TODAY IN HISTORY-APRIL 18, 2011

Today is Monday, April 18, the 108th day of 2011. There are 257 days left in the year. The Jewish holiday Passover begins at sunset.

THE HISTORY OF PASSOVER

Today in History: AP Highlight in History:  On April 18, 1906, a major earthquake struck San Francisco and set off raging fires. More than 3,000 people died. Read the original AP story   AP Photo
On this date in: 1775 Paul Revere began his ride from Charlestown to Lexington, Mass., warning American colonists that the British were coming. 1923 The first baseball game was played at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, with New York beating the Boston Red Sox 4-1. 1942 An air squadron led by Lt. Col. James H. Doolittle raided Tokyo and other Japanese cities. 1946 The League of Nations went out of business. 1949 The Irish Republic was proclaimed. 1955 Physicist Albert Einstein died at age 76. 1956 Actress Grace Kelly married Prince Rainier of Monaco. 1978 The U.S. Senate voted 68-32 to turn the Panama Canal over to Panamanian control in 1999. 1983 A suicide bomber killed 63 people, including 17 Americans, at the U.S. Embassy in Beirut, Lebanon. 1989 Thousands of Chinese students demanding democracy tried to storm Communist Party headquarters in Beijing. 1999 Wayne Gretzky, the National Hockey League's all-time leading scorer, played his last professional game, at Madison Square Garden in New York. AP Photo 2004 Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero ordered a withdrawal of Spanish troops from Iraq. 2007 The Supreme Court, in a 5-4 ruling, upheld a federal ban on a medical procedure that opponents calls partial-birth abortion.		Today's Birthdays: Comedian-talk show host Conan O'Brien turns 48 years old today. AP Photo/Chris Pizzello Name Profession Age James Drury Actor ("The Virginian") 77 Hayley Mills Actress 65 James Woods Actor 64 Rick Moranis Actor 58 Eric Roberts Actor 55 Melody Thomas Scott Actress ("The Young and the Restless") 55 Jane Leeves Actress ("Frasier") 50 Eric McCormack Actor ("Will and Grace") 48 Maria Bello Actress 44 Melissa Joan Hart Actress ("Sabrina the Teenage Witch") 35 America Ferrera Actress ("Ugly Betty') 27 Detroit Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera turns 28 years old today. AP Photo/Carlos Osorio

Thought for Today:

“War makes strange giant creatures out of us little routine men who inhabit the earth.” — Ernie Pyle, American war correspondent (1900-1945).

Daily Prayer

Lord Jesus, help me to remain faithful to You and your calling upon my life.  Strengthen and grow my faith as I daily search Your Scriptures and apply their truths to my spiritual walk.  As I go through the trials and experiences of my earthly journey would You fix my eyes and my ever-wandering heart upon Jesus. When the howling winds and forceful storms of this life attempt to shipwreck my faith may they instead prove my faith to be more than sufficient to withstand the continual assaults from the enemy.  Because I take refuge in Jesus my spiritual foundation is firm, always dependable, and leads me to glorious victory.  Amen.