Today is Sunday, April 21, the 112th day of 2024. There are 254 days left in the year.

Today in history

On April 21, 2016, Prince, one of the most inventive and influential musicians of modern times, was found dead at his home in suburban Minneapolis; he was 57.

Also on this date

In 1649, the Maryland Toleration Act, providing for freedom of worship for all Christians, was passed by the Maryland assembly.

In 1836, an army of Texans led by Sam Houston defeated the Mexicans at San Jacinto, assuring Texas independence.

In 1910, author Samuel Langhorne Clemens, better known as Mark Twain, died in Redding, Conn., at age 74.

In 1926, Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II was born in Mayfair, London; she was the first child of The Duke and Duchess of York, who later became King George VI and the Queen Mother.

In 1930, fire broke out inside the overcrowded Ohio Penitentiary in Columbus, killing 332 inmates.

In 1975, with Communist forces closing in, South Vietnamese President Nguyen Van Thieu resigned after nearly 10 years in office and fled the country.

In 1980, Rosie Ruiz was the first woman to cross the finish line at the Boston Marathon; however, she was later exposed as a fraud. (Canadian Jacqueline Gareau was named the actual winner of the women’s race.)

In 1998, astronomers announced in Washington that they had discovered possible signs of a new family of planets orbiting a star 220 light-years away, the clearest evidence to date of worlds forming beyond our solar system.

Fun fact

During the Battle of Stalingrad, German soldiers suffered more casualties attempting to take one apartment building, Pavlov’s House, than they did taking the city of Paris.

Just for laughs

Why shouldn’t you tell secrets in a cornfield? Too many ears.

Today’s birthdays

Actor-comedian-writer Elaine May is 92. Anti-death penalty activist Sister Helen Prejean is 85. Singer-musician Iggy Pop is 77. Actor Patti LuPone is 75. Actor Tony Danza is 73. Actor James Morrison is 70. Actor Andie MacDowell is 66. Rock singer Robert Smith (The Cure) is 65. Rock musician Michael Timmins (Cowboy Junkies) is 65. Actor-director John Cameron Mitchell is 61. Rapper Michael Franti (Spearhead) is 58. Actor Leslie Silva is 56. Actor Toby Stephens is 55. Rock singer-musician Glen Hansard (The Frames) is 54. Actor Rob Riggle is 54. Comedian Nicole Sullivan is 54. Football player-turned-actor Brian White is 51. Olympic gold medal pairs figure skater Jamie Sale (sah-LAY’) is 47. Rock musician Dave Brenner (Theory of a Deadman) is 46. Actor James McAvoy is 45. Former NFL quarterback Tony Romo is 44. Actor Terrence J is 42. Actor Gugu Mbatha-Raw is 41. Actor Christoph Sanders is 36. Actor Frank Dillane is 33. Rock singer Sydney Sierota (Echosmith) is 27.

The Edge is compiled by Katie Clohessy. She can be contacted at kclohessy@lmtribune.com.