Years Ago

Today is Wednesday, April 20, the 110th day of 2011. There are 255 days left in the year.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

On this date in:

1836: Congress votes to establish the Wisconsin Territory.

1861: Col. Robert E. Lee resigns his commission in the United States Army. (Lee goes on to command the Army of Northern Virginia, and eventually becomes general-in-chief of the Confederate forces.)

1889: Adolf Hitler is born in Braunau am Inn, Austria.

1945: During World War II, allied forces take control of the German cities of Nuremberg and Stuttgart.

1971: The Supreme Court unanimously upholds the use of busing to achieve racial desegregation in schools.

National Public Radio makes its on-air debut with live coverage of a U.S. Senate hearing on the Vietnam War.

1999: The Columbine High School massacre takes place in Colorado as two students, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, shoot and kill 12 classmates and one teacher before taking their own lives.

2010: An explosion on the Deepwater Horizon oil platform, leased by BP, kills 11 workers and begins spewing (by government estimates) 200 million gallons of crude into the Gulf of Mexico for nearly three months.

VINDICATOR FILES

1986: Dionna White of St. Patrick School and Nick Bush of South Range Middle School battle it out for the 53rd annual Vindicator Spelling Bee and after 15 words, Dionna wins the crown on the word “pseudonym.”

The Ungaro administration is tightening the reins on awarding city-subsidized loans because applicants far outnumber the funds available.

1971: Youngstown’s Lincoln School will become a junior high school and kindergarten through 6th grade students from Lincoln will be assigned to other East Side schools.

Warren sends notification in writing to 86 workers who will be laid off May 6. Included are 21 policemen, 26 firemen and 15 street department employees.

1961: The Sharon Steel Corp. will recall 250 workmen at its Roemer Works in Farrell.

A Trumbull County jury of six men and six women acquits Struthers gambler Ronald Carabbia of armed robbery charges in the $18,000 robbery of the Griswold Co. in Warren.

1936: City Detectives Leo Tyrrell and Henry Rochford seize three slot machines at the American Legion Club at 22 N. Phelps St. and arrest one man.

Some 5,000 dog lovers jam the Rayen-Wood Auditorium in Youngstown for the second day of the Mahoning-Shenango Kennel Club show.