TODAY IN HISTORY

Tuesday, April  17, 2012 AP Highlight in History: On April 17, 1970, the astronauts of Apollo 13 splashed down safely in the Pacific Ocean, four days after a ruptured oxygen tank crippled their spacecraft. AP Photo On this date in: 1521 Martin Luther went before the Diet of Worms to face charges stemming from his religious writings. 1790 American statesman Benjamin Franklin died in Philadelphia at age 84. 1861 The Virginia State Convention voted to secede from the Union. 1951 Baseball Hall of Famer Mickey Mantle made his major league debut with the New York Yankees. AP Photo 1961 About 1,500 CIA-trained Cuban exiles launched an invasion at the Bay of Pigs on the southwestern coast of Cuba in a failed attempt to overthrow Fidel Castro. President John F. Kennedy 1964 The Ford Motor Co. unveiled the Mustang. 1975 Phnom Penh fell to Communist insurgents, ending Cambodia's five-year civil war. 1996 Lyle and Erik Menendez were spared the death penalty by a Los Angeles jury, which recommended they serve life in prison without parole for killing their wealthy parents. 2001 Barry Bonds of the San Francisco Giants hit his 500th career home run, becoming the 17th major leaguer to reach the mark. Video Highlights of This Day in History Today's Birthdays: Actress Jennifer Garner ("Alias") turns 40 years old today. AP Photo/Evan Agostini Name Profession Age Jan Hammer Composer, musician 64 William Mapother Actor ("Lost") 47 Liz Phair Rock singer 45 Redman Rapper, actor 42 Singer Victoria Beckham (Spice Girls) turns 38 years old today. AP Photo/Jonathan Short