Rodney King Riots April 29, 1992 The four white police officers accused of beating Rodney King are acquitted. Los Angeles street riots followed - the worst U.S. riots in 75 years. 51 people were killed, 2,383 were injured, and more than 9,000 were arrested.

Maryland April 28, 1788 Maryland becomes the 7th U.S. state. In 1632, Charles I of England granted Lord Baltimore a colonial charter, naming the colony after Charles' wife, Henrietta Maria.

Worst Maritime Disaster in U.S. History April 27, 1865 The boilers explode on the steamboat Sultana near Memphis, killing 1,547 people. The Sultana was designed for a max capacity of 376 passengers, but was carrying 2,155 when three of her four boilers exploded. She burned to the water line and sank. The Sultana was ca...

Iranian Hostage Crisis - Rescue Disaster April 24, 1980 An attempt to rescue the hostages of the Iranian hostage crisis ends in disaster when a helicopter crashes into a transport plane killing eight Americans and wounding five others. The secret rescue mission, codenamed "Eagle Claw", had already been aborte...

New Coke April 23, 1985 Coca-Cola announces it is changing its 99-year-old formula, introducing what was to become known as "New Coke." Less than three months later, due to public outcry and poor sales, they brought back the old formula under the name "Coca-Cola Classic."