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The History Channel

* On April 20, 1841, Edgar Allan Poe’s story, “The Murders in the Rue Morgue,” first appears in print. The tale, generally considered to be the first detective story, describes the methods used to solve a series of murders.

* On April 21, 1930, a fire at an Ohio prison kills 320 inmates, some of whom burn to death when they are not unlocked from their cells. The prison, built to hold 1,500 people, had 4,300 prisoners.

* On April 22, 1889, at precisely high noon, 50,000 to 60,000 would-be settlers make a mad dash into the newly opened Oklahoma Territory to claim ch...