 – The first hotel opened in Hawaii.
1849 – Walter Hunt patented the safety pin. He sold the rights for $100.
1866 – The American Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) was founded in New York, NY by Henry Bergh.
1872 – The first Arbor Day was celebrated in Nebraska.
1912 – The Titanic set sail on her maiden, and only, voyage from Southampton, England. It stopped in Cherbourg, France and then Queenstown, Ireland, before heading out in to the open sea.
1916 – The Professional Golfers Association (PGA) held its first championship tournament.
1930 – The first synthetic rubber was produced.
1941 – Ford Motor Co. became the last major automaker to recognize the United Auto Workers as the representative for its workers.
1953 – Warner Bros. released “House of Wax”. It was the first 3-D movie to be released by a major Hollywood studio.
1960 – The U.S. Senate passes the Civil Rights Bill
1961 – Gary Player, of South Africa, became the first foreign golfer to win the Masters Golf Tournament in Augusta, GA.
1963 – 129 people died when the nuclear-powered submarine USS Thresher failed to surface off Cape Cod, MA.
1965 – The DeZwaan Windmill was formally dedicated in Holland, MI.
1967 – The 13-day strike by the American Federation of Radio-TV Artists (AFTRA) came to an end less than two hours before the 39th Academy Awards presentation went on the air.
1970 – Paul McCartney announced that he was leaving The Beatles for personal and professional reasons.
1978 – Volkswagon became the first non-American car manufacturer to build automobiles in the U.S., opening a plan in Westmoreland County, PA.
1981 – The maiden launch of the Space Shuttle Columbia was cancelled because of a computer malfunction.
1988 – On Wall Street, 48 million shares of Navistar International stock changed hands in a single-block trade. It was the largest transaction ever executed on the New York Stock Exchange.
1992 – Outside Needles, CA, comedian Sam Kinison was killed when a pickup truck slammed into his car on a desert road between Los Angeles, CA and Las Vegas, NV.
1992 – In Los Angeles, financier Charles Keating Jr. was sentenced to nine years in prison for swindling investors when his Lincoln Savings and Loan collapsed. The convictions were later overturned.
1997 – Rod Steiger received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
2000 – Ken Griffey Jr. became the youngest player in baseball history to reach 400 home runs. He was 30 years, 141 days old.
2002 – President George W. Bush called for a total ban on human cloning. He urged the Senate to pass legislation forbidding the procedures for both reproductive and research purposes.
2007 – “Girls Gone Wild” founder Joe Francis surrendered to federal authorities in Florida, five days after a judge cites him for contempt of court.
2009 – “Hannah Montana: The Movie” starring 16 year old Miley Cyrus and her father, Billy Ray Cyrus, opened in theaters.
2014 – After establishing himself on “The Daily Show” and “The Colbert Report”, Stephen Colbert was named to be David Letterman’s successor on “The Late Show”. (He assumed the role on September 8th, 2015.)
2014 – Nirvana, KISS, Peter Gabriel, The E Street Band, Cat Stevens, Hall and Oates, and Linda Ronstadt were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
2014 – Kathleen Sebelius resigned as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, in light of fallout from the botched rollout of HealthCare.gov.
2017 – After 29 years, the Detroit Pistons played their last game at the Palace of Auburn Hills in a game against the Washington Wizards.
2019 – Scientists from the Event Horizon Telescope project announced the first ever image of a black hole, located in the centre of the M87 galaxy.
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS ON APRIL 10:
Dolores Huerta – 96 years old (1930) – Activist, co-founded the United Farm Workers
Paul Theroux – 85 years old (1941) – Novelist, short story writer, and travel writer
Stuart Dybek – 84 years old (1942) – Novelist, short story writer, and poet
David A. Adler – 79 years old (1947) – Author and educator
Mel Blount – 78 years old (1948) – Football player
Ken Griffey – 76 years old (1950) – Sr. , American baseball player and manager
David Helvarg – 75 years old (1951) – Journalist and activist
Steven Seagal – 74 years old (1952) – Actor, producer, and martial artist
Anne Lamott – 72 years old (1954) – Author and educator
Peter MacNicol – 72 years old (1954) – Actor
Juan Williams – 72 years old (1954) – Panamanian-American journalist and author
Steve Gustafson – 69 years old (1957) – Spanish-American bass player
Yefim Bronfman – 68 years old (1958) – Uzbek-American pianist
Babyface – 67 years old (1959) – Singer-songwriter and producer
Brian Setzer – 67 years old (1959) – Singer-songwriter and guitarist
Steve Bisciotti – 66 years old (1960) – Businessman, co-founded Allegis Group
Katrina Leskanich – 66 years old (1960) – Singer-songwriter and guitarist
Terry Teagle – 66 years old (1960) – Basketball player
Mark Jones – 65 years old (1961) – Basketball player
Steve Tasker – 64 years old (1962) – Football player and sportscaster
Warren DeMartini – 63 years old (1963) – Guitarist and songwriter
Jeff Gray – 63 years old (1963) – Baseball player and coach
Tim Alexander – 61 years old (1965) – Drummer and songwriter
David Rovics – 59 years old (1967) – Singer-songwriter
Orlando Jones – 58 years old (1968) – Actor, producer, and screenwriter
Kenny Lattimore – 56 years old (1970) – Singer-songwriter
Q-Tip – 56 years old (1970) – Rapper, producer, and actor
Al Reyes – 55 years old (1971) – Dominican-American baseball player
Christopher Simmons – 53 years old (1973) – Canadian-American graphic designer, author, and academic
Eric Greitens – 52 years old (1974) – Soldier, author and politician
Chris Carrabba – 51 years old (1975) – Singer-songwriter and guitarist
Stephanie Sheh – 49 years old (1977) – Taiwanese-American voice actress, director, and producer
Kenyon Coleman – 47 years old (1979) – Football player
Kasey Kahne – 46 years old (1980) – Race car driver
Bryce Soderberg – 46 years old (1980) – Singer-songwriter and bass player
Laura Bell Bundy – 45 years old (1981) – Actress and singer
Michael Pitt – 45 years old (1981) – Actor, model and musician
Andre Ethier – 44 years old (1982) – Baseball player
Jamie Chung – 43 years old (1983) – Actress
Andrew Dost – 43 years old (1983) – Guitarist and songwriter
Ryan Merriman – 43 years old (1983) – Actor
Jeremy Barrett – 42 years old (1984) – Figure skater
Mandy Moore – 42 years old (1984) – Singer-songwriter and actress
Barkhad Abdi – 41 years old (1985) – Somali-American actor and director
Corey Kluber – 40 years old (1986) – Baseball pitcher
Chris Heston – 38 years old (1988) – Baseball pitcher
Kareem Jackson – 38 years old (1988) – Football player
Haley Joel Osment – 38 years old (1988) – Actor
Charlie Culberson – 37 years old (1989) – Baseball player
DAYS OF THE YEAR FOR APRIL 10:
No events found for this date.
For additional information check out websites like: www.on-this-day.com, www.born-today.com, www.famousbirthdays.com, www.daysoftheyear.com, and www.nationaldaycalendar.com.
