Today in History

[goofywife]

1936 FRESH TORNADOES LEAVES 200 DEAD
1814: Napoleon abdicates his throne
1951: Rosenberg spy team receives death sentence
1992: Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton dies

[DianaB]

Are you going to post these everyday? That would be a good idea! Very interesting facts!

[goofywife]

I will do my best!

[katcarasella]

Great idea, I'll be watching!!

2830

[Janet]

I love this kind of stuff Michelle. It's so fun to see what has happened on the date in the past.

[judy]

That's pretty cool!

[goofywife]

1930: Gandhi ends Salt March

Mahatma Gandhi and his followers, in protest of the salt tax levied by the British Empire, ended their Salt March today at the coastal village of Dandi, Gujarat, some 240 miles from their starting point in Sabarmati.

"Mahatma Gandhi manufactured salt from sea water here this morning, thereby breaking the British law establishing a monopoly on salt manufacture," reported the Syracuse Herald on April 6, 1930. "At Dandi last night they prepared for the first definite act of civil disobedience. As the first step, they waded into the waters of the tidal marshes and filled pots with salt water. These were placed in the sun for evaporation of the water, and the residue of salt will be removed for sale."

NOTE: Gandhi is said to have stood in the water with a handful of mud and salt and declared, "With this, I am shaking the foundations of the British Empire." The march led to other acts of civil disobedience across India; however, Indian independence was not achieved until 17 years later.

1993: Blast occurs at Russian nuclear plant

Today, an explosion rocked a Russian nuclear weapons complex in the Siberian town of Tomsk-7. The explosion was blamed on a rise in pressure in an underground tank, which began when nitric acid was added as a cleanser. "Troops scooped up contaminated Siberian soil today after a tank holding radioactive waste exploded in what the government is calling the worst nuclear accident since the 1986 Chernobyl disaster," informed The Capital on April 7, 1993.

1970: California patrol officers are killed

Four California Highway Patrol officers were killed today in what is considered one of the worst officer killings in CHP history. "The four highway patrolmen were killed after they stopped a car whose occupants were reported to have brandished guns at motorists on a freeway. After the shootout, the two gunmen fled separately on foot," explained the Progress-Bulletin on April 6, 1970. NOTE: One gunman was captured and later convicted on four counts of murder, while the other committed suicide before police could arrest him.

1917: U.S. declares war on Germany

U.S. President Woodrow Wilson signed a declaration of war against Imperial Germany today, signaling the beginning of American involvement in World War I. On April 2, Wilson had called a special session of Congress asking them to approve the war. The vote in the Senate was 82 to 6, and the House of Representatives voted 373 to 50 in favor of war. "Some pacifism developed, but there was no question as to the ultimate outcome -- a hearty support of President Wilson's passage of the resolution," The Frederick Post reported on April 6, 1917. NOTE: The declaration of war came after Germany resumed unrestricted submarine warfare, attacking and sinking several American ships.

1909: Explorer first to reach North Pole

Robert Peary, an Arctic explorer, became the first recorded person to reach the North Pole today. "From the bleak coast of Labrador Commander Peary today flashed the news that he has attained his goal in the Far North, while at the same moment, in Denmark, Dr. Frederick Cook was being dined and lionized by royalty for the same achievement," reported The Modesto Herald on September 9, 1909. NOTE: Although Peary was later credited with being the first to reach the pole, some still doubt his accomplishment.

1896: First modern Olympics open

The Olympic Games were revived today, opening in Athens, Greece after being banned for more than 1,500 years by Roman Emperor Theodosius I. "The exhibition and recognition of physical excellence in action is the one permanent characteristic common to the old athletics and the new. The essential influence of the purely physical part may be much the same, but the conditions and associations are all changed," explained The New York Times on April 26, 1896.

** I added the news paper byline. Let me know if you think its too much..

[katcarasella]

Thank You Michelle,
I like it, a litte education never hurt anybody.:D
Looking forward to more like these.

[DianaB]

I agree. I like little tidbits of information. This will be interesting to read!

[goofywife]

1933: Beer is sold once again in US

"Brewery horses galloped once again in 19 of the 48 states and the District of Columbia early today as 3.2 per cent beer was placed on sale at 12:01 a.m.," reported The Charleston Gazette today in 1933.

Most of the larger breweries sent their first case of legal beer to President Roosevelt, while cities like St. Louis, Chicago and Los Angeles held midnight celebrations to mark the return of the legal brew.

In Ohio, The Circleville Herald reported today that the one place busier than the restaurants and hotels selling beer was the state beer commission that issues the permits to sell alcohol.

1970: Stalin's daughter marries architect in Phoenix

Svetlana Alliluyeva, daughter of Joseph Stalin, married William Wesley Peters, chief architect of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, today during a simple Quaker ceremony in Phoenix. “The couple will reside at Taliesin West in the winter months and at the original Taliesin in Spring Green, Wis., the rest of the year,” reported the Sheboygan Journal on April 8, 1970

1945: Infantrymen find Hitler's treasure

General George S. Patton's soldiers found Germany's hidden stash of gold, currency and works of art valued in the billions of dollars in a salt mine 140 miles southwest of Berlin today. According to the Nazi officials taken in the mine, it took five weeks for Hitler's collapsing Reich to move all the treasure from Berlin.

1906: Liquid fire spews from Mount Vesuvius

Effluvia from Mount Vesuvius razed homesteads today as gray ash and liquid fire erupted from the volcano. "The streams of lava were resistless. They snapped like pipestems the trunks of chestnut trees hundreds of years old and blighted with their torrid breath the blooms on the peach trees before the trees themselves had been reached. They razed the homes of the peasants, filled up the wells, and then continued their course down the mountainside," informed The New York Times on April 8, 1906. NOTE: The eruption killed over 100 people.

[Janet]

So interesting...Stalin's daughter...all of it really!

[AngieDoogles]

These are cool facts Michelle. Thanks for taking the time to post them for us. :)

[katcarasella]

Love it!! Thanks Michelle:thumbup:

[deb22]

Pretty cool stuff.:thumbup:

and.... I love Walmart.:(

[Gina]

yes Michelle pretty good stuff. I always loved Social Studies class.. Now if we can only find Sister Agatha...lol <wink>

[goofywife]

It was one of my favorite subjects too. I had a great professor in college, he could tell it like you were actually there experiencing it for your self.


yes Michelle pretty good stuff. I always loved Social Studies class.. Now if we can only find Sister Agatha...lol <wink>

[goofywife]

1974: Hank Aaron breaks home run record

Atlanta Braves player Hank Aaron broke Babe Ruth's record today when he hit his 715th home run. With a crowd of 53,775 watching, a record attendance at the Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, Aaron's famous hit was made in the fourth inning of the Braves' 7-4 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers.

"The great chase is over for Hank Aaron. Aaron's pursuit of Babe Ruth's once seemingly unbeatable career home run record, a pursuit that took 20 years and nearly 3,000 major league baseball games, ended Monday night when 'The Hammer' hit his 715th," reported the Bucks County Courier Times on April 9, 1974. "Hank Aaron hit 40 home runs last season, most ever by a 39-year-old player, and was only one behind Babe Ruth when this season began."

NOTE: The Braves traded Aaron to the Milwaukee Brewers after the 1974 season, and Aaron hit his 755th and final home run on July 20, 1976.



1895: Court announces income tax decision

"As forecasted by the newspapers for several days, the supreme court has decided that the income tax law is unconstitutional so far as it affects incomes derived from rents and real estate or from state, county and municipal bonds. The court was divided as to the remainder of the law," reported The Waukesha Freeman on April 11, 1895. "The chief justice proceeded to a consideration of the constitutional requirements with respect to the imposition of taxation, direct and indirect, and said that the framers of the constitution intended to make the consent of those who were expected to pay essential to the validity of the tax." NOTE: The Sixteenth Amendment overruled this supreme court decision, allowing Congress to levy an income tax without regard to the State.

1973: Artist Pablo Picasso dies

Spanish artist Pablo Picasso died in France today. "Art lovers around the world today saluted the genius of Pablo Picasso, dead at 91 after one of the most notable and influential careers in the history of painting," wrote The Lawton Constitution on April 9, 1973. "The Spanish-born revolutionary who changed the course of 20th century art died Sunday at his walled estate overlooking the Mediterranean. Death was attributed to a heart attack brought on by collection of fluid in the lungs."

1943: Roosevelt checks inflation

President Franklin Delano Roosevelt declared that a wages would be frozen, a price ceiling would be implemented on all food commodities, and workers would not be permitted to change jobs unless the change would aid the war effort, all in an attempt to check out-of-control inflation. “Mr. Roosevelt said he thought everyone should avoid over-playing either scarcity or plenty because that is not good for public morale. We will have trouble, he said, if the public stops buying all at one time or tries all to buy at the same time,” informed The Delta Democrat-Times on April 9, 1943.

1904: New York chooses name 'Times Square'

Long Acre Square in Manhattan, New York, was renamed Times Square today. "By the action of the Board of Aldermen, made effective yesterday by the signature of the Mayor, the open space formed by the intersection of Broadway and Seventh Avenue, and extending from Forty-second to Forty-seventh Street, hitherto popularly known as 'Long Acre Square,' received the name of Times Square," explained The New York Times on April 9, 1904. "The choice of this name grew naturally out of the necessity of having a distinctive title for the subway station in the basement of The Times Building at the corner of Forty-second Street and Broadway."

