April 26: The Great Debate, Chernobyl and Oscar Wilde Self-Destructs

On This Day in History April 26, 2020 Historical Events 1478  Pazzi conspirators attack Lorenzo de'Medici and kill Giuliano de'Medici in Florence 1920  Harlow Shapley and Heber D. Curtis hold "great debate" on the nature of nebulae, galaxies and size of the universe at US National Academy of Sciences, Washington, D.C. 1945  Marshal Philippe Pétain, leader of France's Vichy collaborationist regime during World War II, arrested for treason 1956  First modern container ship, the Ideal X, leaves Port Newark, New Jersey for Houston, Texas 1986  World's worst nuclear disaster: 4th reactor at Chernobyl nuclear power station in USSR explodes, 31 die, radioactive contamination reaches much of Western Europe 2005  Under international pressure, Syria withdraws the last of its 14,000 troop military garrison in Lebanon, ending its 29-year military domination of that country. More Historical Events Famous Birthdays Frederick Law Olmsted (1822 - 1903) Marcus Aurelius (121 - 180) Melania Trump 50th Birthday Rudolf Hess (1894 - 1987) More Famous Birthdays Famous Deaths John Wilkes Booth (1838 - 1865) Lucille Ball (1911 - 1989) More Famous Deaths April 26: Oscar Wilde Presses Self-Destruct Button When Oscar Wilde sued the Marquess of Queensberry for libel over a sodomite slur, he opened the door to social and financial ruin that would lead to his death. Read the Article You Might Like Take Our Weekly Quiz You received this email because you opted in at our website, OnThisDay.com Update Your Preferences | Unsubscribe © 2020 OnThisDay.com 2 Acacia Place, Tauranga 3110, New Zealand