April 12 - Two Defining Events in American History...

On this date, in 1945, the sudden death of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt sent shock waves through our country, our Allies, and our enemies.
As I have written before, there was some fear that Roosevelt's passing would have an effect upon our war aims; and, in actuality, there was some degree of panic about whether the fortunes of war would pass to the enemy - of course, by this time, Nazi Germany had been laid waste by our bombing and was within weeks of final defeat by way of the inexorable powers squeezing Germany from both east and west. It should be remembered that Adolf Hitler, after a brief period of euphoria upon hearing of the American President's passing, committed suicide only 18 days thereafter.
It is considered by many that Abraham Lincoln and Franklin Roosevelt were America's most powerful Chief Executives.
What may also be remembered that the shots fired on a fort in South Carolina called Sumter, on this date in 1861, put into motion the Civil War, which killed somewhere between 618,000 and 700,000 (the exact numbers may never be known) - America's most bloody experience.
And almost at the same time of year; namely, April 9, 1865, the Civil War was ended.
April 12 - a date that should be recalled to memory, it seems...