[Janet]

You know, I may not be the brightest bulb in the pack, but I didn't know much about Picasso, I just thought he was way back in history. I had no idea he was still living until 1973. That is the year I graduated.

[goofywife]

I thought the very same thing. I guess we were thinking about different things in life at the time.

You know, I may not be the brightest bulb in the pack, but I didn't know much about Picasso, I just thought he was way back in history. I had no idea he was still living until 1973. That is the year I graduated.

[Dobie]

You missed a very important one - 1974: My brother David was born.

[goofywife]

You are right. Brothers are very important. 1974!!! I was in high school already.

You missed a very important one - 1974: My brother David was born.

[goofywife]

1959: Mercury Seven introduced
Seven test pilots were introduced to the public today as the Americans best qualified for space flight. The group consisted of M. Scott Carpenter, L. Gordon Cooper, Jr, John H. Glenn, Jr, Virgil I. Grissom, Walter M. Schirra, Alan B. Shepard, Jr and Donald K. Slayton.

"Which one actually will be the first American in space won't be known until sometime in 1961 when NASA launches its first manned satellite. All, however, will be thoroughly trained in the next two years to take on the hazardous and historic job," reported the Eureka Humboldt Standard on April 9, 1959.

NOTE: Because of the small space in the space capsule, candidates had to be shorter than 6 feet and weigh no more than 180 pounds. On May 5, 1961, Alan B. Shepard Jr. became the first American in space.

2005: Prince Charles marries Camilla
Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles were married in a civil ceremony today. Their marriage was blessed by the Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams in St. George's Chapel. "Despite years of public and media criticism, even ridicule, Charles and Camilla's shared affection appeared to finally to have won them a measure of acceptance from the British public, many of whom blamed their relationship for poisoning Charles' marriage to Princess Diana," explained The Post-Standard on April 10, 2005.

1963: Churchill becomes honorary U.S. citizen
Winston Churchill of Great Britain became an honorary U.S. citizen today. "Never before in history has this country, by congressional action, made anyone an honorary citizen," informed the Oshkosh Daily Northwestern on April 9, 1963. "Only the scrawl of presidential signatures on a bill enacted by Congress and on the proclamation the bill authorized was needed today to make Churchill an honorary American citizen."

1959: Frank Lloyd Wright dies
Architecture genius Frank Lloyd Wright died today in Phoenix, Arizona, at the age of 89. "A giant on the national and international architectural scene, Wright underwent an operation Monday for removal of an intestinal obstruction. He had been stricken Saturday at his winter home near Scottsdale," reported The Sheboygan Press on April 9, 1959. NOTE: Throughout his life, Wright designed more than 1,000 buildings, resulting in more than 500 completed structures around the world. In 1991, the American Institute of Architects recognized Wright as the “greatest American architect of all time.”

1957: Large ships use Suez Canal again
The Suez Canal was open to ships up to 20,000 tons today after U.N. salvage crews cleared the water of the last obstacle left from the Suez Crisis. "While whistles shrilled and hundreds of persons watched from the banks, U.N. salvage crews raised and towed away the sunken Egyptian frigate Abukir yesterday. That cleared the channel for all shipping adapted to its 34-foot depth. The Egyptian Suez Canal Authority gave no indication when capacity operation would be resumed. Before the canal was blocked, ships of about 40,000 tons could go through," explained The Times on April 9, 1957.

1939: 75,000 attend concert at Lincoln Memorial
After African-American contralto Marian Anderson was denied use of Constitution Hall in Washington D.C. by the Daughters of the American Revolution, she held an outdoor Easter concert at the Lincoln Memorial in front of 75,000 people today. "Secretary Ickes, introducing her made no direct reference to the controversy over the D.A.R. auditorium which was credited with causing Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt's resignation from the organization. But he said: 'There are those, even in this great capital of our Democratic republic, who are either too timid or too indifferent to lift up the light that Jefferson and Lincoln carried aloft,'" reported The Kingsport Times on April 10, 1939.

[goofywife]

1979: 'Terrible Tuesday' tornadoes hit
Thirteen tornadoes ripped through Texas and Oklahoma today in a deadly outbreak that meteorologists later referred to as "Terrible Tuesday." The twisters destroyed thousands of homes, and one Texas resident compared the storm’s effect to bomb damage.

"Tornadoes smashed into four communities in North Texas and Oklahoma, sucking up people and property, tossing cars about and leveling homes and businesses. Authorities said at least 57 persons were killed and more than 800 were injured," reported the Syracuse Herald Journal on April 11, 1979. "Gov. Bill Clements toured the north Texas city of Wichita Falls, site of the worst damage, as National Guard troops patrolled debris-strewn streets today to ward off any looters who might want to take advantage of the disaster that struck yesterday afternoon."

NOTE: Wichita Falls, Texas, was hit the hardest, with at least 42 people reported dead and more than $200 million in property damage. The tornado that hit the city was estimated to have traveled 47 miles, remaining on the ground for at least an hour.

(We had one worse than this a few years ago)

1998: Belfast Agreement is signed
The Belfast Agreement was signed today by the British and Irish governments. The accord raised hopes for an end to the violence that ravaged Northern Ireland. On April 11, 1998, the Daily Herald commented on the agreement, explaining, "In a sweeping accord that reduced many hard-bitten politicians to tears, negotiators cleared the way Friday for a 'new beginning' for Northern Ireland after 30 years of bitter rivalries and bloody attacks. Exhilarated and exhausted, the eight participating parties approved a settlement presented by the talks chairman, former U.S. Sen. George Mitchell, after a 32-hour negotiating marathon."

1970: Beatles split
Paul McCartney announced today that he has split from the Beatles. "Paul, 27-year-old song writer, lead guitar and singer, blamed the break on 'personal differences, business differences, musical differences - but most of all because I have a better time with my family,'" informed The Port Arthur News on April 10, 1970. NOTE: The announcement coincided with the release of his first solo album. After the split, McCartney’s album spent three weeks at the top of the American charts.

1963: Submarine lost at sea
The nuclear-powered attack submarine USS Thresher was lost at sea today during a deep-diving routine. Admiral George W. Anderson, chief of naval operations, determined that the vessel and her crew of 129 had sunk. "The Navy said an oil slick had been sighted – the traditional sign that a submarine has met disaster," reported The Post Standard on April 11, 1963. "The craft was missing some 220 miles east of Boston – in an area where the ocean is 8,400 feet deep. Underwater pressure at the depth makes rescue impossible, the Navy said, even if a submarine could survive the hydraulic force."

1919: Emiliano Zapata is shot
Mexican rebel and revolutionary leader Emiliano Zapata was shot today by government soldiers. The former sharecropper had joined forces with Pancho Villa to oppose the Mexican government, fighting for agrarian reform and land redistribution. "The rebel chief is said to have been killed in an unnamed part of the mountains of southern Morelos by troops under command of Colonel Guajardo. The war department has promoted the colonel to a generalship for his feat," explained The Van Wert Daily Bulletin on April 12, 1919.

1912: Titanic sets sail
The RMS Titanic set sail on its maiden voyage today from Southampton, London to New York. "The Titanic is a sister ship to the Olympic, placed in commission last year. She is 840 feet in length and has a displacement of 60,000 tons," explained The Evening News on April 10, 1912. "She is literally a floating hotel, provided with dancing rooms, smoking rooms, cafes, a library and even a garden of Oriental palms and beds of roses and carnations. A swimming tank and a skating rink are among her other features." NOTE: The Titanic's passengers spent just five days on the ship before it collided with an iceberg and sank.

[Janet]

I love these Michelle. Thank you so much sweetie for posting them everyday, I really appreciate it.

[DianaB]

There is a building in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, that was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. It's been turned into a museum and it's very interesting! They also have some furniture that was designed by him too! I was with a Girl Scout troop that went to see it otherwise I'd have never known that we had one of his buildings so close.

[katcarasella]

When I first got married I lived 4 blocks from this house in Oak Park. (15 min. away now.)

2842
This extraordinary building in Oak Park, Illinois was the Wright family residence from 1889 to 1909. Wright began the construction of this house in 1889 shortly after his marriage to Catherine Tobin, using $5,000 borrowed from Louis Sullivan. The Wright family - Frank and Catherine, and their six children - lived here while he developed his architectural practice, creating what became the "Prairie Style" of architecture.

[goofywife]

That is too cool. I didn't know it was there.

There is a building in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, that was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. It's been turned into a museum and it's very interesting! They also have some furniture that was designed by him too! I was with a Girl Scout troop that went to see it otherwise I'd have never known that we had one of his buildings so close.

[goofywife]

That house is beautiful.

When I first got married I lived 4 blocks from this house in Oak Park. (15 min. away now.)

2842
This extraordinary building in Oak Park, Illinois was the Wright family residence from 1889 to 1909. Wright began the construction of this house in 1889 shortly after his marriage to Catherine Tobin, using $5,000 borrowed from Louis Sullivan. The Wright family - Frank and Catherine, and their six children - lived here while he developed his architectural practice, creating what became the "Prairie Style" of architecture.

[DianaB]

It's called Price Tower. It's suppose to be the only skyscraper that he built. Here's some pictures--

http://www.merryweatherphoto.com/web/price.html#

http://www.bluffton.edu/~sullivanm/okla/bartlesville/price/price.html

[goofywife]

1970: Apollo 13 blasts off

NASA today launched Apollo 13, America's third manned moon-landing mission, from Cape Kennedy, Florida. NASA officials had almost postponed the mission when crew member Thomas Mattingly was exposed to the German measles. Instead, Mattingly was replaced less than 24 hours before lift-off by backup astronaut John Swigert, Jr.

