As a kid in a Detroit elementary school, I always used to hear that "March comes in like a lion, and goes out like a lamb."

That's fine, but I'm here to tell you that the first two weeks of April were no picnic for most of the country. I was in Boston on business, and it was snowing, and the mercury fell to the teens at night. This was APRIL?

Coming from California, I found myself somewhat unprepared for the weather, especially since when I arrived, it was around 70! Naturally, when things got cold, I needed a warm hat. I tried the stores, but there were none to be found. "It's Spring, sir..."

Finally, I did find a great wool watch cap (a.k.a. stocking cap) at the good ol' Harvard Coop.

In checking recent history, I found that April could be a momentous or even cruel month:

Focusing only on April 30th, we find that . . .

. . .In 1789, George Washington was sworn in as the nation's first president.

. . .In 1945, as Russian troops approached his Berlin bunker, Adolf Hitler committed suicide, along with his wife of one day, Eva Braun.

. . .In 1973, President Nixon announced the resignation of his aides H.R. Haldeman and John Ehrlichman, along with Attorney General Richard Kleindienst and White House counsel John Dean.

. . .In 1975, Saigon fell to the Communist forces.

. . .In 1992, we in Los Angeles were in the midst of the biggest riot in the nation's history.

Is there a pattern emerging here? Is there a circadian rhythm to huge events in human history?

What do YOU think?