What Happened On This Day ? April 5
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1998
The world's largest suspension bridge opens to traffic
The Akashi Kaiky? Bridge in Japan features the world's longest central span, measuring 1991 meters (6532 feet).
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1986
A bomb kills 3 people at the La Belle in West Berlin
The attack on the nightclub, which was frequented by U.S. soldiers, was later blamed on the Libyan secret service. In retaliatory strikes, at least 15 people were killed in Libya.
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1955
Winston Churchill resigns as U.K. Prime Minister
Churchill was instrumental in initiating the alliance between the U.K., the U.S., and the Soviet Union against Nazi Germany. His political career spanned half a century.
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1951
Ethel and Julius Rosenberg are sentenced to death
The U.S. couple was accused of passing information about nuclear weapons on to the Soviet Union. It later emerged that Ethel was not involved in her husband's activities. Both were executed in 1953.
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1895
Oscar Wilde loses his criminal libel case triggered by accusations of homosexuality
The Marquess of Queensbury had left his calling card in the Albemarle Club with the added inscription, “For Oscar Wilde posing Somdomite” (sic).
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1997
Allen Ginsberg
American poet
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1994
Kurt Cobain
American singer-songwriter, guitarist
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1976
Howard Hughes
American engineer, director
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1975
Chiang Kai-shek
Chinese military leader, politician, President of the Republic of China
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1928
Roy Kilner
English cricketer