"The target for man's third lunar mission is the mountainous Fra Mauro region where the astronauts hope to find rocks dating perhaps five billion years to the beginning of the moon. In the most difficult space maneuver ever attempted, [James] Lovell and [Fred] Haise are to steer their lunar lander toward a precision touchdown in a narrow valley surrounded by high hills, ridges, craters and rocks as big as automobiles," reported The News on April 12, 1970.

NOTE: Two days after the launch, an oxygen tank on the spacecraft exploded, forcing the astronauts to abandon their mission. Although they had only a small supply of oxygen, water and power, the Apollo 13 crew managed to safely return to Earth in the spaceship's lunar module.

1968: Johnson signs Civil Rights Act

President Lyndon Baines Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1968 today, which prohibited housing discrimination and provided protection for civil rights workers. "President Johnson, voicing outrage at the slaying of Dr. Martin Luther King and the violence that followed it, has signed an historic open-housing bill," informed The Daily Times-News on April 12, 1968. "The new law will prohibit discrimination in 80 per cent of all housing sales and rentals by 1970, but much of it takes effect next Jan. 1. The law also makes it a federal crime to use threats or violence to interfere with anyone seeking to exercise his civil rights and prohibits the crossing of state lines with intent to incite rioting."

1961: Nazi war crime trial begins

Adolf Eichmann, a high-ranking Nazi accused of playing a central role in the Holocaust, went on trial in an Israeli courthouse today. "After 16 years in hiding and in jail, Eichmann walked into public view when he entered the bullet proof glass defendant's box in the court room at 8:58 a.m.," reported the Middlesboro Daily News on April 11, 1961. "Except for a moment of apparent nervousness as he first looked about the court room through heavy horn-rimmed glasses, the accused mass murderer was still very much the Nazi colonel." NOTE: Eichmann was later convicted on all charges and was hanged in a prison near Tel Aviv.

1947: Dodgers sign Jackie Robinson

Jackie Robinson made history today when the president of the Brooklyn Dodgers, Branch Rickey, announced the purchase of his contract from the Montreal Royals. The purchase made Robinson the first African American to play baseball in the major leagues, breaking baseball's color barrier. "He is confident he can make good in the majors, thus opening the door for others of his race to compete on equal footing as they do in boxing, college and professional football, college and professional basketball and as jockeys," explained The Fresno Bee on April 11, 1947. NOTE: Robinson went on to appear in six World Series with the Dodgers and was named Rookie of the Year in 1947.

1945: U.S. forces liberate Buchenwald

United States forces liberated a concentration camp in Buchenwald, Germany today. "Twenty thousand inmates of one of the most dreaded of German concentration camps were free today after its capture by Berlin-bound American troops unfolded a story of horror dating from the inception of the Nazi regime in 1933," reported The Lowell Sun on April 14, 1945. "In those years approximately 200,000 persons doomed to sadistic death or a living hell passed through the gates of the electrically-charged barbed-wire enclosure as infamous as the camps at Dachau and Oranienburg."

1899: Treaty ends Spanish-American war

"The final ceremony in the re-establishment of peaceful relations between the United States and Spain took place at the White House at 2 o'clock this afternoon, when the president and Ambassador Cambon, the latter acting for Spain, exchanged ratifications of the treaty of peace," informed The News on April 11, 1899. NOTE: The treaty marked the formal end to the Spanish-American war, and in conjunction with the peace agreement, Spain ceded several of its colonies to the United States, including the island of Puerto Rico.

[katcarasella]

1970: Apollo 13 blasts off

I remember watching this while I was holding Jenny, she was only 2 weeks old.
Good Grief :eek: I really feel old now.:p

[goofywife]

1961: Russia sends man into space

The Soviet Union successfully launched the first man into space today. Yuri Gagarin, a 27-year-old air force major, endured intense physical and psychological examinations before making the historic trip.

"By the Soviet account, Maj. Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin rode a five-ton spaceship once around the earth in an orbit taking an hour and 20 minutes. He was in the air a total of an hour and 48 minutes," reported The Appleton Post Crescent on April 13, 1961. According to the article, Soviet Premier Khrushchev sent "a message of congratulations telling Gagarin the 'entire Soviet people acclaim your valiant feat which will be remembered down the centuries as an example of courage, gallantry and heroism in the name of service to mankind.'"

While U.S. President Kennedy congratulated the Soviets on "a most impressive scientific accomplishment," he told Americans that he hoped the U.S. would achieve other scientific firsts, because "the Soviet Union will remain ahead of the United States for some time in the space race," according to the Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune.

2002: Hugo Chavez forced out of office

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez was forced out of office today by a military coup. "The development stunned a nation that had seen one of the biggest civilian demonstrations against the 47-year-old Chavez's three-year rule. It came only three days after Chavez, a fiery populist and former army paratrooper who had led a failed 1992 coup, had vowed to crush a general strike organized by Venezuela's largest business and labor groups," reported the Sentinel & Enterprise on April 12, 2002. NOTE: Chavez resumed the presidency the following day after thousands of Venezuelans took to the streets in protest.

1981: First space shuttle is launched

The United States launched its first space shuttle mission today, exactly 20 years after Yuri Gagarin became the first human to travel into space. "Launched into a clear, still morning, the trim, milk-white space plane lifted from the launch pad on the largest solid rocket engines ever flown, nearly 6-million pounds of thrust beginning the 54-hour journey," informed the Winnipeg Free Press on April 13, 1981. "Shaking the earth and rapidly gathering speed, Columbia climbed straight up, leaving behind a white vapor trail as it climbed to an altitude of 50 kilometres and separated from its expended boosters."

1955: Polio vaccine cleared for use

The University of Michigan School of Public Health declared that the polio vaccine created by Dr. Jonas Salk was safe and effective today. "The mother with a dozen children or the mother with one, could not ask for a better gift today or any other day than a cure against polio. And that cure came today in the form of a long awaited announcement from the University of Michigan, that the Salk vaccine has been proven 80 to 90 percent effective in combating poliomyelitis," explained The Daily Intelligencer on April 12, 1955.

1945: President Franklin D. Roosevelt dies

After serving as U.S. president for 12 years, Franklin D. Roosevelt died today from a massive cerebral hemorrhage at his retreat in Warm Springs, Georgia. Roosevelt's death catapulted Vice President Harry S. Truman to the highest office in the land. "Around the world, the humble and the great paid mournful tribute today to Franklin Delano Roosevelt in words of praise and sorrow," The Evening Tribune reported on April 13, 1945. "The flags of virtually all nations flew at half mast. Many governments decreed a period of mourning. Expressions of sympathy streamed into the White House from world capitals."

1864: Hundreds die in Fort Pillow massacre

Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest captured the Union stronghold at Fort Pillow today. During the attack, Forrest and his men killed many of the Union's African-American defenders. Forrest claimed the soldiers were trying to escape; however, Union sources countered this claim, arguing the soldiers had surrendered and were massacred by Confederate troops. On April 18, 1864, The New York Times reported, "According to Gen. Sherman, loss was fifty-three white troops killed, and one hundred wounded, and three hundred black troops murdered in cold blood after the surrender."

[katcarasella]

I remember the nuns having us line up in the hallway for those first polio shots.
(St. Mels-Holy Ghost Catholic school, I haven't seen that name for decades.)
Michelle, you're bringing back such fond memories,:thankyou:

[Janet]

I remember the nuns having us line up in the hallway for those first polio shots.
(St. Mels-Holy Ghost Catholic school, I haven't seen that name for decades.)
Michelle, you're bringing back such fond memories,:thankyou:


Isn't she the sweetest for doing this everyday? I am enjoying it so much...thanks Michelle.:)

[goofywife]

You gals are too kind. I find it all just as interesting.

[goofywife]

1997: Tiger Woods youngest to win Masters
Tiger Woods became the youngest golfer to win the Masters Tournament in Augusta, Georgia, today. Woods finished at 18-under-par 270, which was the lowest score ever shot during the Masters.
"When the green jacket was draped over the shoulders of the 21-year-old champion, golf greeted not just the first black to win a major professional championship, but also a player of the talent, intelligence and discipline to achieve his goal of being the best to ever play the game," reported The Intelligencer on April 14, 1997. "What Woods did this week at Augusta means that anything is possible. It was an effort recorded not on a scorecard, but in the record books and pages of history. Nearly every sentence uttered about Woods after his victory included words like lowest, fastest and youngest."
NOTE: As they reported on his victory, newspapers compared Woods and his achievements to Jackie Robinson, who became the first African-American to play major league baseball 50 years earlier. Yet Woods gave credit to other African-American golfers before him, such as Charlie Sifford, Lee Elder and Ted Rhodes.

1984: Pete Rose hits 4,000
While playing for the Montreal Expos, Pete Rose made his 4,000th hit today in a game against the Philadelphia Phillies, becoming only the second player in major league history to reach the 4,000 mark. "Only Ty Cobb, whose major league record of 4,191 hits could be in jeopardy next year, knows just what Pete Rose has accomplished," explained the Syracuse Herald Journal on April 14, 1984. "Shortstop Ivan DeJesus retrieved the relay throw and handed the ball to Rose, who trotted toward the first-base dugout as the Olympic Stadium crowd of 48,060 cheered." NOTE: Rose finished his career with 4,256 hits.

