The Columbine High School massacre occurred on Tuesday, April 20, 1999 at Columbine High School near Denver and Littleton, Colorado, in the United States. Two teenage students, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, carried out a shooting rampage, killing twelve fellow students and a teacher before committing suicide. It is considered to be the worst school shooting in U.S. history. As a result of the massacre, questions arose regarding gun control and the availability of assault weapons in the United States. Much discussion was prompted regarding the role of violent movies and video games in American society. Soon, other topics of focus surfaced including the nature of high school cliques and bullying. Several of the victims who were believed to have been killed due to their religious beliefs became a source of inspiration to others, notably Christians, and led some to lament the decline of religion in public education and society in general. The shooting also resulted in an increased emphasis on school security, and a moral panic aimed at goth culture, heavy metal music, and violent video games.

Read the rest of this article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbine_High_School_massacre

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

96: Nerva (pictured) was appointed by the Senate to become Roman Emperor, the first of the Five Good Emperors. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nerva)

1850: The United States Congress passed the Fugitive Slave Act. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fugitive_Slave_Law_of_1850)

1895: Daniel David Palmer made the first chiropractic adjustment. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_David_Palmer)

1931: The Mukden Incident: A section of the Japanese-built South Manchuria Railway was allegedly destroyed by Chinese terrorists, providing an excuse for the Japanese annexation of Manchuria. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mukden_Incident)

1998: The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), a non-profit organization that manages the assignment of domain names and IP addresses in the Internet, was established. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ICANN)

_____________________ Wikiquote of the day:

"Pleasure is very seldom found where it is sought; our brightest blazes of gladness are commonly kindled by unexpected sparks." -- Samuel Johnson (http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Samuel_Johnson)