This Day in History: 4/20

Take your seats for history class everyone…. wait why are all your eyes so red? O well, we’ll talk about that later. Lot of action of 4/20, maybe more action than your lungs got… from breathing. Pens & paper out, lets learn.

World History

4/20 has welcomed and seen some of the worst events and people the world has ever seen/come to know. In 1889, arguably the worst human to ever live, Adolf Hitler, was born in Austria, not the nation he ruled over, Germany. A century after this in 1999, the school shooting at Columbine High School in Colorado took place, which killed 13 people and sent 24 to the hospital.

In happier news, 4/20 welcomed Baywatch babe Carmen Electra in 1972, and in 1862 the first pasteurization test was completed by Frenchmen Louis Pasteur and Claude Bernard shout out milk and other dairy products. Speaking of dairy, in 1836 on 4/20, the territory of Wisconsin was formed. And for you actors/film people out there, the first performance of William Shakespeare’s Macbeth took place in London’s Globe Theater in 1611.

Sports History

4/20 in the sports world has it’s biggest impact on the baseball world in several cities. This day in 1912, Fenway Park officially opened as the Red Sox beat the New York Highlanders 7-6 in 11 innings, and 27 years later, Red Sox and American legend Ted Williams recorded his first hit, which was a double off of the Yankees.

The same day as iconic Fenway Park opened in 1912, the Detroit Tigers unveiled their new stadium, Tiger Stadium, against the Cleavland Indians. The Tigers would win the game 6-5 and played in Tiger Stadium until 2007.

Moving down I-94 and across Lake Michigan, 4/20 continues it’s high impact on the baseball world in Chicago. In 1916, the Chicago Cubs played their first game at Wrigley Field, which was then known as Weeghman Park, and defeated the Reds 7-6. Weeghman Park was eventually named Wrigley Field in 1926 after the death of owner William Wrigley Jr.

Another baseball first took place today in 1997, as Hawaii hosted it’s first MLB games. The Cardinals defeated the Padres in a doubleheader.

And for everyone who watched episodes 1 & 2 of The Last Dance, MJ’s NBA playoff record-high 63 points in Game 2’s loss against the Celtics took place today in 1986.