1983: Chicago elects African-American mayor
Harold Washington was elected the city of Chicago's first African-American mayor today. "Harold Washington, beating back the strongest Republican bid for citywide office in a generation, defeated Bernard Epton by barely a dozen votes a precinct Tuesday and called on his supporters to overcome the city's racial strife," informed the Daily Herald on April 13, 1983. "Describing his campaign as 'a pilgrimage,' Washington promised to follow as well as lead. 'I will initiate your reforms,' he told a jubilant crowd of supporters before imploring them to heal the racial sores infecting the city."


1970: Oxygen tank explodes on Apollo 13
An explosion on Apollo 13 forced the astronauts to abandon their mission to the moon and head home today. Apollo 13, launched on April 11, was supposed to be the third mission to bring humans to the moon. However, the mission became the first in the Apollo program requiring an emergency abort after an oxygen tank exploded and damaged other systems on the spaceship. "James A. Lovell Jr., Fred W. Haise Jr. and John L. Swigert Jr. took shortcuts to conserve their precious consumables of water, oxygen and power as they raced farther from earth toward a moon which had been their landing target until a violent eruption of a pressurized fuel tank Monday night," reported the Stevens Point Daily Journal on April 14, 1970. NOTE: The astronauts managed to safely return to Earth in the spaceship's lunar module.

1943: Escape attempt made at Alcatraz
Four convicts attempted to escape from the prison at Alcatraz today. Two drowned in the San Francisco Bay after being shot in the attempt, and the remaining two were recaptured. "The four convicts opened their bid for freedom by jumping and binding Henry Weinhold, captain of the guards, and George Smith, custodial officer, threatening them meanwhile with prison-made knives," explained The Lowell Sun on April 14, 1943. "Weinhold managed to slip his bonds, loosen his gag and blow his whistle. Then, sirens shrieked, shots were fired and the hunt was on."


1883: Man convicted of cannibalism
Alfred Packer was sentenced to death today on charges of cannibalism. Packer confessed to consuming human remains after becoming lost nine years earlier during a winter expedition with five other men in Colorado. The Oshkosh Northwestern published a statement from Packer, who claimed that one of his companions killed the other men while Packer was looking for provisions and then proceeded to attack Packer, who shot him. News reports vilified the Packer: "The men became desperate, and some crazed. While his companions were in this condition Packer deliberately fell upon and butchered the whole party, and for several weeks lived on the flesh cut from their bodies," according to the Decatur Weekly Republican on April 19, 1883. NOTE: Packer's sentence was later overturned, and he was officially pardoned in 1981.

[goofywife]

Sorry Ladies, things got crazy at the convention. I missed a few days.

1969: Robert Kennedy assassin found guilty

Sirhan B. Sirhan was found guilty of first degree murder today for assassinating Senator Robert F. Kennedy, the brother of slain President John F. Kennedy. After winning the California Democratic presidential primary, Robert Kennedy was shot at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles in June of 1968.

"When the verdict was announced, Sirhan, who had been nervously chewing at his fingers, stared straight ahead and showed no emotion," reported the Syracuse Herald Journal on April 17, 1969. "After a one-day recess, the same jurors will hear arguments as to whether Sirhan's fate should be life in prison or a sentence to the gas chamber at San Quentin."

NOTE: On April 23, 1969, Sirhan was sentenced to death in the gas chamber. His sentence was later commuted to life in prison, a sentence he is still serving.

1990: Civil rights activist Ralph Abernathy dies

Rev. Ralph Abernathy, the man who cradled Martin Luther King Jr.'s head after he was shot to death on the balcony of a Memphis motel in 1968, died today in an Atlanta hospital. "As King's chief lieutenant, Abernathy was at his side almost every key battle of the civil rights movement of the 1950s and '60s and took his place as leader of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference after King's 1968 assassination. But the fame and adulation enjoyed by King never quite extended to Abernathy," an obituary in The Valley Independent read on April 18, 1990. NOTE: In 1989, Abernathy released his autobiography And the Walls Came Tumbling Down, which prompted a firestorm of protest when the book reported on King's extramarital affairs.

1970: Apollo 13 crew returns safely

"Apollo 13's astronauts blazed back to the safety of their home planet today with a pinpoint landing in the Pacific Ocean, bringing a successful conclusion to America's most perilous space adventure," informed The Daily Times News. NOTE: The spacecraft was forced to abandon its mission after an April 13 oxygen tank explosion damaged the craft.

1964: Jerrie Mock completes pioneer flight

Jerrie Mock, 38, of Columbus, Ohio, became the first woman to fly solo around the world today. "She landed her single-engine Cessna at Port Columbus at 9:36 p.m., 29 days after takeoff. She descended into a throng of well-wishers," reported Oshkosh Daily Northwestern on April 18, 1964. NOTE: The following day, Jerrie Mock Day was announced in Columbus, Ohio, in honor of her achievement.

1961: Cuban exiles invade Bay of Pigs

Today, a group of 1,500 Cuban exiles invaded the Bay of Pigs on the southern coast of Cuba in an attempt to overthrow the government of Fidel Castro. "As the government acted to fight off the invaders, Cuba charged in the United Nations that the attack was waged by 'mercenaries' from bases in Florida and Guatemala," explained The Lima News on April 17, 1961. "In Washington, Secretary of State Dean Rusk denied that the invasion came from American soil, but said the United States is sympathetic with the invaders' aims." NOTE: The exiles were easily defeated by the Cuban government. Although the U.S. State Department initially denied any involvement in the attack, President Kennedy later confessed to funding and supplying the exiles and took full responsibility for the invasion.

1861: Virginia State Convention votes to secede

The Virginia State Convention voted to secede from the Union today. "There seems to be no room to doubt that the Virginia Convention have voted to secede, but as the Ordinance was passed in secret session, its exact terms are not yet known," reported The New York Times on April 20, 1861. NOTE: The northwest portion of Virginia subsequently seceded from Virginia, joining the Union as West Virginia on June 20, 1863.

[goofywife]

Today April 18th,

1955: Albert Einstein dies
Celebrated physicist and Nobel Laureate Albert Einstein died today at the age of 76. Einstein, who suffered internal bleeding after being hospitalized for a gall bladder inflammation, died at Princeton Hospital in New Jersey.

"Einstein rose from obscurity as a German factory-owner's son, and a childhood marked by a slowness to learn, and astounded the 20th Century with his genius," reported The Coshocton Tribune on April 18, 1955. "He labored for 40 years to find the master key that might explain the physical makeup and operation of the universe. He believed the universe was one continuous field, like an endless stream, and governed by unchangeable laws."

NOTE: Einstein's death especially saddened the scientific world. The president of Princeton University told The Edwardsville Intelligencer that Einstein's understanding of nature was "beyond assessment in our day." Before "the great genius" was cremated, his brain was preserved for scientific research. After a brief period of initial scientific scrutiny the preserved sections of the brain were stored for 20 years in Mason jars in a cider box before being reexamined by scientists.

1983: U.S. Embassy in Beirut is destroyed
A suicide bomber destroyed the United States Embassy in Beirut today. The explosion, which killed 63 people, occurred when a delivery van, packed with more than 2,000 pounds of explosives, detonated. "A group called Moslem Holy War claimed responsibility, telling the newspaper Al Liwa, 'This is part of the Iranian revolution's campaign against imperialist targets throughout the world. We shall keep striking at any imperialist presence in Lebanon, including multinational force.' Moslem Holy War has claimed several previous attacks on multinational force," reported The Syracuse Herald Journal on April 18, 1983.

1958: Poet Ezra Pound goes free
Treason charges were dismissed against poet Ezra Pound today, freeing him from the mental institution where he was held for 12 years after being declared mentally unfit to stand trial. Pound was indicted for treason after delivering anti-American broadcasts from Italy during World War II. "Dr. Winfred Overholser, superintendent of St. Elizabeth's, said in a sworn statement accompanying the motion that 'there is no likelihood…no possibility that the indictment against Ezra Pound can ever be tried because of the permanent and incurable insanity' of the poet. But, Overholser said, Pound 'is not a dangerous person and his release would not endanger' others," explained The Daily Times-News on April 18, 1958.

1946: League of Nations dissolves
"The League of Nations, created to preserve peace after a world cataclysm, expired last night and willed to the United Nations its physical assets in the hope that the new organization might succeed where the league had failed. It had lived 26 years," reported The Post Standard on April 19, 1946. "Quietly, the delegates answered 'yes' to a roll call on a motion providing that 'with effect from the day following the close of the present session of the assembly, the League of Nations shall cease to exist except for the sole purpose of the liquidation of its affairs.'"

1923: Yankee Stadium opens
Yankee Stadium officially opened its doors today to a crowd of 74,000 fans. "Governors, generals, colonels, politicians and baseball officials gathered solemnly yesterday to dedicate the biggest stadium in baseball, but it was a ball player who did the real dedicating. In the third inning, with two teammates on the base lines, Babe Ruth smashed a savage home run into the right field bleachers, and that was the real baptism of the new Yankee stadium," The Davenport Democrat and Leader explained on April 19, 1923. NOTE: Because of Babe Ruth's legendary status as a player for the Yankees, Yankee Stadium is commonly referred to as "the house that Ruth built."

