“To be or not to be, that is the question.”

William Shakespeare is believed to have been born on this day in Stratford-upon-Avon England. The poet and dramatist, known as “the Bard,” one of the greats in world literature, dies on the same day 52 years later.

1998:

James Earl Ray, confessed assassin of Martin Luther Junior,dies at a Nashville hospital at age 70. Once behind bars, Ray later insisted he had been framed, alleging a conspiracy behind the killing of the civil rights leader.

1993:

Labor leader Cesar Chavez dies in Arizona at age 66. Chavez, who organized migrant farm workers, led boycotts and strikes to secure bargining agreements with growers.

And 1954:

Hank Aaron with what's then the Milwaukee Braves begins his long climb to becoming baseball's home run king. Aaron hits the first of 755 career home runs during a game against the St. Louis Cardinals. The Braves win their game 7 to 5.

Today in History, April 23rd, Sandy Kozel, the Associated Press.