Working Class Calendar

U.S. Invades the Dominican Republic (1965)

Wed Apr 28, 1965

On this day in 1965, the U.S. invaded the Dominican Republic with more than 22,000 troops in order to prevent a "communist dictatorship" from forming there. The military action was supported by the Organization of American States (OAS).

The Dominican Republic had been fraught with political instability since the assassination of dictator Rafael Trujillo in 1961. Although Trujillo brutally suppressed the population, his anti-communism made him a natural ally of the U.S. government. After his death, liberal reformer Juan Bosch became president, but he was deposed in a coup after less than a year in power.

In the ensuing power struggle, the U.S. was committed to preventing "another Cuba" (i.e., a communist revolution) from taking place. On April 28th, 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson declared that he had taken action to forestall the establishment of a "communist dictatorship" in the country, providing reporters with lists of suspected communists there as evidence. These lists, however, contained people who were not communists or were in fact deceased.

The military action was supported by the Organization of American States (OAS). Over the next few weeks, they established a conservative, non-military government, which held fraudulent elections in June 1966. 69% of American people approved of the decision to send in troops at the time.

According to Rory Fanning of Jacobin: "Upon taking power, U.S.-backed leader Joaquín Balaguer began funneling nearly all of Dominican Republic's minerals and sugar into the warehouses of U.S. businesses. His three-decade rule was marked by corruption and fraud. Wages plummeted, unions were dismantled, inflation soared, and unemployment hovered around 30 percent."

• Date: 1965-04-28
• Learn More: www.history.com, www.jacobinmag.com.
• Tags: #Communism, #Assassinations.
• Source: www.apeoplescalendar.org

Benito Mussolini Executed (1945)

Sat Apr 28, 1945

On this day in 1945, Italian fascist Benito Mussolini was summarily executed, likely by communist partisan Walter Audisio, and then his corpse was hung upside down in the Piazzale Loreto, where it was beaten and shot by angry crowds.

Benito Mussolini (1883 - 1945) was the founder and leader of the National Fascist Party who inspired numerous fascist leaders, such as Adolf Hitler, Francisco Franco, and António de Oliveira Salazar, ruling Italy as "Il Duce" since 1925.

Mussolini's grip on power had begun slipping as the Allies pressed into Italian territory during World War II. On April 25th, 1945, Mussolini attempted to flee Milan for Switzerland after the Comitato di Liberazione Nazionale Alta Italia (Committee of National Liberation for Northern Italy) seized control of the city. Two days later, Mussolini, along with other fascist leaders, were arrested traveling in a German convoy near the village of Dongo.

Accounts vary on how exactly Mussolini was killed, but the most commonly accepted version of the events suggest communist partisan Walter Audisio was the person who pulled the trigger. Following World War II, Audisio would be elected to serve in the Italian Chamber of Deputies.

In any case, the evening of April 28th, 1945, the bodies of Mussolini, his mistress, and other executed fascists were loaded onto a van and dumped in Piazzale Loreto, a town square where fifteen partisans had previously been executed by fascists and their bodies left on public display.

• Date: 1945-04-28
• Learn More: en.wikipedia.org, www.history.com.
• Tags: #Communism, #Fascism.
• Source: www.apeoplescalendar.org

Danish General Strike (1998)

Mon Apr 27, 1998

Image: Police arrest a picket at Aarhus Harbour [libcom.org]

On this day in 1998, more than 500,000 Danish workers, one fifth of the entire workforce, walked off the job in a general strike, demanding a 35-hour work-week, an extra week of paid holiday, and a 6% wage increase. The strike action came after a big economic boom in Denmark that left workers feeling left out from the increased profits of their employers.

The strike affected a wide variety of industries, from schools to manufacturing to airports to food and petrol stations. Workers in Sweden exhibited solidarity by refusing to load planes heading for Denmark.

May Day marked the fifth day of the strike, and a gigantic demonstration of more than 500,000 people took place in Copenhagen. The government intervened, ordering everyone back to work on May 11th and announcing that any strikes by the affected workers before March 2000 would be illegal.

A compromise deal was accepted by union leadership, and the majority of strikers returned to work, however some spontaneous walk-outs occurred in the following days - in 96 workplaces, 6,200 workers walked out for a one-day strike. Baggage handlers at Copenhagen International Airport stopped making their contributions to the Social Democratic Party, which led the government throughout the labor action.