1906: Hundreds die in San Francisco quake
A large earthquake, measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale, shook the town of San Francisco, California early this morning. "This city lies in smoldering ruins and total annihilation seems to be its fate," informed The Oakland Tribune on April 18, 1906. "The magnificent business district lying between the water's edge and Tenth street and even still farther west is destroyed, and there is scarcely any hope of saving but a few of the magnificent skyscrapers that have been erected during the last ten years. Thirty thousand houses were either partially or wholly destroyed by earthquake, and the subsequent fire which started in 100 different places simultaneously has swept the city from one end to the other."

[katcarasella]

OMG
1906: Hundreds die in San Francisco quake
Is that weird or what, I got goosebumps.............

[goofywife]

1956: Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier marry

American actress Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier III of Monaco exchanged Roman Catholic wedding vows in the Monaco cathedral today. The couple had also married in a civil service on the day before the religious ceremony.

"The exchange of vows and blessing took only 10 minutes, but attendant ceremonials and processions stretched out for more than three hours," reported the Winnipeg Free Press read on April 19, 1956. "Trailing her ivory lace wedding train in the bright Mediterranean sun, the bride walked with measured strides into the white stone cathedral just before 11 a.m. as bugles blared."

NOTE: Hours after they were considered married in the eyes of the Roman Catholic Church and according to civil law, they left on a Mediterranean cruise for their honeymoon. Grace Kelly died in a car crash in 1982 and the Prince never remarried.

2005: Cardinal Ratzinger is elected pope

Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger of Germany was named the new pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church today, succeeding John Paul II. "White smoke poured from a chimney at the Vatican and bells tolled, announcing to the world that a new pope was elected in the first papal conclave of the new millennium," informed The Capital on April 19, 2005. NOTE: Ratzinger chose the name Pope Benedict XVI.

1995: Oklahoma bombing kills 168 people

A truck full of explosives destroyed the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, today, killing 168 people. "The blast occurred at the start of a work day, as parents dropped off their youngsters at the day-care center in the federal building. Before the smoke cleared, emergency worker Heather Taylor had to put tags on the toes of at least 12 children," The Post Standard reported on April 20, 1995. "Assistant Fire Chief Jon Hansen described the first 30 minutes after the bombing as 'pure mayhem.' Streets were choked with walking wounded, emergency crews and well-meaning citizens." NOTE: In 1997, Timothy McVeigh was convicted of the bombing and on June 11, 2001, he was executed by lethal injection

1967: Former West German Chancellor Adenauer dies

Konrad Adenauer of West Germany, chancellor from 1949 to 1963, died today at the age of 91. "Adenauer was respected and consulted by all the Western world leaders even after his retirement in 1963. He commanded the attention of the Communists and his passing was reported by the Soviet news agency Tass without comment moments after his death," explained the Syracuse Herald Journal on April 19, 1967. "As the architect of postwar West Germany policy the Russians had blamed him more than any other European statesman for opposing Soviet policy in Europe."

1927: Mae West sentenced for 'obscene performance'

Actress Mae West was sentenced to ten days in a work house and fined $500 for participating in an "obscene stage performance" today. On March 19, the Broadway play Sex, which West was the star and co-author of, voluntarily closed after warrants were served on the cast and owners for staging an obscene show. NOTE: West would later be known for her Hollywood movies and is remembered today as one of the first blonde bombshells.

1904: Toronto devastated by fire

A fire swept through the city of Toronto in Ontario, Canada today. The blaze destroyed more than 150 buildings and caused $10 million to $15 million in damage, according to 1904 reports. "The fire started in a factory in Wellington street, about 9 o'clock last night. In less than an hour the flames had spread from building to building on both sides of the street until the whole block was a mass of flames and the fire was utterly beyond control of the local fire department," reported The Newark Advocate on April 20, 1904.

[katcarasella]

2005: Cardinal Ratzinger is elected pope

Now he's NYC going to say Mass tomorrow morning, he's a wonderful man.


1995: Oklahoma bombing kills 168 people

I remember this one so well, a very sad time!

[goofywife]

1999: Columbine shootings shock nation

Two students shot and killed 13 people and wounded 24 others today before committing suicide at Columbine High School outside of Littleton, Colorado. The students, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, had previously made death threats against students and teachers online.

"The attackers marched into the library of Columbine High School with guns and pipe bombs, demanding that 'all jocks stand up. We're going to kill every one of you,' said student Aaron Cohn," reported the Syracuse Herald Journal on April 21, 1999. "Bombs were found in and around the school, including in two cars in the school parking lot. More than 11 hours after the shootings, a bomb on a timer blew up, but no one was injured. Meantime, frantic parents awaited word of their children into the night, watching as tearful students were reunited with their families."

NOTE: 2007’s Virginia Tech shooting reminded many of the 1999 Columbine massacre. With 33 people killed, including the gunman, Virginia Tech became the deadliest U.S. school shooting, making Columbine the third deadliest, just behind the 15 people killed by Charles Whitman at the University of Texas in 1966.

1985: FBI surrounds cult compound

The FBI began a three-day standoff today with a religious cult in northern Arkansas. The negotiations with the cult, The Covenant, The Sword, and the Arm of the Lord, started when federal agents tried to serve the group's leader, James Ellison, with a warrant for "conspiracy to manufacture, possess and transfer automatic weapons," according to an article in The Chronicle Telegram on April 20, 1985. "Up to 80 heavily-armed federal, state and local officers, faces blackened and wearing camouflage clothing, laid siege Friday to the 224-acre compound, which contains scattered stone buildings with flat roofs and a radio tower." explained the article. NOTE: The standoff ended peacefully on the morning of the 4th day of the siege, with Ellison and his militia surrendering.

1945: U.S. troops capture Leipzig

"The German army surrendered this fifth largest city of the reich [Leipzig] to the U.S. First army at 11 a.m. today after fighting raged fiercely throughout the night and morning," informed the Joplin Globe on April 20, 1945. "After firing ceased today, after a six-day siege, thousands of the city's inhabitants emerged from their hiding places, some of them waving and cheering in delight that the war was over for them. A white flag waved from each building still standing in the wreckage." NOTE: As the surrender took place in Leipzig, the U.S. army also captured most of Nuremberg and moved tanks south to Munich.

1914: Strikers slaughtered in Ludlow

Dozens of men, women and children were killed today when violence broke out between militiamen and striking coal miners in Ludlow, Colorado. "The Ludlow tent colony presented a scene of death and desolation today, only four or five of the tents remaining standing. Soldiers declare that quantities of ammunition were exploded by the blaze that swept the tent colony during the night," reported The Lincoln Daily Star on April 21, 1914.

1902: Marie Curie isolates radium

Polish scientist Marie Curie isolated the element of radium today. "In July, 1898, they announced their joint discovery of a new element – polonium, named for Mme. Curie's native country. A few months later they announced the discovery of radium. But not until 1902 did their researches permit them to establish its existence and character," explained The Chronicle Telegram on July 5, 1934. NOTE: In 1903, the husband and wife team shared a Nobel Prize in physics with French scientist Henri Becquerel. In 1911, Marie was awarded a second Nobel Prize, this time in chemistry, for her work with radium.

[goofywife]

Kat, I had you pegged for a funny comment on Mae West.

2005: Cardinal Ratzinger is elected pope

Now he's NYC going to say Mass tomorrow morning, he's a wonderful man.


1995: Oklahoma bombing kills 168 people

I remember this one so well, a very sad time!

[katcarasella]

Kat, I had you pegged for a funny comment on Mae West.

Believe me I was tempted, "Come up and See Me Sometime!"

2969

2970

Don't want to disappoint you!!:p

[goofywife]

:yelrotflmao::yelrotflmao:

[goofywife]

1910: Mark Twain dies
Writer and humorist Mark Twain, born Samuel Clemens, died today after a brief illness at the age of 74. In 1909, he predicted his death, noting, "I came in with Halley's Comet in 1835. It is coming again next year, and I expect to go out with it."

"Samuel Langhorne Clemens was considered the best-known American man of letters. Often he was referred to as the 'Dean of American Literature.' He was known far beyond the boundaries where English is spoken as the greatest humorist, using that tongue, if not actually the greatest humorist and satirist living. His famous telegram to a newspaper publishing a report of his death, when it happily was untrue, has been quoted and requoted everywhere. 'The report of my death,' he wired. 'Is greatly exaggerated,'" reported The Washington Post on April 22, 1910.

NOTE: Mark Twain wrote The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn along with many, many other novels, stories, and articles. Nobel Prize winning author William Faulkner once noted that Twain was "the first truly American writer, and all of us since are his heirs." Twain continues to be widely read and well-loved today.


1986: Al Capone's vault is opened
Geraldo Rivera, host of the two-hour special The Mystery of Al Capone's Vault, witnessed the opening of Al Capone's legendary vault today, only to find a few old bottles and dust. The vault, located under the Lexington Hotel in Chicago, was predicted to hold whiskey, money and the bones of his enemies. "The discovery came before a worldwide TV audience and special agent Dennis Sansone of the Internal Revenue Service, which didn't want to miss a shot at collecting its due from one of the nation's most notorious tax evaders," informed The Capital on April 22, 1986.

