1792, the national anthem of France, “La Marseillaise,” was composed by Captain Claude Joseph Rouget De Lisle.
1800, Congress approved legislation establishing the Library Of Congress.
1898, Spain declared war on the U.S. after rejecting America’s order to withdraw from Cuba.
1915, the Ottoman Turkish Empire began the mass deportation of Armenians during World War I.
1916, Irish nationalists in Dublin, led by Patrick Pearse, launched the Easter Rebellion, an armed uprising against British rule, on Easter Sunday.
1953, Winston Churchill was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II.
1961, Bob Dylan made his recording debut (and $50) playing harmonica on the title track of Harry Belafonte‘s Midnight Special album.
1962, The Massachusetts Institute Of Technology achieved the first satellite relay of a television signal, between Camp Parks, California, and Westford, Massachusetts.
1980, an ill-fated U.S. military operation to rescue the 52 American hostages held in Iran ended with eight U.S. military personnel killed and no hostages rescued.
1990, The space shuttle Discovery blasted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, carrying the $1.5 billion Hubble Space Telescope. The telescope is so powerful, it can see a dime 25 miles away.
1990, junk bond dealer Michael Milken pled guilty to six counts of securities fraud.
1995, a package bomb linked to the Unabomber exploded inside the Sacramento, California, offices of a lobbying group for the wood products industry, killing lobbyist Gilbert B. Murray.

• Shirley MacLaine (actress, Terms Of Endearment, Steel Magnolias, Postcards From The Edge,Guarding Tess; sister of Warren Beatty) (78)
• Barbra Streisand (actress-singer, Funny Girl, Hello, Dolly!, The Way We Were, A Star Is Born, The Prince Of Tides, Meet The Fockers) (70)
• Kelly Clarkson (singer/actress, winner of American Idol) (30)
• Cedric the Entertainer (actor-comedian, The Steve Harvey Show, Big Momma’s House,Barbershop, Cedric The Entertainer Presents) (48)
• Djimon Hounsou (actor, Amistad, In America, Gladiator, Blood Diamond) (48)
• Eric Bogosian (writer and actor) (59)
• Michael O’Keefe (actor, Caddyshack, Roseanne, Ghosts Of Mississippi; former husband of Bonnie Raitt) (57)
• Doug “Cosmo” Clifford (drummer, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Creedence Clearwater Revisited) (67)
• Eric Kripke (TV writer/producer/director, Supernatural) (38)
• Danny Gokey (American Idol 2009 contestant) (32)
• Eric Balfour (actor, Six Feet Under, 24, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre) (35)
• Austin Nichols (actor, One Tree Hill, Wimbledon, John From Cincinnati) (32)

CBS

• NCIS (repeat)
• NCIS: LOA ANGELES (repeat)
• UNFORGETTABLE (repeat)

NBC

• THE BIGGEST LOSER – Eliminated contestants return to compete in a four part challenge; the third finalist is revealed.
• THE VOICE – The contestants face elimination.
• FASHION STAR – The mentors team up with the remaining designers and decide what each designer should make; a contestant is eliminated.

FOX

• GLEE – The club pays homage to Whitney Houston; Emma and Will move closer to their dream wedding.
• NEW GIRL – Jess worries that she and Russell don’t share the same passion as he did with his ex-wife; Cece encourages Schimdt to go out with her roommate.
• NEW GIRL (repeat)

ABC

• LAST MAN STANDING (repeat)
• COUGAR TOWN – Jules and Grayson clash as they talk about joining their finances; Travis talks Laurie into making some grown up decisions.
• DANCING WITH THE STARS – The couples face elimination; Boyz II Men perform.
• PRIVATE PRACTICE – Pete and Violet go to a marriage couselor; Amelia gets some destatating news.

CW

• 90210 – Naomi plans a party so her friends can get to know P.J.; Austin returns; Annie confesses her feelings to Caleb.
• THE L.A. COMPLEX – (series premiere) Abby, a broke aspiring actress, finds a place to crash in Los Angeles and meets a group of displaced dreamers.

