On This Day: April 11

1848 - First Post Office Opened in Manitowoc

On this date the first post office was opened in Manitowoc. [Source: City of Manitowoc]

1862 - (Civil War) Battle of Huntsville, Alabama

Union forces, including the 18th Wisconsin Infantry, seized Huntsville, Alabama. This strategic city was located near Chattanooga, Tennessee, on the Memphis & Charleston Railroad.

1951 - General Douglas MacArthur Relieved of Duty

On this date General Douglas MacArthur, who lived for a time in Wisconsin and is the son of well-known Milwaukeean Arthur MacArthur (himself a decorated war hero), was relieved of his duty by President Truman. MacArthur had advocated a very aggressive position in the Korean war, threatening at one point to attack China.

1965 - Palm Sunday Tornadoes Ravage Midwest

On this date six tornadoes, part of the "Palm Sunday" outbreak, ripped across Southern Wisconsin, causing 3 deaths and 65 injuries. The outbreak of 51 tornadoes was responsible for 260 deaths and over $200 million in damages throughout the states of Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio. [Source: National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office]

1970 - Doomed Apollo 13 Launches

On this date Apollo 13, commanded by James Lovell, who graduated from high school in Milwaukee and attended the University of Wisconsin prior to his time at the United States Naval Academy,lifted off from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Two days later, an oxygen tank exploded, making it impossible to complete the intended lunar landing and jeopardizing the lives of the astronauts on board. The mission ended safely six days later. [Source: NASA]