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Twenty years ago this day, and by the look at the time of this post, almost exactly twenty years ago to this hour, the verdict was read in the infamous police beating of motorist Rodney King and the result was the bloodiest and most destructive insurrection of the 1990's.

After a trial that went on for weeks and jury deliberation that went on for days, the four LAPD officers were acquitted in the use of deadly force against an unarmed motorist. The reaction was swift, vocal and ultimately violent - and it lasted for days.

Here is the first hour, just moments after the verdicts were read via KNX-AM in Los Angeles. From the official sector comes a press conference reaction from Mayor Tom Braddley and a few minutes later, reaction from Police Chief Darryl Gates, who pretty much sums up the problem by his attitude. Between are reactions from Civic leaders, Civil rights leaders and the average innocent bystander. The broadcast ends just as violence erupts in South Central with first reports of looting and gunshots.

The rest, as they say, is history

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April 29th may have marked the 20th anniversary of the start of the now-famous Rodney King Trial verdict insurrection, but April 30th was when the shit truly hit the fan and the streets were filled with anger and violence. Fires sprang up everywhere, most raging out of control because fire fighters were in short supply and the ones who did respond were attacked. The Police were mostly powerless to stop the rage and stores and businesses throughout the city were broken into, ransacked and burned. As of the start of the morning of the 30th, 9 had already been reported dead, with scores injured and a city in chaos and spreading.

Here is coverage, as presented by Public radio station KCRW, who also broke in and out to carry news reports from the local TV outlets as well as CNN. This recording covers the period of time from 8:55 am until roughly 10:00 am on the morning of the 30th. There are two press conferences, one from Mayor Braddley assessing the situation and Chief Darryl Gates. Also covered are statements from President Bush and a lot of eyewitness accounts.

And this day was only starting.

I almost forgot what a wall-to-wall insane week the first week of March was in 1992. The Democratic Presidential primaries were heating up with Sen. Bob Kerrey dropping out and leaving it a field of four; Gov. Bill Clinton, Paul Tsongas, Gerry Brown and Tom Harkin. While on the Republican side Pat Buchanan tried to pull support away from George Bush by proclaiming a certain "lock and load" mentality to his campaign rhetoric. Meanwhile, the economy was hovering or circling the drain, depending on who you asked. Macy's Department stores filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy protection and the unemployment was 7.3%. Scandals were big this first week of March, with the Congressional Check Bouncing (dubbed Rubbergate) scandal jangling nerves all over Capitol Hill. Washington Senator Brock Adams quit his re-election bid amidst a flurry of sexual harassment charges. And even charities weren't immune to the specter of scandal with United Way reeling over alegations. Ireland was pondering abortion legislation. Texas was advocating surgical castration for sex crimes. The Rodney King police beating trial was getting started and people were flipping out over the threatened Michelangelo Virus poised to hit computer hard drives all over the world.

That, and a whole lot more got crammed into this half hour of ABC World News This Week from March 8, 1992.

Some week - now you know why people opt for staying in bed.

On this day in 1991 the first combat troops were returning from Operation Desert Storm with more on the way. Meanwhile, uprisings around Iraq were being quickly extinguished by the Saddam Hussein regime. President Bush delivers an address the previous night to declare the war was over with reactions from Capitol Hill. In Los Angeles, viral video tape of a beating by police of motorist Rodney King in the Lakeview Terrace section of Los Angeles sparked controversy and a clumsy attempt at explanation on the parts of the LAPD. An investigation was promised.

And that's what it looked today if you were in 1991.

(By Day 3 things were starting to calm down a bit)

By May 1st of 1992, Los Angeles had been witness to one of the more devasating riots in recent memory for three endless days. All sparked by the beating of black motorist Rodney King, the city went ballistic when the police officers responsible for the beating were acquitted during a trial held in the suburb of Simi Valley on April 29. The riot was widespread, heading as far west as Santa Monica and laying waste to entire blocks in Hollywood. With curfews enforced and National Guard troops called in, the city finally returned to calm by the weekend of May 2nd.

On May 1st, President Bush addressed the situation, authorizing the use of Marines and a detachment of Army Infantry to patrol the city streets in order to prevent further looting and fires which turned the L.A. sky red at night.

L.A. just wasnt quite the same after that.

(The incident that sparked the outrage)