US RESUMES NUCLEAR TESTING
Today the United States detonated a nuclear bomb over Christmas Island in the South Pacific.
This was the 1st atmospheric nuclear test by the US since an agreement to stop such tests was signed with the USSR in 1958.
President Kennedy authorized the test after the Soviets stated their intention to violate the agreement & launched a series of 45 tests over a 2 month period.
Christmas Island
April 25, 1964
LBJ APPOINTS WESTMORELAND HEAD OF MACV
President Lyndon B. Johnson has appointed General William Westmoreland as head of the Military Assistance Command in South Vietnam.
General Westmoreland is to assume the post from Paul Harkins on June 20.*
*Westmoreland held the post until March 3, 1968 when LBJ announced his appointment to Army Chief of Staff.
Westmoreland Awards West Point Diploma to Roy F. Busdiecker
April 25, 1947
TRUMAN OPENS 1ST WHITE HOUSE BOWLING ALLEY
President Harry S Truman opened the 1st bowling alley in the West Wing of the White House today.
The 2 lane bowling alley was presented to the President as a gift from some fellow Missourians.
Mr. Truman's "1st ball" knocked down 7 of 10 pins.*
*Eisenhower, an avid golfer, apparently had little use for the bowling alley & had it turned into a copy room in 1955.
When Nixon became President, he had a single lane bowling alley installed.
Truman's White House Bowling Alley
April 25, 1945
EAST MEETS WEST AT THE ELBE
Soviet & American soldiers met each other today at the Elbe River in Germany.
The Americans were from the US 1st army patrol.
The 1st meeting took place on the west bank of the Elbe & was followed by a 2nd meeting at Torgau.
In attendance at the event was Soviet Marshal Georgi K. Zhukov.
Historic Marker for Elbe Day
April 25, 1831
"LION OF THE WEST" OPENS IN NEW YORK
"Lion of the West", a drama about a backwoods character based on the real-life David Crockett of Tennessee, opened today at the Park Theater in New York City.
Crockett, a congressman from the Volunteer State, has become a legend in his own time.
The play stars the popular actor, James Hackett, as Colonel Nimrod Wildfire.*
*2 years later, Crockett was back in the news with the publication of "Sketches & Eccentricities of Colonel David Crockett of West Tennessee".
Portrait of Colonel David Crockett
by John Gadsby Chapman
April 25, 1990
HUBBLE TELESCOPE IN ORBIT
The crew of the shuttle Discovery put the Hubble Space Telescope, named after astronomer Edwin Hubble, into a low orbit around the earth today.
The solar powered telescope should give astronomers a never before seen close-up view of the solar system, galaxy & universe.
The telescope will orbit the earth every 97 minutes.*
*The Hubble Telescope is expected to continue working until 2014.
Hubble Telescope in Orbit
photo by NASA (2009)
