Today in History: First franchised McDonald's restaurant opens in Illinois
Today is Tuesday, April 15, the 105th day of 2025. There are 260 days left in the year.
Today in history:
On April 15, 1955, Ray Kroc opened the first franchised McDonald's restaurant in Des Plaines, Illinois.
Also on this date:
In 1865, Abraham Lincoln died after being shot by John Wilkes Booth at Ford's Theater the previous evening; Andrew Johnson was sworn in as the 17th president hours later.
In 1912, the British luxury liner RMS Titanic sunk in the North Atlantic off Newfoundland just over two and a half hours after hitting an iceberg on its maiden voyage. Over 1,500 people died; 710 survived.
In 1947, Jackie Robinson, baseball's first Black major league player of the modern era, made his official debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers on opening day at Ebbets Field. (The Dodgers defeated the Boston Braves, 5-3.)
In 1974, members of the Symbionese Liberation Army held up a branch of the Hibernia Bank in San Francisco; a member of the group was SLA kidnap victim Patricia Hearst. (Hearst later said she had been forced to participate in the robbery.)
In 1989, a crush of soccer fans at Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield, England, caused 97 deaths and over 760 injuries.
In 2013, two bombs made from pressure cookers exploded at the Boston Marathon finish line, killing two women and an 8-year-old boy and injuring more than 260.
In 2019, fire swept across the top of the Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral during renovation work on the landmark structure; the blaze collapsed the cathedral's spire and spread to one of its iconic rectangular towers. (The cathedral was restored and reopened to the public in December 2024.)
Today's Birthdays: Actor Claudia Cardinale is 87. Basketball Hall of Famer Michael Cooper is 69. Olympic track & field gold medalist Evelyn Ashford is 68. Actor-screenwriter Emma Thompson is 66. Singer Samantha Fox is 59. Olympic swimming gold medalist Dara Torres is 58. Singer Luis Fonsi is 47. Country singer-songwriter Chris Stapleton is 47. Actor Luke Evans is 46. Actor-writer Seth Rogen is 43. Actor Alice Braga is 42. Singer-songwriter Margo Price is 42. Actor Samira Wiley is 38. Actor Emma Watson is 35. Actor Maisie Williams is 28.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
34 minutes ago
- Yahoo
‘Day of the Jackal' author Frederick Forsyth dies at 86
Frederick Forsyth, the British author of 'The Day of the Jackal' and other bestselling thrillers, has died after a brief illness, his literary agent said Monday. He was 86. Jonathan Lloyd, his agent, said Forsyth died at home early Monday surrounded by his family. 'We mourn the passing of one of the world's greatest thriller writers,' Lloyd said. Born in Kent, in southern England, in 1938, Forsyth served as a Royal Air Force pilot before becoming a foreign correspondent. He covered the attempted assassination of French President Charles de Gaulle in 1962, which provided inspiration for 'The Day of the Jackal,' his bestselling political thriller about a professional assassin. Published in 1971, the book propelled him into global fame. It was made into a film in 1973 starring Edward Fox as the Jackal and more recently a television series starring Eddie Redmayne and Lashana Lynch. In 2015, Forsyth told the BBC that he had also worked for the British intelligence agency MI6 for many years, starting from when he covered a civil war in Nigeria in the 1960s. Although Forsyth said he did other jobs for the agency, he said he was not paid for his services and 'it was hard to say no' to officials seeking information. 'The zeitgeist was different,' he told the BBC. 'The Cold War was very much on.' He wrote more than 25 books including 'The Afghan,' 'The Kill List,' 'The Dogs of War' and 'The Fist of God' that have sold over 75 million copies, Lloyd said. His publisher, Bill Scott-Kerr, said that 'Revenge of Odessa,' a sequel to the 1974 book 'The Odessa File' that Forsyth worked on with fellow thriller author Tony Kent, will be published in August. 'Still read by millions across the world, Freddie's thrillers define the genre and are still the benchmark to which contemporary writers aspire,' Scott-Kerr said.