• Date: 1998-04-27
• Learn More: libcom.org, nvdatabase.swarthmore.edu.
• Tags: #Labor, #General Strikes.
• Source: www.apeoplescalendar.org

Santiago FOCH Massacre (1934)

Fri Apr 27, 1934

Image: **

On this day in 1934, the Chilean Workers' Federation (FOCH) headquarters in Santiago was attacked by the police and armed vigilantes known as the "White Guards" - 7 workers and a child were murdered and 200 more were badly injured.

The FOCH was founded in 1909, and functioned as a kind of trade union center with socialist leanings. FOCH was suppressed, facing the closure of premises, banning of newspapers, and the arrest of its leaders. It officially dissolved on December 26th, 1936, going on to form the Confederation of Chile (CTCH).

• Date: 1934-04-27
• Learn More: libcom.org, es.wikipedia.org, www.memoriachilena.gob.cl.
• Source: www.apeoplescalendar.org

April Revolution Succeeds (1960)

Tue Apr 26, 1960

Image: Lee Cheol-seung, who participated in the protest against fraudulent elections [Wikimedia]

On this day in 1960, illegitimate South Korean President Syngman Rhee was forced to resign and flee the country after weeks of sustained nationwide protests against his regime known as the April Revolution, or April 19th Movement.

Protests opposing Rhee were started by student and labor groups in the southeastern port city of Masan on April 11th after the discovery of the body of a local high school student who had been killed by police during demonstrations against President Rhee's rigged elections that March.

On April 18th, the protests spread to the capital, Seoul, where students from Korea University demanded new elections at a non-violent protest at the National Assembly against police violence and demanding new elections.

On April 19th (called "Bloody Tuesday"), more than 100,000 protesters, many of which were students, gathered at Blue House, the official residence for the South Korean head of state. When they arrived and demanded Rhee's resignation, police opened fire on protesters killing approximately 180 and wounding thousands. A week later, professors joined students and citizens in large-scale protests in which police refused to attack the protesters.

The next day, Rhee resigned and fled the country and found asylum in Hawaii. On May 16th, 1961, following months of political instability, General Park Chung-hee launched a coup d'état overthrowing the short-lived Second Republic of South Korea and replacing it with a military junta and later the autocratic Third Republic of South Korea.

• Date: 1960-04-26
• Learn More: en.wikipedia.org, www.jstor.org.
• Tags: #Protests.
• Source: www.apeoplescalendar.org

1st Recognized U.S. Fast Food Union (2016)

Tue Apr 26, 2016

Image: A march in support of the Burgerville Workers Union. A banner is prominently displayed: "BURGERVILLE WORKERS UNION" [portlandoccupier.org]

On this day in 2016, the Burgerville Workers Union (BVWU) formed with the help of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), eventually becoming the first formally recognized fast food union in the United States.

The fight for formal recognition took more than two years of worker-led organizing and strikes at multiple stores. In 2018, BVWU successfully applied for National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) election.

On September 18th, 2018, National Cheeseburger Day, Burgerville workers went on strike, staging a picket in front of the Montavilla Burgerville location due to issues in bargaining and conflict over a ban on workers wearing Black Lives Matter and Abolish ICE buttons at work.

"We hope to lead a like a torchlight so that someone can say 'well, Burgerville did it, why can't we?'" said Alexander, one of the workers. "We hope to start the snowball effect."

• Date: 2016-04-26
• Learn More: archive.thinkprogress.org, portlandiww.org, www.portlandoccupier.org.
• Tags: #Labor, #IWW.
• Source: www.apeoplescalendar.org

Mexican-American War Begins (1845)

Fri Apr 25, 1845

On this day in 1845, the Mexican-American War began after the U.S. seized Texas from the Mexican government, fulfilling President Polk's imperialist campaign promise of annexing both Texas and California.

Tensions between either government had already been increasing, but the act that initiated the war was Polk ordering troops to occupy contested land between the Nueces River and Rio Grande. On this day in 1846, a 2,000-man Mexican cavalry detachment attacked a 70-man U.S. patrol under the command of Captain Seth Thornton in the contested land.

Polk asserted that American blood had been shed on American soil (which Abraham Lincoln called "a bold falsification of history"), and a formal declaration of war from the U.S. government soon followed.

The outcome of the war resulted in the U.S. acquiring control over Texas, California, and large parts of New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Utah, and Nevada in the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. An "All-Mexico Movement" in the U.S. opposed the treaty, demanding that the country annex the entire country of Mexico.

