April 25: Facts & Historical Events On This Day

A Los Angeles startup hosted the world’s first live “sperm race,” pitting human sperm samples against each other in a microscopic race.

Sperm from USC and UCLA students competed through a micro-engineered racetrack simulating a reproductive tract, watched by over 1,000 spectators, with live commentary, betting, and messaging aimed at raising awareness about declining male fertility and reproductive health.

Kathmandu, Nepal, was devastated by a major earthquake.

The 7.8 magnitude quake broke out at 11:56 am. Nearly 9,000 people lost their lives, while 30,000 were injured. 3.5 million homes were destroyed, and the total damage was a staggering $10 billion.

Romania and Bulgaria signed the European Union’s Treaty of Accession, the last step to joining the Union.

Nicaragua elected its first-ever female President, Violeta Chamorro.

Violeta Chamorro was also the first female head of state to be elected in the Americas! Chamorro was elected as the head of a fourteen-party coalition whose goals misaligned so much that she was unable to get very much done during her seven-year term.

Germany banned the denial of Nazi genocide against Jewish people during the Holocaust.

Bell Labs demonstrated the first practical silicon solar cell in New Jersey, US.

Although the efficiency in converting sunlight into electricity was only 6%, this was a notable improvement on any other demonstrations.

Francis Crick & James Watson’s discovery of the double-helix structure of DNA was formally announced.

It was published in Nature Magazine on this day, and the article revolutionized the study of biology and medicine.

President Harry Truman opened the two-lane White House bowling alley.

Porsche was officially added to the commercial register in Germany.

They would grow to be one of the most famous car manufacturers in the world.

New York state became the first to require license plates on automobiles.

These early-day plates displayed the driver's initials.

The Thornton Affair, a skirmish between American and Mexican soldiers in Texas, started a chain of events that led to the Mexican-American War.

The battle happened 20 miles (32 km) west upriver from Zachary Taylor's camp in Corpus Christi, along the Rio Grande. Mexican and American forces occupied disputed land between Texas and Mexico, and Taylor's Occupational Force was attacked by Mexican soldiers who discovered them in those disputed territories.

A highwayman, Nicolas Pelletier, was the first man to be executed by the guillotine in Paris, France.

The Chongzhen Emperor died by suicide during a peasant rebellion.

Zhu Youjian, the Chongzhen Emperor, was the last emperor of the Ming Dynasty.

The Peloponnesian war came to an end when Admiral Lysander and his Spartan armies defeated their Athenian foes.