This day marks the anniversary of two great tragedies. Each of these misfortunes began with a joyous occasion. In April 9th, 1865, Robert E. Lee surrendered the last major Confederate army to Ulysses S. Grant, thus officially ended the American Civil War. A few days later, on April 14th, after hearing this good news and spending much of his focus on the war, President Abraham Lincoln decided to make some time with his wife and attend a play at Ford’s Theater. An actor and Confederate sympathizer by the name of John Wilkes Booth shot President Lincoln that night. The president passed away the following morning at age 56. In a similar instance of great celebration followed by tragedy, on April 10th of 1912, the RMS Titanic set sail on its maiden voyage across the Atlantic. This ocean liner was by far the most luxurious and nearly the biggest of its time. A few days later, on April 14th, the Titanic struck an ice berg and sustained heavy damage. 1,517 lives were lost at sea that morning. Despite these great losses we continue to learn and grow from these moments, as history helps guide us toward a better tomorrow.
Posted on: Mon, 14 Apr 2014 19:19:10 +0000
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