From Kansas City to Deep Space: This Week in History

Cover image for This Week in History for April 6, with an image of several Native Americans negotiating over packages of fur at the Hudson Bay Company trading post, painted by Henry Alexander Ogden in 1882.

April 6-10, 2026
With topics ranging from astronomy to religion, check out these book and video recommendations based on what happened in history this week!

April 6, 1808

Portrait of John Jacob Astor by John Wesley Jarvis, circa 1825. He is a middle aged Caucasian man with short brown hair and a black suit.

John Jacob Astor founds the American Fur Company, which will eventually make him America's first millionaire. It will compete against the British North West Company in the highly lucrative fur trade and will dominate the market during the early 19th century.

Learn more with KCKPL:

Fur, Fortune, and Empire: The Epic History of the Fur Trade in America

Astor: The Rise and Fall of an American Fortune

 

April 7, 1831

Portrait of Emperor Pedro II of Brazil by Johann Moritz Rugendas, circa 1846. He is a young man of 20 years old with ginger hair, and is dressed in regal clothing, including a sword at his waist. He is in a lush garden.

Pedro II, the final Emperor of Brazil, is inaugurated. His long and stable reign will see the country transform from a weak state into an emerging power. As a ruler, he will be celebrated for his support of civil liberties and the arts.

Learn more with KCKPL:

Brazil: A Biography

The Brazil Reader: History, Culture, Politics

 

April 8, 563 BCE

Birth of Buddha, by Kanzan Shimomura, circa 1896. It depicts Siddhartha Gautama as a baby, standing and posing as though he is teaching the adults surrounding him. He is wearing silky white cloths, while the adults around him are dressed in extravagant clothing.

One of several traditional dates for the birth of Siddhartha Gautama, the founder of Buddhism. He was born in Lumbini, Nepal, which is now a sacred pilgrimage site, to an aristocratic family. He will give up this lifestyle to pursue nirvana through the Middle Way.

Learn more with KCKPL:

Buddhism: An Introduction to the Buddha's Life, Teachings, and Practices

The Woman Who Raised the Buddha: The Extraordinary Life of Mahāprajāpatī

 

April 9, 1968

Photograph from the 1968 riot in Washington, D.C. following the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. It shows a soldier standing on the street near a ruined building.

Protests in Kansas City following the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. turn to riots after police employ tear gas on the protestors. Kansas City is one of 37 U.S. cities to experience riots after the assassination.

Learn more with KCKPL:

Racism in Kansas City: A Short History

A City Divided: The Racial Landscape of Kansas City, 1900-1960

 

April 10, 2019

Image of the M87 supermassive black hole. It is an blurred orange and red swirl with a black spot in the center, surrounded by darkness.

Scientists release the first ever picture of a black hole, after which it is named "Pōwehi," meaning “the adorned fathomless dark creation.” The data for the image was collected in 2017. Prior to this, black holes could only be observed through their interaction with surrounding matter and light.

Learn more with KCKPL:

Light in the Darkness: Black Holes, the Universe, and Us

Facing Infinity: Black Holes and Our Place on Earth

The Little Book of Black Holes

 

Images

Portrait of Astor by John Wesley Jarvis, ~1825

Portrait of Emperor Pedro II of Brazil by Johann Moritz Rugendas, ~1846

Birth of Buddha, by Kanzan Shimomura, circa 1896

1968 King assasination riot in Washington, D.C.

M87 supermassive black hole, 2019, imaged by the Event Horizon Telescope (European Southern Observatory, CC BY 4.0)

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