Today in history April 4: Martin Luther King Jr. assassinated in Memphis in 1968
There’s a lot to look back on in history for April 4. Here are a couple of notable moments.
1968: The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated on a balcony at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. He was 39 years old. In a speech he gave before the shooting, King said, “I’ve seen the promised land. I might not get there with you, but I want you to know tonight that we are the people who will get to the promised land."
1841: In Washington, President William Henry Harrison died of pneumonia. It was just one month after his presidential inauguration. Harrison was the first U.S. president to die in office. His presidency remains the briefest.
1974: In Cincinnati, Hank Aaron, of the Atlanta Braves, hits his 714th career home run. The record tied with baseball great Babe Ruth’s record. Aaron went on to break the record days later.
1928: The poet, writer, actress and African-American activist Maya Angelou was born on this day in St. Louis.
Learn more about historic April 4 moments in the video player above.