Today in History - History - April 2nd

1969Milwaukee Bucks sign (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Lew Alcindor)

1865CSA President Jefferson Davis flees Confederate capital of Richmond, VA

18001st performance of Ludwig van Beethoven's 1st Symphony in C

1979Israeli PM Menachem Begin visits Cairo Egypt/meets pres Sadat

1931Teenage girl strikes out Babe Ruth & Lou Gehrig in an exhibition game in Chattanooga, Tennessee

1921Prof Albert Einstein lectures in New York City on his new Theory of Relativity

197244th Academy Awards - "French Connection", Gene Hackman & Jane Fonda win

1917Jeannette Rankin (Rep-R-Mont) begins her term as 1st woman member of US House of Reps

1932Charles Lindbergh turns over $50,000 as ransom for kidnapped son

1976A's trade prospective free agents Reggie Jackson & Ken Holtzman, to Orioles for Don Baylor, Mike Torrez & Paul Mitchell

742Charlemagne, 1st Holy Roman emperor (800-14)

1805Hans Christian Andersen, Denmark, author of 150 fairy tales

1969Ajay Devgan, New Delhi, Indian actor and bollywood star (Phool Aur Kaante, Zakhm)

1939Marvin Gaye (Jr), Wash DC, singer (Sexual Healing)

1725Giacomo Casanova, Venice, Italian writer, adventurer and famous lover

1965Rodney King, Sacramento California, African American motorist beaten by LA cops, (d. 2012)

1975Actress Jane Curtin (27) weds television producer Patrick Lynch

1939Author Jacqueline Susann (20) weds Irving Mansfield at Har Zion Temple in Philadelphia

1919Heavyweight boxing champ Jack Dempsey (23) divorces Maxine Gates after 2 years of marriage

1984Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau (64) divorces Margaret Trudeau (35) due to irreconcilable differences after 13 years of marriage

1974Georges Pompidou, French President (1969-1974) and Prime Minister (1962-1968), dies in Paris at 62

2005Pope John Paul II, Polish Roman Catholic Pope (b. 1920)

1987Buddy Rich, drummer/orchestra leader (Away We Go), dies at 69

1872Samuel Morse developer of electric telegraph, dies at 80