This Day in Pop Culture: April 14

What a bad day in pop culture history! On this day, President Abraham Lincoln is shot; the RMS Titanic hits an iceberg and even Hello Kitty has angered a crowd of baseball fans.

1865: President Abraham Lincoln is Shot

Abraham Lincoln getting shot at the theater — *(Wikimedia Commons)*

On April 12, President Abraham Lincoln gave a speech where he stated that African Americans deserved the right to vote. John Wilkes Booth was there and he became so upset by what he heard, he vowed to assassinate Lincoln. Booth learned that the president was attending the play Our American Cousin on Good Friday at the Ford Theatre.

During intermission of the show, Lincoln’s bodyguard, John Parker, left the president’s side and had a drink at the saloon located next door to the theatre. That’s when Booth snuck up behind the president and shot him at a very close range. Major Henry Rathbone apprehended Booth momentarily but was then stabbed by Booth who escaped.

Lincoln passed away the next day after being in a coma for nine hours. It took another 12 days for Booth to be found hiding on a farm in Virginia. He refused to surrender and was shot by Sergeant Boston Corbett.

1912: The RMS Titanic Hits an Iceberg

Illustration of the Titanic ship sinking. — Titanic sinking painting by Willy Stöwer *(Wikimedia Commons)*

The inspiration for James Cameron’s 1997 epic film, Titanic began on this day in 1912. The British passenger liner, the RMS Titanic, the “safest ship” on the sea, was only on her maiden voyage from Southampton, UK to New York City when it smacked into an iceberg. Within a few short hours it sank. Of the 2,224 passengers who were on board, over 1,500 of them died.

More people could have survived, but at the time, the Titanic wasn’t just the largest ship afloat. It had the most advanced safety features but only carried enough lifeboats for 1,178 people.

Of those who survived the ordeal, many lost all of their money and possessions including their primary breadwinners. Making matters worse, the men who survived the crash were treated badly and were accused of being cowards.

2025: Hello Kitty Causes Uproar at Baseball Game

Hello Kitty and baseballs — Hello Kitty *(Wikipedia and Pixabay)*

Pop culture icon Hello Kitty is known for bringing cheer everywhere she goes. One way she has done this is by visiting various professional baseball games. In recent years, she has been given the honor to throw out this first pitch. During this day, she was at Dodgers Stadium which was celebrating Jackie Robinson Day. In years past, this celebration day has been observed by having members of the Robinson family or local civil rights leaders perform the ceremonial duty. Not this day! It was all Hello Kitty. Making matters worse, Kitty sported a Dodgers uniform with the number 74 (she was created in 1974) instead of 42 (Jackie’s old number). So, who thought this was a good idea?

Crossed out squiggly shape and heart — *(Pixabay)*

1987: National Ex-Spouse Day

In 1987, Rev. Ronald Coleman of Kansas City, Missouri handed out buttons that said, “I’m OK – You’re History” as a way to help people lose their load of bitterness that they tend to carry after a divorce. He had hoped this gesture would help people to find a way to forgive their spouses and then move on.

1894: The First Commercial Motion Picture House

Although a Kinetoscope was not a movie projector, it was a device to view films one person at a time through a peephole. It was on this day that Thomas Edison opened the first commercial motion picture house in New York City, New York with ten Kinetoscopes to use.

Grapes of Wrath book cover — *(Wikimedia Commons)*

1939: The Grapes of Wrath is Published

The first edition of John Steinbeck’s novel, The Grapes of Wrath, was published on this day by the Viking Press. With a story set during the Great Depression, Steinbeck’s book won the National Book Award as well as a Pulitzer Prize. Henry Fonda starred in John Ford’s film version of the story in 1940.

1969: Best Actresses Tied During the Oscars

Barbra Streisand on the set of *On a Clear Day* after winning an Oscar (Wikimedia Commons)

In 1964, Barbara Streisand played Fanny Brice, the leading role in the Broadway musical, Funny Girl. For her performance, she was nominated for a Tony Award. She didn’t win. However, years later she reprised her role for the film adaptation. It was Streisand’s film debut.

During the 41st Academy Awards, which were held on this day, both 29-year-old Streisand and 61-year-old Katharine Hepburn (who appeared in The Lion in Winter) were nominated for the Best Actress Award. To the shock of many, the two tied when the votes came to an even 3030 for each of them.

Believe it or not, this was the second time that an acting award was split at the ceremony. The first time that it occurred was in 1932 when actors Fredric March received one vote more than Wallace Beery but because the count was so close, the Academy decided to honor them both for their achievements.