Time flies when you’re making memories

“On April 7, 1891, American showman P.T. Barnum dies in Bridgeport, Conn. Though he was gravely ill, the 81-year-old showman’s sense of humor hadn’t deserted him. He requested that a New York paper run his obituary before he died so he could enjoy reading it, and the paper obliged.

“On April 6, 1917, the United States formally enters the First World War. By the time the war ended on Nov. 11, 1918, more than 2 million American soldiers had served on the battlefields of Western Europe, and some 50,000 of them had lost their lives.

“On April 4, 1933, the dirigible Akron crashes in New Jersey, killing 73 people in one of the first air disasters in history. The Akron was the largest airship built in the United States when it took its first flight in August 1931.

“On April 5, 1949, “Fireside Theatre,” one of TV’s first dramatic series to be filmed rather than broadcast live, debuts. The show ran until 1958. For the first year, each film was only 15 minutes long, but later the time slot expanded to 30 minutes.

“On April 3, 1957, the American Civil Liberties Union announces it will defend Allen Ginsberg’s book “Howl” against obscenity charges. The poem’s racy language, frank subject matter and lack of form offended some conservative readers.

“On April 8, 1974, Hank Aaron of the Atlanta Braves hits his 715th career home run, surpassing Babe Ruth’s legendary record. Aaron was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1982.

“On April 2, 1987, the U.S. government allows individual states to increase the speed limit on rural roads from 55 mph to 65 mph. Since 1973, when President Nixon set a federal maximum speed limit of 55 mph, no cars were allowed to exceed this speed.