Almanac - Thursday 4/28/22

1253 – Nichiren, a Japanese Buddhist monk, propounds Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō for the very first time and declares it to be the essence of Buddhism, in effect founding Nichiren Buddhism.

1789 – Mutiny on the Bounty: Lieutenant William Bligh and 18 sailors are set adrift and the rebel crew returns to Tahiti briefly and then sets sail for Pitcairn Island.

1869 – Chinese and Irish laborers for the Central Pacific Railroad working on the First Transcontinental Railroad lay ten miles of track in one day, a feat which has never been matched.

1923 – Wembley Stadium is opened, named initially as the Empire Stadium.

1947 – Thor Heyerdahl and five crew mates set out from Peru on the Kon-Tiki to demonstrate that Peruvian natives could have settled Polynesia.

1948 – Igor Stravinsky conducted the premiere of his American ballet, Orpheus at the New York City Center.

1952 – The Treaty of San Francisco comes into effect, restoring Japanese sovereignty and ending its state of war with most of the Allies of World War II.

1965 – United States occupation of the Dominican Republic: American troops land in the Dominican Republic to "forestall establishment of a Communist dictatorship" and to evacuate U.S. Army troops.

1967 – Vietnam War: Boxer Muhammad Ali refuses his induction into the United States Army and is subsequently stripped of his championship and license.

1970 – Vietnam War: U.S. President Richard Nixon formally authorizes American combat troops to take part in the Cambodian campaign.

1973 – The Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd, recorded in Abbey Road Studios goes to number one on the US Billboard chart, beginning a record-breaking 741-week chart run.

1996 – Whitewater controversy: President Bill Clinton gives a 41⁄2 hour videotaped testimony for the defense.

2004 – CBS News released evidence of the Abu Ghraib torture and prisoner abuse. The photographs show rape and abuse from the American troops over Iraqi detainees.

…and if today is your birthday, Happy Birthday To You! You share this special day with…

1758 – James Monroe, American soldier, lawyer, and politician, 5th President of the United States (d. 1831)

1878 – Lionel Barrymore, American actor and director (d. 1954)

1906 – Kurt Gödel, Czech-American mathematician, philosopher, and academic (d. 1978)

1908 – Oskar Schindler, Czech-German businessman (d. 1974)

1916 – Ferruccio Lamborghini, Italian businessman, created Lamborghini (d. 1993)

1924 – Blossom Dearie, American singer and pianist (d. 2009)

1924 – Kenneth Kaunda, Zambian educator and politician, first president of Zambia (d. 2021)

1926 – Harper Lee, American novelist (d. 2016)

1930 – Carolyn Jones, American actress (d. 1983)

1936 – Tariq Aziz, Iraqi journalist and politician, Iraqi Minister of Foreign Affairs (d. 2015)

1937 – Saddam Hussein, Iraqi general and politician, 5th President of Iraq (d. 2006)

1937 – Jean Redpath, Scottish singer-songwriter (d. 2014)

1941 – Ann-Margret, Swedish-American actress, singer, and dancer

1944 – Alice Waters, American chef and author

1948 – Terry Pratchett, English journalist, author, and screenwriter (d. 2015)

1950 – Willie Colón, Puerto Rican-American trombonist and producer

1950 – Jay Leno, American comedian, talk show host, and producer

1966 – Too Short, American rapper, producer and actor

1974 – Penélope Cruz, Spanish actress and producer

1981 – Jessica Alba, American model and actress