1966: Grounation Day“His Imperial Majesty, Haile Selassie I, Emperor of Ethiopia, King of Kings, Conquering Lion of Judah, arrived in Jamaica yesterday afternoon to a welcome of superlatives,” reported The Gleaner on April 22, 1966. “And he wept.” Selassie I was heralded as the second coming of Jesus by the Rastafarian faith, a claim that he never endorsed but also never discouraged. This arrival became the second-most important Rastafarian holy day after the Emperor’s coronation day. NOTE: During the visit, Emperor Selassie I told elder Rastafarian leaders that they should not emigrate to Ethiopia until they had liberated the people of Jamaica, a doctrine that became known as “liberation before repatriation.”

1930: Ohio prison fire kills more than 300
More than 300 prisoners died at the Ohio State Penitentiary in Columbus after a fire broke out today. "The blaze was believed set by a band of vengeful lifers who supposedly conceived the fire as a means of inciting a mutiny that would deliver the prison into their hands," explained The Chronicle Telegram on April 22, 1930.


1912: Giants, Yankees raise money for Titanic survivors
The New York Giants and the Yankees played an exhibition game to benefit the survivors of the Titanic today. On April 22, 1912, the Trenton Evening Times reported, "At the baseball game between the Giants and the Yankees at the Polo Grounds yesterday for the benefit of the Titanic survivors the attendance was 14,083 and the receipts $9,425.25."

[katcarasella]

1986: Al Capone's vault is opened

Here are some of his quotes:

Vote early and vote often. (Very popular here:rolleyes:)

When I sell liquor, it's called bootlegging; when my patrons serve it on Lake Shore Drive, it's called hospitality.

You can get much farther with a kind word and a gun than you can with a kind word alone.

[Dobie]

I can remember watching Capone's vault being opened - it was like a 2 hour special with Geraldo - absolutely nothing was in it. I think that's when Geraldo stopped being a legitimate reported in the eyes of a lot of people.

[Janet]

So true, I thought it would have been so exciting to see what was in it and after that...Geraldo kind of left the public for a while. I see here lately he's making a come back.

[goofywife]

1964: World's Fair opens
The New York World's Fair opened today on schedule, even though there were threats that the fair would be disrupted by civil rights groups.

"The demonstration had been planned largely as a stall-in – the deliberate stalling of automobiles to block traffic leading to the fair," reported The Daily Times-News on April 22, 1964. "Police spotted a number of stalled cars and towed them away, but traffic appeared lighter than usual. Many motorists who ordinarily pass the fairground area in commuting from Long Island to New York City apparently took other routes."

NOTE: According to newspaper reports from 1964, 18-year-old Bill Turchyn from St. Peter's College in New Jersey became the first to enter the fair after he waited in line for nearly two days.

1994: Richard Nixon dies
Richard Nixon, the 37th president of the United States, who left the White House in disgrace due to the Watergate scandal, died today at the age of 81. "In a career brimming with paradoxical twists, Nixon went from red-baiting congressman in the Cold War era, to vice president, to a seeming political has-been after beatings in the early 1960s. He went on to become president in 1968; the ruined man of Watergate in 1974; the beneficiary of a stunning presidential pardon, and a rich recluse in retirement limbo," explained the Daily Herald on April 23, 1994.

1993: Holocaust Memorial Museum opens
President Clinton led the dedication ceremony for the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington D.C. today. "In his dedication address, Clinton said the museum binds 'one of the darkest lessons in history to the hopeful soul of America,'" informed the Daily Herald on April 23, 1993.

1952: TV viewers watch atomic bomb test
For the first time in U.S. history, television viewers witnessed live the detonation of an atomic bomb at the U.S. testing site in Yucca Flat, Nevada. "It was a bomb of 'king-size,' at least as powerful as any tested here since the proving grounds was activated 18 months ago. It was officially declared to be more powerful than the atomic bombs which knocked out Hiroshima and Nagasaki," reported the San Mateo Times on April 22, 1952. NOTE: During the test, U.S. troops were stationed closer to the atomic blast than ever before.

1889: First land run
“The Furious Rush of the Home Seekers Commenced at Noon Today—The Town Site Companies Even More Daring Than the Claim Hunters,” announced the Cedar Rapids Evening Gazette on April 22, 1889. The land run of 1889 was the first land run into the Unassigned Lands and included two million acres of land in Oklahoma. The Indian Appropriations Bill of 1889 had opened the land for settlement, and with the land run, more than 50,000 people lined up to claim land. Each person was allowed up to 160 acres. NOTE: If a settler lived on the land and improved it, he would then receive the title to the land.

[goofywife]

OK, I have to reply to the land run article. First let me say, I did not grow up in Oklahoma, I met my DH and moved here to be with him. I do not understand why OU has selected the Sooners as a mascot. The Sooners were the people who cheated and went out and staked a claim before the race. Why would a university have a mascot honoring cheaters?

[goofywife]

1985: Coca-Cola announces new formula
The Coca-Cola Company announced today it has changed its formula for Coke. The new recipe, which the company called "the most significant soft-drink development" in its history, was said to make the beverage sweeter and smoother.

"The slogan reads 'Coke Is It,' but times change and so will the 99-year-old secret formula of the world's No. 1 soft drink. As soon as Coca-Cola's plans were made known, archrival Pepsi tasted victory in its cola war and crowed that Coke is 'not the real thing,'" reported the Syracuse Herald Journal on April 23, 1985. "Industry experts were upbeat about the company's reported decision to change the formula set down by Dr. John Pemberton in 1886. Called 'Merchandise 7X,' it is kept in an Atlanta bank vault, its ingredients known only to a handful of Coke executives."

NOTE: Despite the company's excitement over the new formula, the public reacted mostly negatively to the change. An organization called Old Cola Drinkers of America was even formed. Less than three months after the new Coke was introduced, Coca-Cola announced the original formula would return.


1998: James Earl Ray dies
James Earl Ray, the man charged with assassinating Martin Luther King Jr., died of kidney failure and complications from liver disease today, while he was still serving his 99-year prison sentence. "For more than a year, James Earl Ray fought the government, popular opinion and his own failing body for a chance to prove he didn't kill the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Time ran out for Ray, but the debate survives," explained The Capital on April 24, 1998.

1984: AIDS virus is identified
"Researchers announced today they have discovered and isolated a virus they say is likely to be the primary cause of AIDS, the mysterious and deadly disease that destroys the body's protective immune system," reported The Capital April 23, 1984. "According to the papers and scientists familiar with the work, the virus in question appears to be a member of a family of viruses called human T-cell leukemia virus (HTLV) previously suspected of having a role in AIDS." NOTE: Scientists also announced the discovery had led to the development of a blood test to diagnose AIDS victims.

1969: Robert Kennedy assassin sentenced to death
Sirhan Bishara Sirhan, who was convicted of assassinating U.S. Senator Robert F. Kennedy, was sentenced to death today. "A jury of seven men and five women returned to the tight-security courtroom on the eighth floor of the Los Angeles Hall of Justice after almost 12 hours of deliberation to say the young Jordanian immigrant should die in California's gas chamber for the murder of the New York senator and would-be president," informed the Independent on April 24, 1969. NOTE: The death sentence was reduced to life in prison in 1972.

1968: Britain introduces decimal coins
The British government began issuing two new coins today, a 5 pence and 10 pence, which would completely replace the one and two shilling pieces within three years. "Pity the poor British housewife. She must learn that 100 pennies make a pound ($2.40). It was so simple before – 12 pennies equal one shilling, 20 shillings equal one pound, which means there are 240 pennies to a pound," explained the Independent on April 24, 1968. "Tuesday the government began the introduction of the new coinage system, and to prepare Britain for the shock of change it took large advertisements in national newspapers."


1940: Night club fire proves deadly
More than 200 African Americans died today when a fire broke out in the Rhythm Night Club in Natchez, Mississippi. "The fire lasted only 15 minutes in which the flimsy, shack-like building was reduced to ashes. Most of the victims, apparently, were killed not by the fire but in a mad stampede for the one exit. All the bodies taken from the ashes were badly burned, some beyond possibility of identification," reported the Dunkirk Evening Observer on April 24, 1940. "Approximately 150 escaped and of these authorities estimated that 50 to 100 were injured in varying degrees."

[katcarasella]

Can anyone else tell the difference in a blind taste test with Coki, Pepsi, and RC?
I've done it with my family to prove that I can tell the difference. :D

[Gina]

I am a pepsi drinker I think I can tell the blind taste test with Coke, not sure about RC don't think I ever drank that soda.

[goofywife]

When I drink soda, I am a Pepsi person as well. Coke just seems to have more carmel flavor to me

[Janet]

I haven't had a soda since January 3rd of this year. I can tell the difference between Coke and Pepsi no problem, but it's been a long time since I had Royal Crown.

[goofywife]

1967: Mission results in first space death
Vladimir Komarov, the only cosmonaut on board the Soyuz 1 spacecraft, died today after experiencing a problem with his parachute. Komarov was the first Russian to travel into space twice.

"Cosmonaut Vladimir Komarov plummeted to death from a height of more than four miles when his spacecraft Soyuz 1 tried to land today, the government announced. It was the first time either of the two space powers has reported the death of an astronaut on an operation. Moscow radio said ropes of the parachute meant to ease the landing twisted, and the ship hit with great force, killing the 40-year-old veteran cosmonaut," reported The Lowell Sun on April 24, 1967.

NOTE: Komarov's death came just three months after three American astronauts were killed in a fire during a ground test at Cape Kennedy. Despite this American tragedy, the Independent reported that Komarov's death "may have wiped out any chance Russia had to beat the U.S. to the moon."

