Top 5 Historical Events on April 19
A wide range of major and frequently terrible historical moments are reflected in the top five historical events on April 19. These events range from the beginnings of revolutions and acts of terrorism to significant changes in religious leadership, and each of these events left a substantial impact on their specific eras as well as the larger course of history.
1. American Revolutionary War Begins (1775):
On April 19th, 1775 in the State of Massachusetts the American Revolutionary War was initiated with the battles of Lexington and Concord. These were the first direct conflicts between colonists and British soldiers that started the long, feuded war in which the colonies sought independence from English monarchy and would form a nation.
2. Oklahoma City Bombing (1995):
The Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building located in Oklahoma City was bombed on April 19, 1995 by domestic terrorist, Timothy M. McVeigh, killing 168 people, including children, and injured many others. This was one of the worst terrorist attacks on United States soil because it was caused by United States citizens. This terrorist attack made the nation aware and more conscious of people in our own country that may be radical but hides behind the name of a typical United States’ citizen.
3. Warsaw Ghetto Uprising (1943):
April 19, 1943 was the start of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. The resistors were the Jewish residents from the Warsaw Ghetto in Poland who, during the second World War, fought and struggled against the German SS troops that were attempting to exterminate the remaining ghetto population or deport them to extermination or concentration camps. The uprising was the end and the final act of defiance by the Jews in the Warsaw Ghetto before the destruction and death that were imminent.
4. Waco Siege Ends (1993):
It wasn’t until April 19, 1993 that the sad end to the Waco Siege, in which the Branch Davidian facility was destroyed, was established. A forty-one day standoff with federal agents ended when the compound erupted in flames, killing seventy-six men, women, and children, including David Koresh, the group’s leader. This event sparked much public debate over the governments overreach of power and the freedom of religion.
5. Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger Elected Pope Benedict XVI (2005):
Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger succeeded Pope John Paul II in an election that took place on April 19, 2005 and took the name Benedict XVI. This was precedent defining after the reign of the previous pope. The fact that it was a pope election is historically important because they have been elected since the Pope was first established.
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