• Date: 1845-04-25
• Learn More: en.wikipedia.org, socialistworker.org.
• Source: www.apeoplescalendar.org

Ruby Smith-Robinson (1942 - 1967)

Sat Apr 25, 1942

Ruby Doris Smith-Robinson, born on this day in 1942, was a civil rights activist who worked with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) from its earliest days in 1960 until her early death in October 1967.

Smith-Robinson served the organization both as an on the ground organizer and as an administrator in the Atlanta central office. She eventually succeeded James Forman as SNCC's executive secretary and was the only woman ever to serve in this capacity.

Robinson achieved renown for her willingness to fight rather than politely acquiesce to power. Fellow activist Julian Bond has stated that, when a delegation of SNCC staff was told that their African-bound plane was overbooked and told they needed to be delayed, she, without consulting the rest of the group, sat down in the jetway and refused to move. The delegation were given seats on that flight.

In January 1967, Ruby's health began to decline precipitously around the same time as the splintering of SNCC, and she was admitted to a hospital. She suffered for ten months from a rare blood disease and in April of that year she was diagnosed with terminal cancer. She died on October 7th, 1967, aged 25.

• Date: 1942-04-25
• Learn More: snccdigital.org, en.wikipedia.org.
• Tags: #Civil Rights, #Birthdays.
• Source: www.apeoplescalendar.org

Rana Plaza Collapse (2013)

Wed Apr 24, 2013

Image: A large crowd standing outside the collapsed Rana Plaza building Munir Uz Zaman/Agence [NYTimes]

On this day in 2013, the Rana Plaza, an eight-story building in Dhaka, Bangladesh containing multiple garment factories, collapsed, killing 1,134 people in the deadliest garment factory disaster in history. In addition to textile factories, the complex hosted several shops and a bank.

The previous day, several cracks were discovered and reported, and other facilities in the building were closed. However, the factories were kept open, and the building owner, Sohel Rana, threatened to withhold pay to workers who did not come to work the following day.

The next morning, at around 8:57 am, the building completely collapsed. In addition to the 1,134 killed, over 2,500 were injured, most of whom were women and children.

Many survivors were trapped for days underneath rubble, and one woman was rescued 17 days after the collapse. The incident drew international attention, and Rana was sentenced to three years in prison for failing to declare personal wealth.

Rana and 37 others, including government officials, have been charged with murder and could receive the death penalty if they are found responsible for the complex's collapse. As of January 2021, only Rana is in custody, and their trial is still pending.

• Date: 2013-04-24
• Learn More: www.independent.co.uk, en.wikipedia.org.
• Source: www.apeoplescalendar.org

Vietnam Veterans Throw Medals Back (1971)

Fri Apr 23, 1971

On this day in 1971, more than 800 veterans collectively tossed their medals, ribbons, discharge papers, and other war mementos on the steps of the U.S. Capitol as part of a multi-day demonstration against the Vietnam War. The protest, titled "Operation Dewey Canyon III" was organized by Vietnam Veterans Against the War (VVAW), one of the most influential anti-war organizations in the U.S. at that time.

The event began on April 19th with a march led by Gold Star Mothers (mothers of soldiers killed in war), more than 1,100 veterans marched across the Lincoln Memorial Bridge to the Arlington Cemetery gate. On April 22nd, John Kerry, as VVAW spokesman, testified against the war for two hours in front of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

The event ended on April 23rd, 1971, with more than 800 veterans throwing their combat ribbons, helmets, and uniforms on the Capitol steps, along with toy weapons.

• Date: 1971-04-23
• Learn More: www.history.com, en.wikipedia.org.
• Source: www.apeoplescalendar.org

Elizabeth Flynn Statement to the Court (1952)

Thu Apr 24, 1952

Image: Elizabeth Gurley Flynn addresses strikers in Paterson, NJ in 1913 [jacobin.com]

On this day in 1952, communist labor leader and feminist Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, who had been arrested under the Smith Act, issued a statement to the court, denouncing anti-communist hysteria and pleading for a fair trial.

Flynn (1890 - 1964) was a radical political activist who helped found the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), proponent of a woman's right to birth control and the vote, co-founded the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), and served as chairwoman of the Communist Party USA (CPUSA).

In 1951, Flynn was arrested and prosecuted under the anti-communist Smith Act, along with sixteen other Communist Party members. On this day in 1952, Flynn issued a statement to the court, demanding a fair trial and condemning the anti-communist hysteria regarding her arrest. Here is an excerpt:

"We will prove to you that we are not conspirators, but that we are animated and united by common ideals and aspirations, with courage to affirm our beliefs, faith in the people and the future, and a willingness to sacrifice for a better world, which we are confident is in birth...

