Charles Jensen | Writer

Events

1614 – In Virginia, Native American Pocahontas marries English colonist John Rolfe.
1792 – U.S. President George Washington vetoes a bill designed to apportion representatives among U.S. states. This was the first time the presidential veto had been used in the United States.
1930 – In an act of civil disobedience, Mohandas Gandhi breaks British law after marching to the sea and making salt.
1951 – Ethel and Julius Rosenberg are sentenced to death for performing espionage for the Soviet Union.
1956 – Fidel Castro declares himself at war with the President of Cuba.
2006 – Apple Computer officially anounced the support of Windows XP for the Intel Mac with a program code-named “Boot Camp”.

Births

1588 – Thomas Hobbes, English philosopher (d. 1679)
1837 – Algernon Charles Swinburne, English poet (d. 1909)
1856 – Booker T. Washington, American educator (d. 1915)
1900 – Spencer Tracy, American actor (d. 1967)
1908 – Bette Davis, American actress (d. 1989)
1909 – Albert R. Broccoli, American film producer (d. 1996) (Bond films)
1916 – Gregory Peck, American actor (d. 2003)
1920 – Arthur Hailey, American writer (d. 2004)
1926 – Roger Corman, American film director, producer, and writer
1934 – Frank Gorshin, American actor (d. 2005) (Batman’s The Riddler)
1937 – Colin Powell, U.S. Secretary of State (2000-2004)
1942 – Peter Greenaway, Welsh film director
1964 – Christopher “Kid” Reid, American actor, rapper (Kid ‘n Play)
1968 – Paula Cole, American musician
1973 – Pharrell Williams, American musician and producer (The Neptunes)

Deaths

1964 – General Douglas MacArthur, U.S. general (b. 1880)
1976 – Howard Hughes, American aviation pioneer, film director, and eccentric (b. 1905)
1994 – Kurt Cobain, American musician (b. 1967)
1997 – Allen Ginsberg, American poet (b. 1926)

Holidays and observances

On April 5, 2006 at two minutes past one o’clock in the morning, it will be 01:02:03 04/05/06 — this will be the only time that this occurs until 2106 (for countries observing the mm/dd/yy date convention at least).
For those countries not on a 24-hour clock, this will also occur in the early afternoon.

Arbor Day in South Korea.

The last day of the tax year in the United Kingdom.

In Star Trek, April 5, 2063, is the First Contact Day. This day marks the first interaction of the human race and an extraterrestrial race, the Vulcans. This day is celebrated by some Trekkies.