Today in History.....April 4

On this day in …

*1924, Joe Gringo's dad was born, he died March 23, 1990.

*1951, Joe Gringo's oldest brother was born.

* 1818, Congress decided the flag of the United States would consist of 13 red and white stripes and 20 stars, with a new star to be added for every new state of the Union

* 1841, President Harrison succumbed to pneumonia one month after his inauguration, becoming the first U.S. chief executive to die in office

* 1902, British financier Cecil Rhodes left $10 million in his will to provide scholarships for Americans at Oxford University

* 1945, during World War II, U.S. troops on Okinawa encountered the first significant resistance from Japanese forces

* 1949, 12 nations, including the United States, signed the North Atlantic Treaty

* 1968, civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., 39, was assassinated in Memphis, Tenn.

* 1983, the space shuttle Challenger roared into orbit on its maiden voyage

* 1996, President Clinton signed legislation severing the link between crop prices and government subsidies. ALSO: The former general manager of Daiwa Bank's New York branch pleaded guilty to aiding a $1.1 billion cover-up

* 2001, Chinese President Jiang Zemin demanded the United States apologize for the collision between a U.S. Navy spy plane and a Chinese fighter jet; the Bush administration offered a chorus of regrets, but no apology. ALSO: Hideo Nomo became the fourth pitcher in major league history to throw a no-hitter in both leagues with Boston's 3-0 victory over Baltimore

* 2005, the Supreme Court ruled creditors could not seize the Individual Retirement Accounts of bankrupt people