President Lincoln was Shot at the Theater

April 14, Not a good day at the theater, not a good day at sea especially a sea filled with icebergs, but a good day for JCPenny Shoppers.

1611 - Prince Federico Cesi used the word "TELESCOPE" for the first time.

1865 - PRESIDENT LINCOLN was shot and mortally wounded by JOHN WILKES BOOTH, while attending the comedy ''Our American Cousin'' at Ford's Theater in Washington.  Lincoln died the following morning.

1772 - English citizen ELIZABETH RUSSELL died at age 104.  After Elizabeth died, the coroner made a shocking discovery:  She was a man.

1902 - J.C. PENNEY opened his first store, in Kemmerer, Wyoming.  The "C" stands for Cash.   The "J" stands for James.

1912 - The "unsinkable" TITANIC collided with an iceberg on its maiden voyage and began sinking.  716 passengers survived and 1,517 drowned in the icy water.

Their tragic deaths made LEONARDO DICAPRIO very rich and allowed JAMES CAMERON to make more than one man's share of underwater IMAX movies.

1940 - Actress HATTIE MCDANIEL became the FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN to win an OSCAR, for her supporting role in "Gone With The Wind".

1976 - STEVIE WONDER signed a $13 MILLION contract with Motown the most lucrative deal in the music industry at the time.

1993 - DON CALHOUN of Bloomington, Illinois, got a free ticket to the Chicago Bulls / Miami Heat game from a friend.

A member of the Bulls promo staff approached him during the second quarter and asked if he'd like to take a FULL-COURT shot at half time for $1 MILLION.  He accepted  he sank the shot and he went home a millionaire!  The reason the promo staff picked him:  He was wearing SHINY GOLD BOOTS!

2005 - The Transportation Security Administration banned passengers from carrying any type of LIGHTERS onto planes.  They lifted the ban in 2007.

2010 - Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull volcano erupted causing ash to eventually drift over much of Europe.  Air traffic was shut down over many parts of Europe for the next six days.