BRAVO

• THE REAL HOUSEWIVES OF ORANGE COUNTY – Heather goes to Hollywood for an audition; Alexis hires a coach.

LATE NIGHT TALK SHOWS

THE LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN (CBS) – Amy Poehler
THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO (NBC) – Jack Black, Daniel Holzman & Michael Chernow, Beirut
JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE (ABC) – John Cusack, the latest Dancing with the Stars castoff, Vintage Trouble
THE LATE LATE SHOW WITH CRAIG FERGUSON (CBS) – Carson Kressley, Ramin Nazir
LATE NIGHT WITH JIMMY FALLON (NBC) – President Barack Obama, Dave Matthews
LAST CALL WITH CARSON DALY (NBC) – James Van Der Beek, Mike D, Kasabian
THE DAILY SHOW WITH JON STEWART (COMEDY CENTRAL) – Madeleine Albright
THE COLBERT REPORT (COMEDY CENTRAL) – Magnus Carlsen
CONAN – Metta World Peace, Jerry Crowley, Haley Reinhart

PETRA NEMCOVA DATING SEAN PENN? Petra Nemcova is reportedly finding solace in the arms of her ex-boyfriend Sean Penn in the wake of her broken engagement. The New York Post reported that the supermodel and Penn were spotted together just a week after it was reported that she’d called it quits with British actor Jamie Belman. A source told the Post, “Petra was all over him like crazy. She was rubbing his shoulders and rubbing his leg. She was hanging all over him. Sean looked like he was playing it cool. But they did leave the restaurant together.”

SIMON COWELL TALKS GAY RUMORS: Simon Cowell is trying to clear up the rumors about his sexuality once and for all. Simon told Tom Bower, the author of Sweet Revenge: The Intimate Life of Simon Cowell, “If I was gay, why wouldn’t I admit it? It wouldn’t harm me, and my mother wouldn’t freak out.” The book also claims that Simon had a secret romance with Dannii Minogue.

NOAH WYLE ARRESTED: Noah Wyle was arrested on Monday (April 23rd) along with more than 100 members of the group ADAPT during a Capitol Hill protest to urge Congress not to cut Medicaid. The protestors say that cuts in Medicaid spending would force people with disabilities and the elderly out of their homes and into nursing homes to get the services they need.

LINDSAY LOHAN OFFICIALLY SIGNS ON AS LIZ TAYLOR: Lindsay Lohan has officially landed the part of Elizabeth Taylor in Lifetime’s original movie Liz & Dick. Although it’s been reported for months that she scored the part — it only just became official. Lifetime’s Executive Vice President, Programming, Rob Sharenow said, “We are thrilled Lindsay will portray beloved Hollywood legend Elizabeth Taylor. She is one of the rare actresses who possesses the talent, beauty and intrigue to capture the spirit of such a provocative icon.” Lindsay released her own statement saying, “I have always admired and had enormous respect for Elizabeth Taylor. She was not only an incredible actress but an amazing woman as well. I am very honored to have been asked to play this role.”

ASHLEY FINK DROPPED FROM ‘GLEE’: Ashley Fink has been dropped from Glee. The actress, who played plus-sized Lauren Zizes, confirmed to TheInsider.com that she’s done with the Fox series. Fink explained, “It is what it is. Lauren’s somewhere in that school, she’s just not on camera or being talked about. She’s involved in activities that aren’t televised.” She added that there are no hard feelings: “Glee is very much a fly by the seat of your pants [operation] in the way that best laid plans never quite come together. They have so many [characters] to take care of and I think once they made the decision that all these characters were going to graduate, it shifted the way this season was going to go.”

JENNIFER LAWRENCE IN ‘GLASS CASTLE’? Jennifer Lawrence is looking ahead to her next project.GossipCop.com reported that The Hunger Games star is in talks to star in an adaptation of The Glass Castle — an award-winning memoir by Jeannette Walls, which “recounts her dysfunctional, nomadic and largely poverty-stricken upbringing.”

Jennifer Aniston is reportedly racing Brangelina to the altar. In the wake of her ex-husband’s engagement news, TMZ.com claims that Jen and her boyfriend Justin Theroux are planning a wedding in Crete.