Today in Chicago History: Donald Trump tells ‘Apprentice' Bill Rancic — ‘You're hired'
Here's a look back at what happened in the Chicago area on April 15, according to the Tribune's archives.
Is an important event missing from this date? Email us.
Weather records (from the National Weather Service, Chicago)
1912: Who was on board and who survived? That's what was being asked — for days — after the White Star Line's famous steamship Titanic hit an iceberg and sank in the North Atlantic Ocean. News of the ocean liner's peril was carved into a late, extra edition of the Tribune on April 15, 1912, and much of the account was devoted to the prominent people aboard.
They included Charles M. Hays, president of the Grand Trunk Railway and a Rock Island, Ill., native; Francis Millet, an artist who was the decorations director for the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893; and William T. Stead, English journalist and reformer who wrote 'If Christ Came to Chicago.'
A Titanic survivor lived and died in Chicago's Chinatown — and inspired one of the 1997 movie's iconic scenes
The Tribune reported several passengers as Chicagoans: Ida Hippach and her 15-year-old daughter, Jean, and Ervin Lewy, a jeweler. The Hippaches survived; Lewy did not. (Fate at other times was unkind to the Hippaches. In 1903, two young sons, Robert and Archie, died in the horrific Iroquois Theater fire. Two years after the Titanic disaster, the third son died in an automobile accident. And in 1915, Jean was the passenger in a car crash that killed an 8-year-old boy.)
The agony of not knowing was heartbreakingly illustrated by the plight of Oscar Johnson, of St. Charles. A brief on page 2 of April 17's newspaper reported how his wife, two children and his two sisters were not among those saved. But the following day, under the headline, 'Merchant faints from joy,' the Tribune reported that the 32-year-old businessman 'fell over in a dead faint which lasted half an hour' when he received word that all five were rescued.
1977: A highly anticipated exhibit of items from King Tutankhamun's tomb opened at the Field Museum. Unlike his possessions, King Tut didn't make the trip to Chicago — his mummy remained in the Valley of the Kings outside Luxor, Egypt. A discotheque employee and his sister were first in line at 5 a.m.
For the next four months, visitors waited outside in the rain, heat and wind to enter the museum. Only a power outage on the Fourth of July kept visitors away. More than 1.3 million people — at a rate of more than 1,000 per hour — viewed the exhibit.
2004: In the finale to the first edition of the NBC reality show 'The Apprentice,' Donald Trump 'hired' Chicago businessman and Loyola University graduate Bill Rancic over Kwame Jackson during a segment that was telecast live.
As part of his prize, Rancic received a $250,000 salary and a job running one part of Trump's corporation. Trump offered him the chance to stay in Chicago and oversee the building of the new Trump International Hotel and Tower and Rancic took it.
'It's a coincidence that Bill comes from Chicago, and I have a big project going there,' Trump said. 'It just worked out. He's going to be outstanding.'
As for Rancic's choice of the Chicago building project over a job in California, he told the Tribune: 'Chicago is where I'm from, and to me it's the best city in the world.' Rancic stopped working for the future president before Trump Tower was completed in 2009.
Want more vintage Chicago?
