On This Day in History – April 20
1912 – The first-ever baseball game is played at Fenway Park in Boston, a stadium that remains one of the sport’s most iconic venues.
1964 – The BBC launches “Radio Caroline,” a famous pirate radio ship broadcasting pop music off the British coast, helping transform youth culture and broadcasting regulation in Europe.
1972 – Apollo 16 astronauts land on the Moon’s Descartes Highlands, advancing geological understanding of the lunar surface.
2010 – An explosion on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico triggers the largest marine oil spill in history, reshaping global debates on offshore drilling and environmental regulation.
2013 – A 6.6-magnitude earthquake strikes China’s Sichuan province, killing more than 150 people and highlighting ongoing seismic risk in the region.
2021 – Former police officer Derek Chauvin is found guilty of the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, a verdict that becomes a global reference point in conversations about race, policing, and justice.
Canada – Politics
a) Biggest political story yesterday (April 19, 2026)
Ottawa’s focus remains on implementing the temporary suspension of the federal fuel excise tax, which cuts gasoline by 10 cents per litre and diesel by 4 cents to ease pressure from high energy prices.
b) Expected biggest story today (April 20, 2026)
Political debate is expected to center on how long this fuel-tax holiday can realistically last and what it means for federal revenues and climate commitments in the months ahead.
United States – Politics (Yesterday)
In Washington, the dominant storyline continues to be President Trump’s handling of surveillance powers and national security authorities, following his recent move to extend a controversial FISA surveillance program and the political fallout around civil-liberties concerns.
Worldwide – What Yesterday May Be Remembered For
Globally, yesterday will likely be remembered less for a single dramatic headline and more for the steady accumulation of consequences from ongoing crises: elevated energy prices tied to conflict in the Middle East, debates over surveillance and democratic safeguards, and intensifying discussion about how governments balance security, privacy, and affordability for ordinary citizens.
Quotation of the Day
“History is not what happened, it is what we remember and how we remember it.”
(Attributed in various forms to different historians; phrased here in an original way.)
Ottawa, Ontario – Astronomical & Local Info
Sunrise: 6:06 a.m.
Sunset: 7:56 p.m.
(Times for Ottawa, April 20, 2026.)Moon phase: Waxing Crescent, about 18–19% illuminated, roughly 4 days after New Moon.
Price of regular gas (approximate):
With the 10¢/L federal excise tax suspended as of today, many Ottawa stations are expected to post prices in the high 1.70s per litre rather than flirting with or exceeding 1.90–2.00 per litre that were being discussed earlier in April.
No comments:
Post a Comment