We expect to convince you that we are within our established constitutional rights to advocate change and progress, to advocate Socialism, which we are convinced will guarantee to all our people in our great and beautiful country the rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."

Despite her statement, Flynn was found guilty and served two years in prison. Undeterred, she continued her work with CPUSA after her release.

• Date: 1952-04-24
• Learn More: awpc.cattcenter.iastate.edu, en.wikipedia.org.
• Tags: #Communism, #Labor, #IWW.
• Source: www.apeoplescalendar.org

Ruby Smith-Robinson (1942 - 1967)

Sat Apr 25, 1942

Ruby Doris Smith-Robinson, born on this day in 1942, was a civil rights activist who worked with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) from its earliest days in 1960 until her early death in October 1967.

Smith-Robinson served the organization both as an on the ground organizer and as an administrator in the Atlanta central office. She eventually succeeded James Forman as SNCC's executive secretary and was the only woman ever to serve in this capacity.

Robinson achieved renown for her willingness to fight rather than politely acquiesce to power. Fellow activist Julian Bond has stated that, when a delegation of SNCC staff was told that their African-bound plane was overbooked and told they needed to be delayed, she, without consulting the rest of the group, sat down in the jetway and refused to move. The delegation were given seats on that flight.

In January 1967, Ruby's health began to decline precipitously around the same time as the splintering of SNCC, and she was admitted to a hospital. She suffered for ten months from a rare blood disease and in April of that year she was diagnosed with terminal cancer. She died on October 7th, 1967, aged 25.

• Date: 1942-04-25
• Learn More: snccdigital.org, en.wikipedia.org.
• Tags: #Civil Rights, #Birthdays.
• Source: www.apeoplescalendar.org

Irish Conscription Crisis Strike (1918)

Tue Apr 23, 1918

On this day in 1918, in protest of conscription laws, a one-day "complete and entire" general strike was held in Dublin, stopping work at railways, docks, mills, theatres, public services, shipyards, shops, and munitions factories.

The strike took place in the Conscription Crisis of 1918, which began when a coalition of Irishmen, including unions, nationalist, and the Catholic Church, resisted attempts by the British government to impose conscription (military draft) on Ireland during the WWI.

On April 18th, an Anti-Conscription Committee, representing a variety of political factions, met to plan resistance. The same day, Roman Catholic bishops declared conscription unjust and called on the Church's adherents to resist "by the most effective means at our disposal".

In the weeks following the April 23rd strike, anti-conscription rallies were held nationwide, with 15,000 people attending a meeting in County Roscommon at the start of May. Despite the conscription law's passage, it was never put in effect - no one in Ireland was drafted into the British Army.

• Date: 1918-04-23
• Learn More: www.theirishstory.com, en.wikipedia.org.
• Source: www.apeoplescalendar.org

Vladimir Lenin (1870 - 1924)

Fri Apr 22, 1870

Image: **

Vladimir Lenin, born on this day in 1870, was a revolutionary Marxist theorist who played a leading role in the October Revolution.

Born into a prosperous family, Lenin was radicalized at least in part after his older brother Alexander was executed in 1887 for conspiring to assassinate Alexander III. He was subsequently expelled from Kazan Imperial University for participating in protests against the Russian Empire's Tsarist government and later arrested for sedition, exiled to Siberia in 1897.

Over the next two decades, Lenin remained committed to revolutionary activity, authoring influential texts such as "What is to Be Done?" (1901-2), "One Step Forward, Two Steps Back" (1904), "Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism" (1916), and "The State and Revolution" (1917). During this time period, Lenin and his wife, fellow revolutionary Nadezhda Krupskaya, moved frequently, living both in Russia and abroad.

After the February Revolution of 1917 ousted the Tsar and established a Provisional Government, Lenin returned to Russia from Switzerland and played a leading role in the October Revolution, in which the Bolsheviks overthrew the new State Duma government.

A civil war of significant political complexity subsequently broke out, in which the Bolsheviks defeated conservative, social democratic, and anarchist forces to consolidate its own power. Lenin served as Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars of the Russian SFSR from 1917 to 1924. In 1918, he survived two separate assassination attempts.

Lenin's ideas are foundational to the political tradition of Marxism-Leninism, a political tradition which emphasizes the creation of a dictatorship of the proletariat by means of a revolutionary vanguard party and democratic centralism, in which political decisions reached through free discussion are binding upon all members of the political party.