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Editorial: The people of Central Florida stand as the real tribute to Pulse
The story of what happened in the early morning hours of June 12, 2016, began with gunshots, pain and terror. Forty-nine lives lost, dozens more injured in bodies and souls. The violence unleashed by a single gunman at Pulse nightclub left scars on this community that will never disappear. And at long last, local leaders have a plan for a fitting memorial to that tragedy. But that is not the end of this story, and that memorial will not be the most important way the Orlando area honors the legacy of Pulse. Even before the sun set on that fateful day, Central Floridians were building their own monuments, written in flowers, candles, prayers and tears. In public spaces across the region, people gathered, strangers coming together to reassure each other that this ugly act did not represent what this community stood for. And before the eyes of the world, that steadfast insistence made a difference. Orlando rebutted any suggestion that it provided a haven for hatred — by responding to ugly violence with love, kindness and solidarity. That response was anchored in common but often unspoken knowledge. Even before the Pulse massacre, Orlando was known as a place where members of the LGBTQ community could live in relative peace, even though homosexuality was a crime in Florida until 2003, and same-sex marriage was only legalized in 2015. It was also recognized as a haven for people from all over the world — not just tourists, but those who came to this country looking for a new start, even if they didn't speak perfect English. Clubs like Pulse provided safe spaces for people regardless of sexuality, national origin or skin color to come together in safety, to dance, to celebrate their common humanity instead of focusing on their differences. But many of Orlando's neighborhoods, businesses and houses of worship also worked to ensure that all were welcome. That made Central Florida unusual, particularly in the South. But what happened after Pulse made it extraordinary. Even as the shock of the massacre reverberated, there was little tolerance for intolerance. We're certain that there were people who attempted to preach the massacre as the wages of this area's acceptance of alternative sexualities, or who attempted to use the Islamic ideology of the killer (who also died that night) as a wedge for anti-Muslim hatred. But those voices were barely heard — even when they came from presidential campaigns. Instead, the Orlando LGBTQ community quickly forged an alliance with local Muslim leaders and Latino organizations, standing together against the kind of persecution that each community had far too much experience with. This is the legacy of Pulse, and one that we need today more than ever. Over recent years, Americans have seen their state and national leaders attempt to exploit ugly prejudice for political gain. In Florida, elected leaders tried to parlay angst about drag queen story hours and overly 'woke' teachers to distract attention from their attempts to weaken the strength of public schools and erase history lessons that underscore the toll that hatred extracts from today's society. More recently, unfounded antagonism against immigrants is being used to sow fear across many Orlando-area communities. The goal seems obvious: Every attempt to divide our communities makes us more vulnerable, more easily manipulated, more vulnerable to acts of political aggression that can easily flower into actual violence. That reality also hit hard locally in the aftermath of the January 6, 2021, attacks on the Capitol: The revelation that many of the ringleaders and their misguided followers hailed from Central Florida was a gut check, but that knowledge was tempered by the understanding that these groups, who called themselves 'Oath Keepers' and 'Proud Boys,' were in fact too ashamed of their own hateful ideology to embrace it publicly. Within a year, Orlando residents will see the new Pulse memorial taking shape at the corner of Kaley Street and Orange Avenue, and it will be beautiful: A stirring, color-shifting tribute to the 49 angels who died that morning, and the community that is still brought to tears by their memory. But residents don't need to wait for architects or builders to remember those victims, or to protect their legacy. We honor the victims of Pulse by rejecting attempts to divide us, by celebrating our shared humanity, and by remaining Orlando United — not just today, but every day. The Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board consists of Executive Editor Roger Simmons, Opinion Editor Krys Fluker and Viewpoints Editor Jay Reddick. Contact us at insight@
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
311Literacy Launches 'The Great People Manual' During Summer's Great Reading Tournament, Inviting Students, Parents, Teachers, Schools, and Sponsors to Join the Movement for Literacy and Character
Empowering Children with the Tools to Read, Reflect, and RelateWAYNE, Pa., June 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As millions of children around the world begin their summer break, 311Literacy is proud to unveil The Great People Manual, a groundbreaking bilingual character and values curriculum, during the highly anticipated Great Reading Tournament: Summer Edition. This new initiative combines reading with purpose, offering students the avenues to knowledge and fostering values to help them become kind, compassionate, and civically engaged human beings. While currently available through 311Literacy's summer reading tournament, this first-of-its-kind program will launch broadly this fall. The Great People Manual uses reading as a springboard to engage children in critical thinking about how to navigate the world around them. As students develop literacy skills, they also benefit from learning how to treat others well, make responsible choices, and engage with their communities. The Great People Manual is a bilingual, K-8 curriculum designed to foster civic-mindedness and social-emotional growth through engaging stories, short videos, and classroom or