ON THIS DAY
On this day in history April 9-16
April 9, 2017 - April 15, 2017 - This week features the Japanese-built Kamikaze plane, the departure of the RMS Titanic on her maiden voyage, the "dust bowl" states in the U.S. mid-west, the World Heritage Trust side Cuenca, the end of Nelson Mandela's marriage to his wife Winnie, the creation of the first modern atlas, and the first McDonald's hamburger restaurant.
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April 9, 1937: The Kamikaze, a Mitsubishi Ki-15 Karigane aircraft sponsored by the newspaper Asahi Shimbun, became the first Japanese-built plane to fly to Europe
April 10, 1912: The ill-fated RMS Titanic sailed from Southampton on her maiden voyage to New York. Over 1,500 people died when the ship sank after hitting an iceberg
April 11, 1935: Dust storms threatened many of the “dust bowl” states of the U.S. mid-west, bringing calls for the government to declare the region a disaster area
April 12, 1557: The city of Cuenca, in the highlands of Ecuador, was founded by Spanish explorers. The historic centre is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Trust site
April 13, 1992: Nelson Mandela separated from his wife Winnie after more than three decades of marriage. They divorced in 1996 and he later married Graca Machel
April 14, 1527: Abraham Ortelius, Flemish cartographer who created the first modern atlas, the Theatrum Orbis Terrarum, was born. His atlas, with 53 maps, was issued in 1570
April 15, 1955: U.S. salesman Ray Kroc opened his first McDonald’s hamburger restaurant in Illinois. He later built the chain into the world’s most successful fast food operation