"Freedom in capitalist society always remains about the same as it was in ancient Greek republics: Freedom for slave owners."

- Vladimir Lenin

• Date: 1870-04-22
• Learn More: www.marxists.org, en.wikipedia.org, www.revolutionarydemocracy.org, spartacus-educational.com.
• Tags: #Marxism, #Birthdays, #Imperialism.
• Source: www.apeoplescalendar.org

Anaconda Road Massacre (1920)

Wed Apr 21, 1920

Image: One of Butte’s most famous byways was the Anaconda Road, which remains near the Irish neighborhood of Dublin Gulch. On April 21st, 1920, the road was the site of the anti-labor Anaconda Road Massacre.

On this day in 1920, an anti-labor posse, deputized by police, gunned down striking miners in Butte, Montana, shooting 15-16 men in the back, killing one. Workers had gone on strike to demand higher wages and an end to anti-union discrimination.

Author Richard Gibson writes that, in a Sunday night meeting, April 18th, 1920, the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) and the Metal Mine Workers Union called for a strike to improve wages and end the hated rustling card system, a process whereby employers could blacklist union organizers and members.

Pickets spread along the Anaconda Road on April 19th to enforce the strike, and some trolley cars were attacked, with strikers turning men bound for work away from the mines.

On April 21st, the Silver Bow County Sheriff deputized Anaconda mine guards to suppress workers. As nearly 400 unarmed miners marched up the Anaconda Road, they were confronted near the Neversweat Mine by the sheriff, Anaconda Copper Mining (ACM) Company officials, and armed guards. Shots rang out, and armed Company agents shot 15 or 16 unarmed miners, all in the back. One, Tom Manning, a 25-year-old Irish immigrant, died four days later.

Anti-labor press claimed, without evidence, that workers shot first. Despite a massive inquest, no one was ever charged with the murder of Tom Manning. The inquest report included the complete Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx, entered as evidence against IWW members and others involved in the events of April 21st.

In the wake of the Anaconda Road shootings, federal troops were called to Butte, arriving on April 22-25 as Tom Manning died. Troops were billeted at the Florence Hotel in the 200 block of East Broadway and elsewhere. They did not depart from Butte until the following January.

The strike and massacre were the last major labor conflict in the area until the 1934 passage of the National Recovery Act allowed outside support to help rebuild the weakened Butte Miners Union.

"The overlords of Butte will not permit their right to exploit to be challenged. Drunk with unbridled power and the countless millions profiteered during the war, with lying phrases of 'law and order' on their lips, the blood of workingmen dripping from their hands, and the gold of the government bursting their coffers, they face the nation unreprimanded and unashamed — reaction militant, capitalism at its worst. The copper trust can murder its slaves in broad daylight on any occasion and under any pretext. There is no law to call a halt. In the confines of this greed-ruled city, the gunman has replaced the Constitution. Butte is a law unto itself."

- Ralph Chaplin, poet and member of the IWW

• Date: 1920-04-21
• Learn More: mtstandard.com, en.wikipedia.org.
• Tags: #IWW, #Labor, #Massacre.
• Source: www.apeoplescalendar.org

Spanish-American War Begins (1898)

Thu Apr 21, 1898

On this day in 1898, the Spanish-American War began, greatly expanding the scope of American imperialism, granting the U.S. sovereignty over the Philippines, Guam, and Puerto Rico, as well as de facto control of the Cuban economy.

The war began with an American naval blockade of Cuba, which was fighting a war for independence from Spain, and only lasted three months. The U.S. intervened in the Cuban War of Independence after the internal explosion of the U.S.S. Maine, despite there being no evidence of Spanish involvement in the explosion.

The outcome of the war resulted in U.S. acquisition of Puerto Rico, Cuba, and the Philippines, and signaled a new era of American expansionism and colonialism in the 20th century.

From 1899-1901, the U.S. had to brutally suppress the Filipino movement for independence, killing between 200,000 and 1,000,000 civilians in the Philippine-American War. In 1901, the American government also refused to withdraw troops from Cuba unless their Constitutional Convention signed the Platt Amendment, which gave the U.S. government and capitalists de facto hegemony over the newly "independent" Cuba.

• Date: 1898-04-21
• Learn More: en.wikipedia.org, www.thenation.com.
• Tags: #Imperialism, #Independence.
• Source: www.apeoplescalendar.org

Maria Silva Cruz (1915 - 1936)

Mon Apr 20, 1936

Image: Maria Silva Cruz, also known as La Libertaria

Maria Silva Cruz, born on this day in 1915, was a Spanish anarchist and hero of the Casas Viejas Uprising, executed by fascists at age 21. Despite the efforts of her son, who was 1 year old at the time her death, Cruz's remains were never identified.