1990: Hubble Space Telescope is launched
The space shuttle Discovery launched the Hubble Space Telescope into orbit today. "The 1.5 billion telescope is expected to provide astronomers with a vastly sharper, clearer view of the most distant reaches of the universe than could ever be obtained by ground-based telescopes looking through the atmosphere," informed The Post Standard on April 25, 1990. "On hand to watch the Discovery launching was a contingent of scientists who have hailed the Hubble as the greatest advance in astronomy since Galileo raised a small telescope to his eyes nearly 400 years ago."


1984: Apple portable computer is released
Apple Computer, Inc. released its Apple IIc portable computer today. "Priced at a suggested $1,295, the IIc weighs 7.5 pounds and is what industry officials call lap-sized – 12 inches long, 11½ inches wide and 2½ inches high. The Apple IIc computer has a single built-in disc drive and can use about 90 percent of the more than 10,000 computer programs written for the Apple II series," explained The Post Standard on April 25, 1984.

1980: Hostage rescue fails
Eight American servicemen died today in a helicopter crash after an aborted attempt to rescue hostages from the U.S. embassy in Tehran. The attempt was a failure and had severe political repercussions for President Jimmy Carter's administration. "U.S. military forces undertook a dramatic raid to rescue American hostages in Tehran, but the mission collapsed in 'equipment failures' and was aborted on a desert airstrip far from its target, President Carter reported today," informed The Capital on April 25, 1980. "Iranian radio said the militants holding 50 Americans in the U.S. embassy in Tehran were meeting to discuss their response to the rescue mission, which Iranian Foreign Minister Sadegh Ghotbzadeh compared to Hitler's invasion of Austria at the start of World War II." NOTE: The U.S. hostages were released within minutes of Ronald Reagan taking the office of President of the United States of America on January 20, 1981.

1953: Winston Churchill is knighted
Winston Churchill, often called the greatest statesman of the 20th century, was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II today. "The British Prime Minister, 78, knelt before his young Queen in the drawing room at Windsor Castle to receive - for his decades of service to the empire and the throne - the accolade he declined from her father, King George VI," explained The Oneonta Star on April 25, 1953. "As a knight, he gains nothing substantial except the title 'Sir' and the right to walk ahead of plain misters and knights of lesser rank on formal occasions."

1916: Easter Rising begins
In an attempt to force Ireland's independence from the United Kingdom, militant Irish republicans staged a rebellion today in Dublin. "Irish rebels are in possession of four or five parts of the city of Dublin after twenty-four hours of most serious rioting, Augustine Birrell, chief secretary for Ireland, announced in the house of commons today," reported The Fort Wayne News on April 25, 1916. "Twelve persons were killed in the first fight, but because of the interpretation in communication, there is no estimate of the total number of casualties." NOTE: Because the rioting took place during Easter week, the rebellion is now commonly referred to as the Easter Rising. The Rising was stopped after six days of fighting, and the leaders were court-martialled and executed. The rising, however, what somewhat of a success; elected members of Sinn Fein established the Irish Republic in 1919 due to the attention brought by the Easter Rising.

[goofywife]

1945: United Nations is organized
Delegates from nations that had joined forces against the Axis powers met in San Francisco today to "make the post-war world safe for peace-loving peoples."

"They call this the United Nations Conference on International Organization. The first session will be brief," reported The Charleroi Mail on April 25, 1945. "The goal of conference is to prepare 'a charter for a general international organization for the maintenance of international peace and security.'"

NOTE: While representatives came to the conference for collective action to safeguard peace, President Truman reminded the delegates that obtaining world collaboration would not be easy. In a broadcast from Washington at the opening of the conference, Truman said, "We who have lived through the torture and the tragedy of two world conflicts must realize the magnitude of the problem before us. We do not need farsighted vision to understand the trend of recent history. Its significance is all too clear."


1995: Ginger Rogers dies at 83
Oscar award winning actress and dancer Ginger Rogers died today at the age of 83. The Chronicle Telegram noted on April 26, 1995, "She matched Fred Astaire step for step, dancing backwards and in high heels through glamorous musicals that provided an escape for Americans mired in the Depression."

1983: 10-year-old receives letter from Soviet leader
Samantha Smith, a 10-year-old girl from Maine, received a letter from Soviet leader Yuri V. Andropov today after she sent him a hand-written message asking to end the arms race. "In the one-page letter, Andropov assured Samantha the Soviet Union was doing everything possible to avoid a nuclear war and invited her to visit the Soviet Union this summer," informed Daily Herald on April 26, 1983. NOTE: Samantha and her parents did go to the Soviet Union for two weeks as guests of Andropov. She was then invited to Japan as “America’s Youngest Ambassador.” Smith died in 1985 when her airplane crashed attempting to land at the Lewiston-Auburn Regional Airport.

1967: Johnson attends Konrad Adenauer's funeral
U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson, French President Charles de Gaulle and other Western leaders today attended the funeral mass for West Germany's former Chancellor Konrad Adenauer at the Gothic cathedral of Cologne. "Adenauer, a veteran figure in German politics who had served as mayor of Cologne long before World War II, came out of self-imposed retirement after the war to serve as West Germany's first chancellor when the occupation government yielded to the Federal Republic in 1949. He served until 1963," reported the Syracuse Herald-Journal on April 25, 1967.

1959: St. Lawrence Seaway opens
The St. Lawrence Seaway opened today to ocean vessels seeking passage from Montreal to the Great Lakes ports. "The 475-million-dollar project had been debated by the U.S. and Canadian governments for 50 years, then was completed by 15,000 workers in five years," explained The Odessa American on April 26, 1959.


1935: Fire destroys Oregon's capitol
An immense fire ruined Oregon's state capitol in Salem today. "Theoretically the state carries its own insurance in a 'restoration fund,' but it contained only $140,000. The 60-year-old capitol which contained the main departmental offices, the executive offices and the senate and house chambers, cost $700,000," reported The Fresno Bee Republican. "The value of the equipment, records and historical relics was expected to bring the actual investment loss around at least $1,500,000." It was believed that the fire began in the basement and spread through the elevator shaft. One fireman was killed when a crumbling chimney crushed him.

[DianaB]

I know that you don't get many posts on here, but I really enjoy reading them everyday. Thanks, Michelle!!!!

[goofywife]

Thanks, I seem to learn something, everytime I post one of them.

I know that you don't get many posts on here, but I really enjoy reading them everyday. Thanks, Michelle!!!!

[katcarasella]

I was shopping for my Senior Prom dress around this time in 1967.

[Janet]

I love reading them too Michelle. Every one of them has been so interesting.

[goofywife]

1989: Lucille Ball dies

Actress Lucille Ball, star of the sitcom I Love Lucy, died of a ruptured aorta today, only eight days after she underwent emergency heart surgery. The four-time Emmy Award winner was 77-years-old.

"An outpouring of sympathy from presidents to childhood neighbors followed the death of Lucille Ball, but many said the queen mother of comedy will live on through television reruns and her influence on comedy," reported The Valley Independent on April 27, 1989. "Miss Ball maintained her sense of humor even when she was critically ill. Following her operation last week, her first words to her daughter, Lucie, were 'Wouldn't you know – this is the day I was going to get my hair done.'"

NOTE: Although Ball was known as "the queen of television comedy," her talents went well beyond acting. With her husband Desi Arnaz, Ball created and led Desilu, one of Hollywood's major production companies.

1991: Tornado outbreak hits Kansas

A series of strong tornadoes struck parts of Kansas today, with the most devastating hitting the town of Andover with wind speeds of more than 260 mph. The Andover tornado injured hundreds and completely destroyed the Golden Spur Mobile Home Park. "Bulldozers on Saturday cut through twisted wreckage in a trailer park hardest hit by tornadoes that killed 29 people, and authorities feared the death toll could rise," explained the Daily Herald on April 28, 1991. "Hundreds of homes were destroyed as at least 30 twisters ripped across Kansas and 18 through Oklahoma Friday night."

1986: Explosion at Chernobyl releases radiation

An explosion at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine caused a fire today that resulted in a nuclear meltdown. "The first indications of a nuclear mishap came this morning when unusual concentrations of radioactivity were registered in the vicinity of a nuclear power plant in Forsmark, Sweden. Six hundred workers were evacuated," the Syracuse Herald Journal explained on April 28, 1986. Radiation from the Chernobyl plant contaminated large areas, with the governments of Sweden, Finland and Denmark reporting large clouds of radioactive material. NOTE: The Chernobyl disaster is still considered the largest nuclear accident in history.

1954: Polio vaccine tests begin

The National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis gave its approval to begin distributing a new polio vaccine today. "Sandy-haired Randy Kerr claimed the first shot today in a nation-wide polio vaccine test, but what worried him most was the poison ivy 'which I've had since a week ago Sunday,'" reported the Oakland Tribune on April 26, 1954. "But Dr. Richard Mulvaney assured him he had nothing to worry about on that score and proceeded to make Randy the first of some 2,400 children in Fairfax County who will take their first shots this week."

1925: Germany elects Von Hindenburg

German field marshal Paul Von Hindenburg was elected president of Germany today. "Running as the choice of the nationalist-conservative bloc, consisting of the parties of United Right, von Hindenburg received 14,639,399 votes or 48.3 per cent, of the total valid ballots cast in yesterday's polling. His principal opponent, former Chancellor Dr. Wilhelm Marx, candidate of the Republican bloc, received 13,752,649 votes. Ernest Thaelmann, the Communist, trailed with 1,931,591," explained The Bee on April 27, 1925. NOTE: Hindenburg remained in office until his death on August 2, 1934, upon which Adolf Hitler became Germany's Head of State.

