Have you ever been curious about what happened on a given day? I was curious to see what happened on April 12 so using the Internet, I looked it up. I found a few historical happenings on this date.
n 1865: The American Civil War was almost at an end, and on this date, Mobile, Ala., fell to the U.S. Army.
n 1945: President Franklin D. Roosevelt died while in office, and Vice President Harry Truman was sworn in as the 33rd president of the United States.
n 1961: Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin went into space in Vostok 1.
n 1975: Operation Eagle evacuates the American ambassador and staff from Phnom Penh in Laos as the Communist Khmer Rouge forces close in around the city.
It was interesting to pick a day and see what historical things had happened in previous years. In 100 years, the American Civil War ended, a president died, a manned space capsule circled the earth and Communist forces seized an Asian country.

Willowick auxiliary hosts flea market
The Ladies Auxiliary of American Legion Post 678, 570 E. 328th St. in Willowick, will host a flea market from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the post home. This is a fundraiser for the veteran causes that the auxiliary supports. For details, call the post at 440-943-9659.

Breakfast served at Painesville VFW
The Ladies Auxiliary of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2595, 570 Liberty St. in Painesville, will host a Sunday breakfast beginning at 9 a.m. April 21 at the post home. For details, call the post at 440-354-9090.

Veterans Hospitality Dinner
A Veterans Hospitality Dinner will be served beginning at 6 p.m. April 24 at Old South Church, 9802 Chillicothe Road in Kirtland. The family event will bring area veterans together in appreciation of their service.
The dinner and dessert are free and there will be activities for children.
Registration in advance is requested at ghostriderfoundation@gmail.com to assure adequate food and staffing.

Reverse raffle at AMVETS post
AMVETS District 20 will host a reverse raffle April 27 at AMVETS Post 109, 7847 Lake Shore Blvd. in Mentor-on-the-Lake. Tickets for the raffle, which is open to the public, are $25 and include the big board ticket. For details, call 440-463-3452 or 440-521-7235.

Auxiliary unit celebrates 25 years
VFW Post 3863 Ladies Auxiliary will celebrate the group’s 25th anniversary from 3 to 6 p.m. April 28 at the post home, 33641 Vine St. in Eastlake. Dinner will be catered by Koumbaro’s Catering. Cost is $10 per person and reservations are requested before April 19. Call Jean Powali at 440-944-8943 with questions or to make reservations.

Rally for the Troops in Cleveland
The 11th Annual Rally for the Troops will be 11 a.m. to noon April 28 on Cleveland Public Square. There is no cost to attend and parking is free at Tower City and Network Parking. Bikes will stage at various Harley Davidson dealerships beginning at 8:30 a.m. Contact the Harley Davidson dealer closest to you for details. For information about the rally, call 440-263-8121.

AMVETS Post serves spaghetti
AMVETS Post 40, 9141 Jordan Drive in Mentor, will host a spaghetti dinner 5 to 8 p.m. on Thursdays at the post home. The public is welcome. For details, call the post at 440-257-5825.

Yankee Doodle Salute
The Western Reserve Junior Service League will present the annual Red Stocking Revue “Yankee Doodle Salute!” at 7:30 p.m. May 3 and 4 at Harvey High School, 200 W. Walnut Ave. in Painesville.
The program is a fundraiser for the league and the work it does in promoting the enrichment of educational, cultural and charitable organizations in Lake, Geauga and Ashtabula counties. The program will be a patriotic salute.
This year, donate toiletries for the troops and receive a one free Chinese raffle ticket.
Tickets for the show are $15 for general admission and $35 reserved seating. To thank those who have served our country, all veterans and active duty personnel with a military ID will be admitted free the night of the performance, based on available seating. For details visit www.wrjsl.org.

Walk for Fisher House
American Legion Ladies Auxiliary Unit 343 of Euclid will sponsor a Walk for Fisher House on May 11 at Euclid High School’s Sparky DiBiasio Stadium. The walk will be one mile, and the event includes a wellness clinic. Representatives from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and Fisher House will answer any questions about benefits available.
Registration is $20 per walker, with children ages 12 and younger admitted free. For details and a registration form, email walkforfisher@roadrunner.com or call the post after 3 p.m. at 216-531-5344.

Geauga County World War II veterans wanted
The Geauga County Historical Society is trying to identify all current Geauga County residents who are veterans of World War II.
The Historical Society will be hosting a tribute dinner May 25 at Century Village Museum’s Bond Building. The dinner is part of a major weekend-long event to commemorate the World War II era.
If you or someone you know is a veteran of World War II and a resident of Geauga County, please call the Geauga County Historical Society and Century Village Museum office at 440-834-1492 or email info@geaugahistorical.org.

To submit items for this column or the online listings, send them to The News-Herald, Attn.: Larece Galer, 7085 Mentor Ave., Willoughby, OH 44094; fax to 440-975-2293; or via email to LGaler@News-Herald.com.