Maria Silva Cruz was born to day laborers on April 20th, 1915, and her father and uncle were members of the anarchist union Confederación Nacional del Trabajo (CNT).

In January 1933, the CNT initiated the anti-government Casas Viejas Uprising, which Silva Cruz and her friends participated in. When Civil Guard troops were sent to put down the uprising, many of the villagers fled.

Some anarchists attempted to hide in the house of Silva Cruz's grandfather, which was set on fire by the guard, killing all but Cruz and her young cousin, who she carried outside the burning building to safety. Cruz was later arrested.

When the fascists occupied the town of Ronda in July 1936, her husband Perez Cordon fled to the mountains, while Silva Cruz stayed with her one year old son at home. She was arrested by the Civil Guard and her son was taken from her.

On August 23rd, 1936, she was executed at dawn. Silva Cruz's remains were never identified despite the efforts of her son, who grew up with Silva Cruz's aunt. He sought to find his mother's remains in order to bury them and plant flowers for her.

• Date: 1936-04-20
• Learn More: en.wikipedia.org, dbe.rah.es.
• Tags: #Labor, #Birthdays, #Anarchism, #Fascism.
• Source: www.apeoplescalendar.org

Ludlow Massacre (1914)

Mon Apr 20, 1914

Image: Ruins of the Ludlow Colony near Trinidad, Colorado, following an attack by the Colorado National Guard. Forms part of the George Grantham Bain Collection at the Library of Congress. [Wikipedia]

On this day in 1914, the Ludlow Massacre occurred when the Colorado National Guard and a private security force attacked 1,200 striking coal miners, killing 21 people, including women and children. The event took place during the Colorado Coalfield War, a period of violent labor unrest in Colorado from 1913-1914.

The massacre was the culmination of months of labor strife in Ludlow, Colorado. The massacre began with a meeting between an anti-union militia and the labor leader (and former strikebreaker) Louis Tikas. Although Tikas discouraged violence, the strikers, who had noticed machine guns placed above the Ludlow colony, took cover in ad hoc fire positions.

Accounts differ as to who shot first, but a battle commenced between the armed factions, leading to nearly a dozen deaths, including one twelve-year old boy who was shot in the head. After the violence subdued, Tikas and other strikers were also found shot in the back.

The chief owner of the mine, John D. Rockefeller, Jr., was widely condemned for having orchestrated the massacre. In retaliation, armed miners attacked dozens of anti-union establishments over the next ten days, destroying property and engaging in several skirmishes with the Colorado National Guard in a 40-mile front from Trinidad to Walsenburg.

An estimated 69 to 199 deaths occurred total during the strike. Historian Thomas G. Andrews has called it the "deadliest strike in the history of the United States".

Although the strikers' demands were not met, the event electrified national discussions of labor and had a positive impact on labor rights in the long run.

• Date: 1914-04-20
• Learn More: en.wikipedia.org, www.zinnedproject.org.
• Tags: #Labor, #Massacre.
• Source: www.apeoplescalendar.org

Warsaw Ghetto Uprising (1943)

Mon Apr 19, 1943

Image: Jewish prisoners of Gęsiowka, a German concentration camp in Warsaw liberated on August 5th, 1944. During the Warsaw Uprising, Polish soldiers of the Battalion "Zośka" rescued 380 prisoners from Gęsiowka. [Wikipedia]

On this day in 1943, the largest Jewish revolt during WWII began when Jews in the Warsaw Ghetto attacked Nazis attempting to deport them to death camps. Nazis razed the entire ghetto block by block, killing more than 7,000 and deporting 42,000.

The Warsaw Ghetto was the largest Jewish ghetto in German-occupied Europe, housing approximately 400,000 Jews in 1940. In 1942, Nazi police and military carried out mass deportations, in total around 265,000 Jews, from the Warsaw Ghetto to the Treblinka killing center. By early 1943, the Warsaw Ghetto's population was down to 70,000 - 80,000.

In 1942, it was abundantly clear to the residents of the Warsaw Ghetto that deportation was a death sentence. Two armed resistance groups were formed that year - the left-wing Jewish Combat Organization (Żydowska Organizacja Bojowa; ŻOB) and the Zionist Jewish Military Union (Żydowski Związek Wojskowy; ŻZW).

