Deaths on April 23

James Earl Ray

Died on April 23, 1998

James Earl Ray, American assassin of Martin Luther King, Jr. (b. 1928)

James Earl Ray (March 10, 1928 – April 23, 1998) was an American criminal best known for being convicted of assassinating Martin Luther King Jr. at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 4, 1968. Ray was convicted in 1969 after entering a guilty plea—thus forgoing a jury trial and the possibility of a death sentence—and was sentenced to 99 years of imprisonment.

References

Choose Another Date

Events on 1998

4 May

Unabomber
A federal judge in Sacramento, California, gives "Unabomber" Theodore Kaczynski four life sentences plus 30 years after Kaczynski accepts a plea agreement sparing him from the death penalty.
6 May

Houston Astros
Kerry Wood strikes out 20 Houston Astros to tie the major league record held by Roger Clemens. He threw a one-hitter and did not walk a batter in his fifth career start.
26 May

Ellis Island
The Supreme Court of the United States rules that Ellis Island, the historic gateway for millions of immigrants, is mainly in the state of New Jersey, not New York.
4 Jun

Oklahoma City bombing
Terry Nichols is sentenced to life in prison for his role in the Oklahoma City bombing.
5 Jun

General Motors
A strike begins at the General Motors parts factory in Flint, Michigan, that quickly spreads to five other assembly plants. The strike lasts seven weeks.

Deaths on April 23

James Earl Ray

Died on April 23, 1998

References

Choose Another Date

Events on 1998

Unabomber

Houston Astros

Ellis Island

Oklahoma City bombing

General Motors