Discover what happened on April 25 in history, along with notable events that shaped science, space exploration, and public health.
What Happened on April 25 in History?
From a groundbreaking discovery in genetics to a major milestone in space observation and the beginning of a public health crisis, April 25 highlights moments that changed how we understand and live in the world.
APRIL 25 – TODAY IN HISTORY:
1684 – A patent was granted for the thimble.
1846 – The Mexican-American War ignited as a result of disputes over claims to Texas boundaries. The outcome of the war fixed Texas’ southern boundary at the Rio Grande River.
1898 – The U.S. declared war on Spain. Spain had declared war on the U.S. the day before.
1901 – The Detroit Tigers played their first game at home as a major league team against the Milwaukee Brewers at Bennett Park.
1901 – New York became the first state to require license plates for cars. The fee was $1.
1928 – A seeing eye dog was used for the first time. Buddy, a German Shepherd, became Morris Frank’s companion.
1940 – W2XBS (now WCBS-TV) in New York, NY, presented the first circus on TV.
1953 – U.S. Senator Wayne Morse ended the longest speech in Senate history. The speech on the Offshore Oil Bill lasted 22 hours and 26 minutes.
1953 – Dr. James D. Watson and Dr. Francis H.C. Crick suggested the double helix structure of DNA.
1954 – The first practical solar cell is publicly demonstrated by Bell Telephone Laboratories in New York, NY.
1959 – St. Lawrence Seaway opened to shipping. The water way connects the Great Lakes and the Atlantic Ocean.
1961 – Robert Noyce was granted a patent for the integrated circuit.
1962 – The U.S. spacecraft, Ranger, crashed on the Moon.
1963 – Amway held their first International Sales Convention.
1966 – Jack Valenti, an aide to President Lyndon Johnson, was hired as the head of the Motion Picture Association of America. A position he held for 38 years. While there, he created movie ratings.
1976 – It was rollercoaster spring weather in West Michigan. After four days with temperatures in the 80s from the 15th to the 18th, temperatures dropped back into the 30s with 3″ of heavy wet snow falling in Grand Rapids, MI.
1982 – Jane Fonda released her first workout video.
1983 – The Pioneer 10 spacecraft crossed Pluto’s orbit, speeding on its endless voyage through the Milky Way.
1988 – Sonny Bono was elected mayor of Palm Springs, CA. Six years later, in 1994 he was elected to Congress. He died in a skiing accident in 1997.
1990 – The U.S. Hubble Space Telescope was placed into Earth’s orbit. It was released by the Space Shuttle Discovery.
1992 – The final episodes of TV’s “Growing Pains” and “Who’s the Boss” aired on ABC.
1998 – First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton was questioned by Whitewater prosecutors on videotape about her work as a private lawyer for the failed savings and loan at the center of the investigation.
2000 – In a move to preserve public areas, the National Park Service prohibited the recreational use of snowmobiles in nearly all national parks, monuments and recreational areas.
2003 – Southwest Airlines fired two pilots for “inappropriate conduct” after they removed most of their clothes in the cockpit of a Boeing 737. The pilots claimed they spilled coffee on their uniforms. The Federal Aviation Administration said that rules forbid behavior that distracts crew members, but there was no specific ban on flying naked.
2005 – “Runaway Bride” Jennifer Wilbanks turned up in Albuquerque, NM after claiming she had been abducted.
2007 – The Dow Jones industrial average closed above 13,000 for the first time.
2014 – The Flint, MI water crisis began when officials switched the city’s water supply to the Flint River, leading to lead and bacteria contamination.
2018 – Ford Motor Company announced that in the near future they would be condensing their line of U.S. car models to just the Mustang and the forthcoming Focus Active. The company would still manufacture a range of SUVs and trucks, including the Escape, Explorer, Bronco, and F-150.
2019 – Microsoft became the third company in the United States to be listed with a market value of $1 trillion, after Apple and Amazon.
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS ON APRIL 25:
Al Pacino – 86 years old (1940) – Actor and director
Jon Kyl – 84 years old (1942) – Lawyer and politician
Stu Cook – 81 years old (1945) – Bass player Creedence Clearwater Revival , songwriter, and producer
Richard C. Hoagland – 81 years old (1945) – Theorist and author
Talia Shire – 80 years old (1946) – Actress
Jeffrey DeMunn – 79 years old (1947) – Actor
Ron Clements – 73 years old (1953) – Animator, producer, and screenwriter
Randy Cross – 72 years old (1954) – Football player and sportscaster
Zev Siegl – 71 years old (1955) – Businessman, co-founded Starbucks
Mike DeVault – 68 years old (1958) – Politician
Dinesh D'Souza – 65 years old (1961) – Indian-American journalist and author
Hank Azaria – 62 years old (1964) – Actor, voice artist, comedian and producer
Eric Avery – 61 years old (1965) – Bass player and songwriter
Mark Bryant – 61 years old (1965) – Basketball player and coach
Darren Holmes – 60 years old (1966) – Baseball player and coach
Angel Martino – 59 years old (1967) – Swimmer
Joe Buck – 57 years old (1969) – Sportscaster
Jon Olsen – 57 years old (1969) – Swimmer
Darren Woodson – 57 years old (1969) – Football player and sportscaster
Renée Zellweger – 57 years old (1969) – Actress and producer
Jason Lee – 56 years old (1970) – Skateboarder, actor, comedian and producer
Jacque Jones – 51 years old (1975) – Baseball player and coach
Tim Duncan – 50 years old (1976) – Basketball player
Marguerite Moreau – 49 years old (1977) – Actress and producer
Matthew West – 49 years old (1977) – Singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor
DeAngelo Williams – 43 years old (1983) – Football player
Gwen Jorgensen – 40 years old (1986) – Triathlete
Jay Park – 39 years old (1987) – American-South Korean singer-songwriter and dancer
Sara Paxton – 38 years old (1988) – Actress
Jordan Poyer – 35 years old (1991) – Football player
Alex Shibutani – 35 years old (1991) – Ice dancer
Alex Bowman – 33 years old (1993) – Race car driver
Daniel Norris – 33 years old (1993) – Baseball player
Maggie Rogers – 32 years old (1994) – Musician
Packy Hanrahan – 31 years old (1995) – Bowler
Satou Sabally – 28 years old (1998) – German-American basketball player
DAYS OF THE YEAR FOR APRIL 25:
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.
