TODAY IN HISTORY

Friday, April  06, 2012 AP Highlight in History:  On April 6, 1917, Congress approved a declaration of war against Germany as the United States entered World War I. Read the original AP story   AP Photo
On this date in: 1830 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints was organized by Joseph Smith in Fayette, N.Y. 1896 The first modern Olympic Games opened in Athens, Greece. 1909 Explorers Robert E. Peary and Matthew A. Henson purportedly became the first men to reach the North Pole. (The exact location they reached has since been called into question.) 1971 Composer Igor Stravinsky died at age 88. 1983 Interior Secretary James Watt banned the Beach Boys from the 4th of July celebration on the Washington Mall, saying rock 'n' roll bands attract the "wrong element."  Read the original AP story 1992 Science fiction author Isaac Asimov died at age 72. 1998 The Dow Jones industrial average closed above 9,000 points for the first time. 1998 Pakistan successfully tested a medium-range missile capable of striking neighboring India. 2001 Algerian national Ahmed Ressam, accused of bringing explosives into the United States days before the millennium celebrations, was convicted on terror charges. 2004 Jordan's military court convicted eight Muslim militants and sentenced them to death for the 2002 killing of U.S. aid official Laurence Foley in a terror conspiracy linked to al-Qaida. 2004 The University of Connecticut became the first school to win the NCAA Division I men's and women's basketball titles in the same season as the women's team beat Tennessee 70-61 for their third consecutive championship. 2005 Prince Rainier III of Monaco died at age 81. 2011 Portugal became the third debt-stressed European country to need a bailout as the prime minister announced his country would request international assistance.		Video Highlights of This Day in History Today's Birthdays: Actor Paul Rudd turns 43 years old today. AP Photo/Chris Pizzello Name Profession Age Andre Previn Pianist, conductor 83 Merle Haggard Country musician 75 Billy Dee Williams Actor 75 Barry Levinson Director ("Rain Man," "The Natural") 70 John Ratzenberger Actor ("Cheers") 65 Bert Blyleven Baseball Hall of Famer 61 Marilu Henner Actress ("Taxi," "Evening Shade") 60 Janet Lynn Figure skater 59 Warren Haynes Rock musician (Gov't Mule, The Allman Brothers Band) 52 Jason Hervey Actor ("The Wonder Years") 40 Candace Cameron Bure Actress ("Full House") 36 Eliza Coupe Actress ("Happy Endings") 31 Charlie McDermott Actor ("The Middle") 22 Actor-writer Zach Braff ("Scrubs") turns 37 years old today. AP Photo/Chris Pizzello