On This Day - What Happened On April 3 - Encyclopedia Britannica

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1948 Implementation of the Marshall Plan On this day in 1948, U.S. President Harry S. Truman signed into law George C. Marshall's post-World War II plan to revive the economies of western and southern European countries so as to foster democracy in the region. Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (LC-USZ62-13033)

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Fazlur R. Khan American engineer bornApril 3, 1929Dhaka, IndiadiedMarch 27, 1982 (aged 52)Jeddah, Saudi Arabia© 2007 Index Open 1961 Eddie Murphy American actor and comedian 1958 Alec Baldwin American actor 1934 Jane Goodall British ethologist 1925 Tony Benn British politician 1924 Marlon Brando American actor See All Biographies On This Day

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2016 Private papers from a Panama law firm were made public and revealed how wealthy clients concealed their wealth and avoided paying taxes; the “Panama Papers” represented one of the biggest leaks of confidential data.Francois Mori/AP Images 1996 Federal agents in Montana apprehended Ted Kaczynski, an American terrorist known as the “Unabomber,” who had killed 3 persons and injured more than 20 with explosives sent through the U.S. postal system. Ted Kaczynski might have been inspired by The Secret Agent. Read about that book and others tied to terrible crimesJohn Youngbear/AP Images 1973 The first handheld mobile telephone call was made by an employee of Motorola, who called AT&T's Bell Laboratories. Sort fact from fiction in our quiz about gadgets and technology 1968 At an event for the Memphis sanitation workers' strike, American civil rights activist Martin Luther King, Jr., delivered his Mountaintop Speech; the following day he was assassinated. Take our quiz about Martin Luther King, JrMarion S. Trikosko, News & World Report, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (reproduction no. LC-DIG-ppmsc-01269) 1961 American comedian and actor Eddie Murphy was born in Brooklyn, New York. Sort fact from fiction in our film quizFrazer Harrison/Getty Images 1946 The Japanese army general Homma Masaharu was executed for forcing the Bataan Death March. Test your knowledge of World War IINARA 1930 Helmut Kohl, who served as chancellor of West Germany (1982–90) and of reunified Germany (1990–98), was born in Ludwigshafen am Rhein, Germany. How much do you know about German history?NATO photos 1924 American stage and motion-picture actor Marlon Brando was born in Omaha, Nebraska. Take our quiz about movie actors© 1951 Warner Brothers, Inc.; photograph from a private collection 1922 American singer and actress Doris Day, whose performances in movie musicals of the 1950s and sex comedies of the early 1960s made her a leading Hollywood star, was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. Take our quiz about A-list actorsEncyclopædia Britannica, Inc. 1922 Joseph Stalin became secretary-general of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, a position that provided the power base for his dictatorship. How much do you know about Russian history?Keystone—Hulton Archive/Getty Images 1882 While adjusting a picture on the wall of his home in St. Joseph, Missouri, American outlaw Jesse James was shot and killed by Robert Ford. Test your knowledge of famous outlawsLibrary of Congress, Washington, D.C. 1879 Sofia, liberated from the Ottoman Empire by Russian troops, was named the capital of Bulgaria. Sort fact from fiction in our quiz about European historyEncyclopædia Britannica, Inc. 1860 The Pony Express mail delivery system, which used continuous horse-and-rider relays along a 1,800-mile (2,900-km) route between St. Joseph, Missouri, and Sacramento, California, was launched in the United States. Test your knowledge of U.S. history© Eugene Comstock/stock.adobe.com SIGN UP FOR History's Biggest Headlines Discover the fascinating events that shaped the world, straight from our editors. SIGN UP Thanks for signing up for Today in History. Your first newsletter will arrive soon! SIGN UP By clicking "Sign Up" you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.