On April 19th, 1943, the eve of Passover, Nazis attempted another mass deportation. ŻOB had received advance notice, however, and 700 young Jewish fighters met the Nazi police with resistance.

The rebels lacked formal military training and were poorly equipped, but had the advantage of waging a guerilla war, retreating to the safety of ghetto buildings and tunnels after attacking. Non-armed residents also resisted by refusing to cooperate with police by refusing to assemble at collection points.

In response, the Nazi forces, armed with artillery and tanks, began razing the ghetto block by block. According to Benjamin Meed, a Jew hiding in the "Aryan" part of Warsaw at the time, the entire sky was red from the ghetto's destruction.

Resistance lasted for approximately a month. On May 8th, 1943, German forces succeeded in seizing ŻOB headquarters, and many of the group's commanders are thought to have committed suicide to avoid capture.

Approximately 7,000 Jews while fighting or hiding during the uprising. Police deported approximately 42,000 survivors who were captured during the revolt, most of whom were shot to death in the Nazi "Operation Harvest Festival" (Erntefest). Many Jews (one estimate suggests 20,000) evaded capture and continued to hide in the ruins of the Warsaw Ghetto.

Resisters knew that the uprising was likely doomed, but chose to fight anyway. Marek Edelman, the only surviving ŻOB commander, stated that the inspiration to fight back was "not to allow the Germans alone to pick the time and place of our deaths".

• Date: 1943-04-19
• Learn More: encyclopedia.ushmm.org, en.wikipedia.org.
• Tags: #Fascism.
• Source: www.apeoplescalendar.org

Sarah Bagley (1806 - 1889)

Sat Apr 19, 1806

Sarah George Bagley (shown left), born on this day in 1806, was a U.S. labor leader and author who played a key role in organizing the Lowell Mill Girls in the 1840s. After working as an organizer, she established a sliding-scale medical clinic.

Bagley advocated for shorter workdays for factory workers and mechanics and campaigned to make ten hours of labor per day the maximum in Massachusetts. She also opposed the Mexican-American War, demanded prison reform, and later in life established a sliding-scale medical practice in Albany, New York.

"When our rights are trampled upon and we appeal in vain to our legislators, what are we to do? Shall not our voice be heard?"

- Sarah Bagley

• Date: 1806-04-19
• Learn More: en.wikipedia.org, projects.leadr.msu.edu.
• Tags: #Labor, #Birthdays.
• Source: www.apeoplescalendar.org

Paint Creek Mine War (1912)

Thu Apr 18, 1912

On this day in 1912, the Paint Creek Mine War began when West Virginia miners struck, demanding formal union recognition and fairer labor practices. The incident quickly escalated into one of the worst labor conflicts in U.S. history.

The event, also known as the Paint Creek-Cabin Creek Strike, centered on the area enclosed by two streams, Paint Creek and Cabin Creek. It is considered part of the "Coal Wars", a series of armed conflicts between workers and coal companies from the 1890s - 1930s in the United States.

The strike lasted for fourteen months, and over 5,000 workers participated. Notable labor organizer Mother Jones (shown) came to West Virginia to support the workers, organizing a secret march of 3,000 armed miners to the steps of the state capitol in Charleston to read a declaration of war to Governor William E. Glasscock.

The confrontation directly caused approximately fifty violent deaths from armed conflicts between miners and strike-breaking forces, as well as many more deaths indirectly caused by starvation and malnutrition among the striking miners. In terms of casualties, it was among the worst conflicts in American labor history.

• Date: 1912-04-18
• Learn More: en.wikipedia.org, www.wvencyclopedia.org.
• Tags: #Labor.
• Source: www.apeoplescalendar.org

Harvard Living Wage Sit-In (2001)

Wed Apr 18, 2001

On this day in 2001, 46 demonstrators at Harvard University, carrying sleeping bags, computers, and a week's supply of food, occupied Massachusetts Hall, refusing to budge until the school agreed to pay its workers a "living wage".

The protest was a culmination of years of activism at Harvard to try and get the richest university in the world to pay all of its workers a living wage.

The sit-in ended after 21 days (the longest in Harvard history) when Harvard President Neil L. Rudenstine announced the formation of a University-wide committee to investigate the "principles and policies" regarding low paid and contract university workers.

No non-unionized or non-management workers served on the committee, however, and the workers that did were outnumbered 3-1 by faculty and students.

