Today in HistoryToday is Thursday, April 26, the 116th day of 2007. There are 249 days left in the year.

ON THIS DATE<$>

In 1607, English colonists went ashore at present-day Cape Henry, Virginia, on an expedition to establish the first permanent English settlement in the Western Hemisphere. They later settled at Jamestown, further up the James River.

In 1937, the Spanish Basque town of Guernica was bombed by German planes sent by Hitler to help Franco during the Spanish Civil War.

In 1986, the world’s worst nuclear accident happened at the Chernobyl plant in the Soviet Union. An explosion and fire killed at least 31 people and sent radioactivity into the atmosphere.

In 1994, South Africa held its first all-race elections for the national assembly.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

“Perfect order is the forerunner of perfect horror.” — Carlos Fuentes, Mexican author.