On this Day

ON THIS DAY: Italian dictator Benito Mussolini is executed (1945)

On 28 April 1945, Italian dictator Benito Mussolini and his mistress, Clara Petacci, were captured and executed by Italian partisans as they attempted to...

ON THIS DAY: “Queen of jazz”, Ella Fitzgerald is born (1917)

On this day in 1917, Ella Fitzgerald, one of the most beloved and influential voices in the history of jazz, was born in Newport...

ON THIS DAY: The Annan Plan referendum in Cyprus (2004)

On 23 April 2004, Cyprus stood at a historic crossroads as the island’s communities voted in separate referendums on the United Nations’ proposed Annan...

ON THIS DAY: Henry VIII ascends to the English throne

22 April 1509 On this day in 1509, Henry VIII became King of England at the age of just 17, following the death of his...

ON THIS DAY: Charlotte Brontë is born (1816) and Mark Twain dies (1910)

The birth of Charlotte Brontë (1816) and the death of Mark Twain (1910) On 21 April, in literary history, the world witnessed both the arrival...