USA Today
3 hours ago
- USA Today
Blue Ivy Carter reclaims her title, wins BET YoungStars Award once again amid Beyoncé tour
Blue Ivy Carter reclaims her title, wins BET YoungStars Award once again amid Beyoncé tour Blue Ivy Carter is a young star indeed, reclaiming her title once again at the BET Awards. The 13-year-old daughter of Beyoncé and Jay Z took home the Young Stars Award for a second year in a row at the 25th BET Awards. The awards show, dubbed culture's biggest night, took place at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on June 9. The YoungStars Award honors young entertainers who have had an impact in television, film, music or sports. Akira Akbar, Graceyn 'Gracie' Hollingsworth, Heiress Harris, Melody Hurd, Thaddeus J. Mixson, Tyrik Johnson and VanVan were among those nominated. Last year, Blue Ivy also took home the prize. Beyoncé also received two nominations at this year awards. She was up for album of the year for her eighth studio album, "Cowboy Carter." Her song "Blackbiird," featuring Tanner Adell, Brittney Spencer, Tiera Kennedy and Reyna Roberts, also received a nomination for the BETHer Award. The song is a cover of the Beatles' 1968 tune, which was inspired by the Civil Rights Movement. The category honors motivational and empowering songs that center women. The 35-time Grammy-winning singer didn't take home any awards this year. As fans know, Beyoncé first released the eighth studio album in March 2024. It has since made history and broken multiple records. As Beyoncé's first country album, she deliberately featured country legends and emerging Black country artists alike. She became the first Black woman to win best country album and album of the year at the 2025 Grammys. She kicked off her "Cowboy Carter" tour — a spectacle filled with fashion, multiple music genres and cultural commentary — April 28 in Los Angeles. Blue Ivy has been blowing fans away with her stellar dance moves and has taken a lead role on her mom's Cowboy Carter and Rodeo Chitlin' Circuit Tour. Many have been raving online about her performances, and her she's certainly shown that she has what it takes to step up to the plate — even approving the title manager Blue. Beyoncé is currently on the international leg of her tour. The nine-city tour will span the U.S. and Europe with the grand finale taking place in Las Vegas on July 26. Follow Caché McClay, the USA TODAY Network's Beyoncé Knowles-Carter reporter, on Instagram, TikTok and X as @cachemcclay
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Cynthia Erivo crowned best actress at BET Awards
British singer and actress Cynthia Erivo was crowned best actress at the Black Entertainment Television (BET) Awards in Los Angeles. Hosted by Kevin Hart, Monday's BET Awards celebrated the work of black people in music, entertainment, film, sports and philanthropy. The London-born star, who rose to worldwide prominence last year for her role in Wicked, was also nominated for the BET Her Award — which recognises empowering songs that focus on women — for her rendition of Defying Gravity. Grammy Award-winning rapper Doechii used her acceptance speech to sharply criticise US President Donald Trump's handling of protests in Los Angeles. The Swamp Princess takes her crown again! Standing ovation please for the #BETAwards Best Female Hip Hop Artist, @officialdoechii 👑 In case you couldn't tell, we're your biggest fan! — #BETAwards (@BETAwards) June 10, 2025 Collecting the award for best female hip-hop artist, she accused the president of 'creating fear and chaos' in his response to demonstrations against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids, which sparked days of protest across the city. 'I do want to address what's happening right now, outside the building,' she said. 'These are ruthless attacks that are creating fear and chaos in our communities. In the name of law and order, Trump is using military forces to stop a protest, and I want you all to consider what kind of government it appears to be, when every time we exercise our democratic right to protest, the military is deployed against us.' Mr Trump announced plans to deploy 2,000 National Guard troops to California to quell the protests, which began on Friday. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the move was 'essential to halting and reversing the invasion of illegal criminals into the United States'. The decision drew sharp criticism from Democratic politicians, including California Governor Gavin Newsom, who called the move 'purposefully inflammatory'. London-based girl-group FLO missed out after picking up nominations for best group and the Bet Her award for their track In My Bag, featuring GloRilla. Fellow UK artists Bashy and Ezra Collective earned nominations for best international artist, while multi-genre artist Odeal and R&B singer kwn were shortlisted for best new international act. Kendrick Lamar, who led the pack with 10 nominations, took home awards for album of the year and best male hip-hop artist. He also won video of the year and video director of the year for his hit Not Like Us, as well as best collaboration for Luther, his track with SZA SZA won best female R&B/pop artist, while Chris Brown took home best male R&B/pop artist. The evening featured a star-studded cast, including actor Jamie Foxx, with performances by Ashanti, Mariah Carey and GloRilla. Foxx, Carey, gospel star Kirk Franklin and Snoop Dogg were honoured with the ultimate icon award for their contributions to community, entertainment, and advocacy. Miles Canton, Luke James and Lucky Daye delivered an R&B tribute to Quincy Jones, who died in November.