at-home activities. Available in English and Spanish, the program features universal virtues—like kindness, perseverance, gratitude, and collaboration—and introduces children to inspiring real-world role models including Abraham Lincoln, Mahatma Gandhi, Thích Nhất Hạnh, and Gabriela Mistral. As Ariadna Trapote, Executive Director of 311Literacy, explains: 'Literacy is the foundation of opportunity—but values like 'The Golden Rule' are the compass. We want every child not just to succeed, but to contribute, to connect, and to care.' The Great People Manual is integrated directly into The Great Reading Tournament (TGRT), so that children can explore these values through stories available within the Tournament's 10,000+ book library. As they compete to read the most minutes, they'll also absorb lessons about empathy, justice, and perseverance—proving that academic and moral development can go hand in hand. Now in its fourth edition, TGRT is more global than ever. From June 15 to July 19, 2025, nearly 30,000 students from more than 32 countries will log in, level up, and read as much as they can—in both English and Spanish. The platform automatically tracks their reading time, provides comprehension checks, and features live leaderboards for individual and group competitions. Top readers will be eligible for prizes, but every participant walks away with something even more powerful: a deeper love of reading. In past tournaments, upwards of 25% of participants continued logging reading minutes well after the close of the contest. 'We are thrilled to sponsor The Great Reading Tournament,' says Ruben Abarca, CEO of High Impact Tutors. 'As a STEM company, we know that the foundation of every scientific breakthrough, every technological leap, and every engineering marvel is the ability to read and learn. Reading isn't just fundamental—it's the launchpad for every future innovator.' Join the Movement 311Literacy invites families, educators, and schools to join this free, international celebration of literacy and character. Want to explore The Great People Manual or request a trial version? Email us at info@ or visit Want to register for The Great Reading Tournament? Visit and sign up today. Want to help more children participate? Sponsorships start at just $10 per student. Support a child's right to read and grow—contact us at info@ About 311Literacy311Literacy is a nonprofit organization committed to advancing bilingual literacy and character development for all children. Through innovative programs like The Great Reading Tournament and The Great People Manual, 311Literacy helps build not only great readers—but even greater people. Together, let's raise a generation that reads to learn and lives to lead. Contact:info@ A photo accompanying this announcement is available at
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
A Metal Detectorist Found an Ancient Gold Coin That May Mark the Rise of Christianity
Here's what you'll learn when you read this story: A metal detectorist discovered a rare gold coin from the seventh century in an English field. The coin is the first schilling of its kind ever found and includes a depiction of a man dancing. The newly discovered shilling tested at about 60 percent gold content. A gold shilling located by a metal detectorist near Norwich may be no larger than a fingernail, but it wields quite a bit of history—and some distinct designs. The small gold coin discovered in the fall has led coin expert Adrian Marsden of the Norfolk Historic Environment Service to research the unique emblems marking the coin. He published his view on the find in The Searcher, highlighting that the coin is the first of its kind ever found. 'It's of a wholly new type, undoubtedly English—and East Anglian,' he wrote, adding that it's likely from the seventh century A.D., likely between 640 and 660 A.D., when Pagan beliefs were giving way to Christianity in Britain. Located in an area that has yielded other seventh-century coins, the decorated schilling is connected to a series of shillings Marsden has seen before. But this one is still in a class on its own, thanks in part to the design that packs plenty in a small space. 'The obverse of this one has a man, with a rather oversized head, performing what appears to be a jig with his legs crossed whilst placing a cross, held out in his left hand, over an odd design composed of three interlocked triangles,' Marsden wrote. He said the Christian elements with the cross are obvious, inspired by the standard depiction of Christian emperors of the late Roman empire. The interlinked triangles are better known as a valknut, he said, a pagan design that has an uncertain meaning. They could be associated with the Scandinavian god Odin, who helped bring the dead to the afterlife, but the expert calls that 'speculation,' since nobody is quite sure what the valknut—the word is a modern compound meaning knot of those fallen in battle—symbol really stands for. The other side includes a cross-like design enclosed by a border of small pellets. The questions surrounding the symbolism point to a time where both Pagan and Christian images were used, Marsden says. The unique design could be a form of a cross or even a swastika, which at the time was likely a good luck symbol. The coin also had a poor attempt at a Latin-style inscription that Marsden said really didn't amount to any language. The coin was tested for purity, and all results rendered it with a gold content of over 56 percent to over 60 percent, in line with a modern-day wedding ring, giving the coin a pure look that would have likely been uncommon in the seventh century. Under the nation's updated Treasure Act, the coin will likely be displayed at a museum, possibly the Norwich Castle Museum. 'I think that this shilling does stand at the head of an East Anglian Royal coinage that quickly—as the kingdom became Christian—got rid of the valknut and retained the cross,' Marsden surmised about the provenance. 'The new coin straddles two eras, the Pagan and the Christian.' You Might Also Like The Do's and Don'ts of Using Painter's Tape The Best Portable BBQ Grills for Cooking Anywhere Can a Smart Watch Prolong Your Life?
