Spanish-American War……
April 25, 1898…….
The U.S. Congress officially declares war against Spain. It decreed that a de facto state of war had existed since April 21. Cuba had been fighting for independence from Spain. On May 1, U.S. Commodore George Dewey virtually destroyed the Spanish fleet while American losses were minimal during the Battle of Manila Bay. It was one of the most decisive naval battles in history and marked the end of the Spanish colonial period in Philippine history. The war would end in December with the signing of the Treaty of Paris of 1898 in which Spain renounced all claims to Cuba, gave Guam and Puerto Rico to the U.S., and transferred sovereignty over the Philippines to the U.S. for $20 million.
Chernobyl Disaster……
April 26, 1986……
The worst accident in the history of nuclear energy; it killed 30 people and spewed radioactive material over the Soviet Union and Europe. Two workers died immediately after the accident and another 28 died during the next four months. 106 workers suffered acute radiation sickness. The disaster started when workers were running experiments on the reactor. Safety mechanisms had been disabled to facilitate the tests. The tests eventually caused an explosion that blew the top off the reactor and spewed radioactive material into the atmosphere. Chernobyl would eventually be declared a tourist attraction (2011).
Worst Maritime Disaster in U.S. History……
April 27, 1865…….
The boilers explode on the steamboat Sultana near Memphis, killing 1,547 people. The Sultana was designed for a max capacity of 376 passengers, but was carrying 2,155 when three of her four boilers exploded. She burned to the water line and sank. The Sultana was carrying almost 2,000 former Union Civil War prisoners. The U.S. government was paying $5 per enlisted man and $10 per officer for their transport. The ship’s captain had offered a bribe in order to secure the government contract and was maximizing his profits by overloading his ship.