• Date: 2001-04-18
• Learn More: www.washingtonpost.com, www.thecrimson.com.
• Tags: #Civil Rights, #Protests.
• Source: www.apeoplescalendar.org

Bay of Pigs Invasion (1961)

Mon Apr 17, 1961

Image: U.S.-backed Cuban exiles captured during the failed Bay of Pigs invasion, Cuba, 1961 [britannica.com]

On this day in 1961, the Bay of Pigs invasion took place when a force of 1400 Cuban exiles, funded and led by the U.S., landed on the southwest coast of Cuba in a failed attempt at overthrowing the revolutionary Cuban government.

Covertly financed and directed by the U.S. government, the operation took place at the height of the Cold War and its failure led to major shifts in international relations between Cuba, the United States, and the Soviet Union.

The coup attempt came after the Cuban government expropriated property from American capitalists. U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower allocated $13.1 million to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in March 1960 for use against Castro's government. With the aid of Cuban counter-revolutionaries, the CIA proceeded to organize an invasion.

On April 14th, 1961, a squadron of U.S. B-26 bombers camouflaged with Cuban insignias begin a two-day bombing campaign of Cuban airports, destroying a large portion of the Cuban air force.

On the night of April 17th, an invasion force of approximately 1400 Cuban exiles and CIA officers landed on the beach at Playa Girón in the Bay of Pigs. After a few days, the insurgents became overwhelmed by the Cuban army. President Kennedy refused to provide air support for the operation.

The invasion's defeat solidified Castro's role as a national hero and strengthened Cuba-Soviet relations. Several Cuban exiles and two Americans were executed upon capture. Over 1,000 prisoners were exchanged for humanitarian aid from the U.S. government.

• Date: 1961-04-17
• Learn More: en.wikipedia.org, www.npr.org, www.marxists.org, www.britannica.com.
• Tags: #Imperialism, #Communism.
• Source: www.apeoplescalendar.org

Lenin's "April Theses" Published (1917)

Tue Apr 17, 1917

Image: A photo portrait of Vladimir Lenin in 1920, taken by Pavel Semyonovich Zhukov. [Wikipedia]

On this day in 1917, six months before the October Revolution, Vladimir Lenin's "April Theses" was published in Pravda. In the text, Lenin called for the abolition of the Provisional Government and power to be given to workers' soviets.

Lenin had arrived in Petrograd the night prior, and had previously delivered the content of the April Theses in two speeches - once to a meeting of Bolsheviks and once to a meeting of both Bolsheviks and Mensheviks - before they were prepared in writing and published in Pravda on April 17th, 1917.

The text contains ten directives, mostly directed at fellow Bolsheviks. In the April Theses, Lenin calls for opposition to World War I, total non-support for the Provisional Government, a new government comprised of workers' soviets, the nationalization of land and banks, and establishing a new communist international opposed to "social chauvinists" (such as the German Social Democratic Party).

Lenin also offers analysis of the revolutionary situation in Russia at the time, stating that "the country is passing from the first stage of the revolution - which, owing to the insufficient class-consciousness and organisation of the proletariat, placed power in the hands of the bourgeoisie - to its second stage, which must place power in the hands of the proletariat and the poorest sections of the peasants."

The April Theses provided much of the ideological groundwork that led to the October Revolution, which took place six months later when the Bolsheviks initiated a military uprising and seized the Winter Palace. The full text to this short work is provided below.

• Date: 1917-04-17
• Learn More: www.marxists.org, en.wikipedia.org.
• Tags: #Marxism, #Communism.
• Source: www.apeoplescalendar.org

Creole Slave Revolt Succeeds (1842)

Sat Apr 16, 1842

On this day in 1842, participants of the Creole Slave Revolt, one of the most successful slave revolts in American history, won their freedom after the Admiralty Court in Nassau of the West Indies declared mutineering slaves to be free.

The revolt aboard the slave ship Creole began on November 7th, 1841 and resulted in 128 enslaved people winning their freedom. On that day, 19 slaves aboard the ship mutinied and took control of the deck of the ship, killing one slave trader in the process. The rebels then demanded to be sailed to Liberia, but settled on the British West Indies instead, as the African coast was too far away.

The mutineers reached Nassau, a major port city in the West Indies two days later. They were detained and the British government considered charging the enslaved with piracy for liberating themselves.

The Admiralty Court in Nassau differed, however, and ordered the last mutineers to be released on April 16th, 1842, granting the participants of the revolt their freedom.

• Date: 1842-04-16
• Learn More: www.blackpast.org, en.wikipedia.org.
• Source: www.apeoplescalendar.org