The world grieved on April 15, 2019 when the iconic building was destroyed by fire. Notre Dame Cathedral was more than Quasimodo and the stones that erected the building. This cathedral was the cornerstone of Christianity in France. It’s no wonder people lined the streets, offering songs such as Ave Maria as the steeple fell and the fire roared. A true testament to what that building represented.
Photo Credit: Antoninnnnn, CC BY-SA 4.0
But the burning on Notre Dame isn’t the only tragedy to have happened on April 15th – in fact, it’s known as an unlucky day. Here are some other monumental disasters that occurred on April 15:
The Boston Marathon Bombing: April 15, 2013
Photo Credit: Sportsmuseum.org
On a beautiful day in Boston, tens of thousands of runners and millions of spectators were gearing up to watch the largest and oldest marathon in the world. It was Patriots’ Day 2013. Sadly, this day of remembrance for our country’s military ended in tragedy. Two bombs exploded near the marathon’s finish line, injuring hundreds and killing 3 in a terrorist attack.
The Sinking of Titanic: April 15, 1912
Photo Credit: Public Domain
The maiden voyage of the “unsinkable” ship the Titanic was supposed to cross the Atlantic from England to New York. On board this incredible engineering feat of iron and steel were 2,224 passengers. On that fateful spring night, the ship collided with an iceberg and, as we all know, the “unsinkable” did not hold up to her name. Over 1,500 people died, making it the biggest ocean-going ship disaster during a time of peace.
President Abraham Lincoln dies: April 15, 1865
Photo Credit: Britannica
Well before all our time, the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln was shot by John Wilkes Booth. As history tells us, Lincoln was at Ford’s theater attending the play Our American Cousin. Booth was a part of a movement to revive the Confederacy and was later found and killed for his treason.
Lincoln is arguably the best president to ever hold office. He was also the first assassinated president in our country’s history.
April 15th, right? Kind of spooky…
