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April 02, 2007
Today in History
From the Library of Congress
American Memory
Today in History: April 2
At approximately 7 A.M. on Sunday, April 2, 1865, Ulysses S. Grant's army attacked Confederate lines at Petersburg, Virginia. By mid-afternoon, Confederate troops had begun to evacuate the town. The Union victory ensured the fall of Richmond, the capital of the Confederacy, located just 25 miles north of Petersburg.
President Jefferson Davis received word of the events in Petersburg while attending services at St. Paul's Church in Richmond. He abandoned the capital late that night on a train bound for Danville, Virginia.
From Those Were the Day - Today in History
1792 - The U.S. Congress authorized the first U.S. mint. Which mint was first? The one in Philadelphia, PA.
1889 - Charles Hall patented aluminum on this day.
1902 - The first motion picture theatre opened in Los Angeles. The Electric Theatre charged a dime to see an hour’s entertainment, including the films, The Capture of the Biddle Brothers and New York in a Blizzard. Now that’s entertainment!
1984 - John Thompson became the first black coach to lead his team to the NCAA college basketball championship. Georgetown’s Hoyas defeated Houston 84-75 in Seattle for the win. Thompson’s team in 1982 had finished second to North Carolina for the championship.
Posted by d-nadler at April 2, 2007 04:41 PM