15 April: That Sucks Day

That sucks day. Supposedly, bad things happen on this day, including it being the day income taxes are due in America. Is it really an unlucky day? Here are ten things which happened on April 15th which sucked big time:

1. In 1865, Abraham Lincoln died, the day after being shot by John Wilkes Booth at Ford's Theatre in Washington.
2. Other people who died on this date include Greta Garbo (1990), Kenneth Williams (Carry On films actor, 1988), comedian Tommy Cooper (1984), Arthur Lowe (the actor who played Captain Mainwaring in Dad's Army, 1982), and the philosopher Jean Paul Sartre (1980).
3. In 1912, the Titanic sank in the early hours after hitting an Iceberg late the previous night. 1,517 people lost their lives in this disaster.
4. In 1947, a French ship, the Grandcamp, loaded 1,400 tons of nitrate fertilizer at Texas City. A fire broke out on board, resulting in not only the destruction of the ship, but explosions in other ships and a nearby power plant. The fires and explosions destroyed most of the town's waterfront and business district and killed 468 people.
5. In 1989, Britain's worst Football disaster happened at Sheffield's Hillsborough ground. 3,000 people were let in to the stadium because of pressure outside, causing even more pressure inside, resulting in 94 deaths and 200 injuries.
6. In 1997, a fire in a tent outside Mecca killed at least 343 pilgrims.
7. In 2002 an Air China Boeing 767 crashed in South Korea, killing 128 people.
8. In 2010, the day after the eruption of the Eyjafjallajökull, volcanic ash in the atmosphere disrupted air traffic over North Europe. Air space was closed, stranding people all over the world.
9. In 1861, after the surrender of Fort Sumter, Abraham Lincoln called for 75,000 volunteers - effectively admitting the battle was starting a war.
10. In 2013, two bombs exploded near the finish line of the Boston Marathon, killing three people and injuring 183.

Update: In 2019 on this date a fire broke out in Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, destroying the roof and spire.