1865: John Wilkes Booth is shot

Assassin John Wilkes Booth was shot today in a burning barn after a desperate search by the Union army. Booth had fatally shot President Abraham Lincoln just 12 days earlier. "Sergeant Boston Corbett fired upon him and he fell. The ball passed through his neck. He was pulled out of the barn…the wretch lived about two hours, whispering blasphemes against the government, and messages to his mother, desiring her to be informed that he died for his country," reported The New York Times on April 28, 1865. "At the time Booth was shot, he was leaning upon one crutch and preparing to shoot his captors. Only one shot was fired in the entire affair – that which killed the assassin."

[DianaB]

1991: Tornado outbreak hits Kansas

A series of strong tornadoes struck parts of Kansas today, with the most devastating hitting the town of Andover with wind speeds of more than 260 mph. The Andover tornado injured hundreds and completely destroyed the Golden Spur Mobile Home Park. "Bulldozers on Saturday cut through twisted wreckage in a trailer park hardest hit by tornadoes that killed 29 people, and authorities feared the death toll could rise," explained the Daily Herald on April 28, 1991. "Hundreds of homes were destroyed as at least 30 twisters ripped across Kansas and 18 through Oklahoma Friday night."

I can't believe that it's been that long since Andover was hit by that tornado!! We drive through there on our way to Wichita. You can still see some evidence, if you know where to look, of that tornado. It was really bad!!!

[goofywife]

I know exactly how you feel. May 3rd is the big one around here.

I can't believe that it's been that long since Andover was hit by that tornado!! We drive through there on our way to Wichita. You can still see some evidence, if you know where to look, of that tornado. It was really bad!!!

[DianaB]

I know exactly how you feel. May 3rd is the big one around here.

My cousin was living in Moore, Ok, when that one hit. She had just moved there and didn't know where to go to so she took her girls and hid under the stairs. She called her mother and told her good-bye. It ended up that the tornado came within 2 blocks of where she lived. Scary!!!

[goofywife]

It is very sad that she didn't know where to go. It was like the movie Twister had actually come to life. I remember the weather men saying "folks, you are going to have to get under ground for this one, it will not do to be above ground"

For a while it looked like it was coming right for us. I remember my DH and I sitting down and saying well what do we do? We decided to sit in front of the TV and watch it. I know stupid. But it hit the river and turned to Moore (they almost always do that). We live about 1.4 mile from the river. We went outside and watched it pass. I think we had 88 tornado's that day.

My DH works for OG&E. He worked for 6 months to get the power back on. There was one F4 that rode the transmisson lines feeding into the city 88 of the big metal towers were crumbled. He said that they knew there where dead bodies where they were working, they could smell them.



My cousin was living in Moore, Ok, when that one hit. She had just moved there and didn't know where to go to so she took her girls and hid under the stairs. She called her mother and told her good-bye. It ended up that the tornado came within 2 blocks of where she lived. Scary!!!

[Janet]

I've never seen one quite that close or really felt I was in immediate danger of a tornado. Oh we've packed us and the doggies and headed for a safer place, but most of the time we just stay home.

The Palm Sunday tornado in 1964 went right over our property and took everything with it. Of course I was only 9 years old, but I do remember my parents taking us through Russiaville, it was pretty much destroyed.

We do have a storm cellar we can get to, but we have to go outside and then under the house through a small opening. It would be hard getting all the dogs down there. Wish there was a way to get there from inside the house. ...hmmmm, now I'm thinking....

[goofywife]

1947: Babe Ruth Day is celebrated

Babe Ruth was honored today at baseball parks across the United States. Ruth appeared at a special ceremony held at Yankee Stadium, "the house that Ruth built." Fans from all over the world heard Ruth's speech over their own stadium's loudspeakers, as his words were piped into other major and minor league parks.

"Walking slowly up the steps of the New York Yankee dugout Sunday afternoon in full view of the 58,339 'Babe Ruth day' fans, the 52-year-old Bambino was greeted by a thunderous roar. The greatest home run hitter the game ever produced stood a few feet away from the batters' box from which he used to bombard the bleachers surrounded by dignitaries," reported the Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune on April 28, 1947. "It was still the same old Babe, putting in a plug for 'the kids,' his ever-faithful public, and boosting baseball as 'the only real game in the world.'"

NOTE: When Ruth spoke before his fans, he was still recovering from a serious neck operation to remove a cancerous tumor. He died from his battle with cancer on August 16, 1948, at the age of 53.

1974: Thousands march to impeach Nixon

"Thousands of persons, accompanied by rock music, streakers and the fragrance of marijuana, marched on the Capitol Saturday seeking speedy removal of Richard Nixon as President," explained The Times Standard on April 28, 1974. "The impeachment march was the first major protest in Washington since Nixon's second inauguration in January 1973. Chants of 'Throw the Bum Out' and 'No More Years' bounced against the walls of the Capitol. Signs read 'Pick out your drapes, Mrs. Ford' and 'Jail to the Chief.'" NOTE: Expecting to be impeached, Nixon announced his resignation on August 8, 1974.

1965: Edward R. Murrow dies

American journalist and CBS news anchor Edward R. Murrow died today of lung cancer. "Murrow gained fame during World War II when his broadcasts from London described in vivid detail the courage and tenacity of the British people under the Nazi blitz," informed The Sheboygan Press on April 27, 1965. "The war made him one of radio's legends. His vivid pictures of Londoners under fire, prefaced by his, 'This is London,' carried what Winston Churchill later called 'their finest hour' into millions of American homes and hearts."

1941: Nazis take Athens

Nazi forces marched on Athens, Greece today. "The citizens of Athens waited silently this morning, behind locked doors and shuttered windows, for the first sounds of German troops moving into the capital of Greece," reported The Port Arthur News just hours before the Nazis arrived. "No longer are there gay British soldiers in Athens. No more does one see the friendly uniforms of Greece's allies. As the Athenians walked to their homes Saturday night, driven indoors by the early curfew, they saw only a few British soldiers."

1897: Grant's Tomb is dedicated

Today, on the 75th anniversary of the birth of General Ulysses S. Grant, almost one million people gathered in New York City for the dedication of Grant's tomb. "It was an occasion more of triumphant eulogy and national pride than of funeral rite, for in these 12 years since first the nation mourned for Grant the keenness of grief has worn away and in its place there lives in the hearts of men that hero-worship which found such tumultuous vent yesterday. The greatest of our citizens, our soldiers and our sailors stood side by side with men of fame from almost every nation of the earth and paid without regard to race, or creed, or party prejudice, the last and long delayed honor of the living to the dead," explained The Fort Wayne News on April 28, 1897. NOTE: The answer to the famous Groucho Marx riddle “Who is buried in Grant’s Tomb?” is nobody, as both Grant and his wife are entombed and not buried there.

[katcarasella]

1897: Grant's Tomb is dedicated

I remember this day well, I was kneehigh to a grasshopper.:dreaming:

[DianaB]

1897: Grant's Tomb is dedicated

I remember this day well, I was kneehigh to a grasshopper.:dreaming:

More likely you were a twinkle in some great-great-grandmother's eye!!!! LOL

[goofywife]

1945: Mussolini is executed
Italian partisans killed deposed dictator Benito Mussolini and his mistress, Clara Petacci today. Mussolini, who ruled Italy from 1922 to 1943, had been removed from office following the defeat of the Italian army. After his execution, his body was brought to Milan, where he was hung upside down.

On April 30, 1945, The Oakland Tribune reported, "The body of Benito Mussolini swung from its heels against the rusty steel framework of a half-completed gasoline station in the heart of Milan, the object of the vengeful wrath of the Italian people whom he had promised a place in the sun but instead had led to defeat and misery."

NOTE: Following the execution, Mussolini’s body was hung upside down from meathooks at a petrol station, and he was stoned by civilians. His body was then buried in an unmarked grave. Later he was interred at the town of Predappio, his birthplace.

2001: Dennis Tito becomes first space tourist
U.S. millionaire Dennis Tito blasted into space on the Russian Soyuz craft today, making him the world’s first “space tourist.” “Never mind NASA’s stern admonition that space is no place for amateurs. Tito hopes his weekend launch aboard a Russian rocket and six day stay on the international space station will prove anyone can – and should – experience space,” explained the Tyrone Daily Herald on April 28, 2001. NOTE: Despite controversy from NASA, Tito’s trip went well. He stayed in space for a total of 7 days and 22 hours in space, and orbited the earth 128 times. He has since testified in Congress in favor of commercial human spaceflight.


1994: Former CIA spy pleads guilty
Former CIA spy Aldrich Ames was sentenced to life in prison today after he pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit espionage. "Ames, 52, pleaded guilty without a trial and admitted being paid $2.5 million by the Soviet Union and then Russia since April 1985 for U.S. secrets. Once head of counterintelligence in the CIA's Soviet East Europe section, Ames admitted disclosing the identities of 10 Russian officials and one East European who were spying for the United States or Great Britain," informed The Intelligencer on April 29, 1994.

1965: U.S. Marines land in Dominican Republic
U.S. Marines landed in the Dominican Republic today in order to evacuate American citizens and protect them from the fighting taking place in Santo Domingo. On April 29, 1965, The Daily Times News reported, "[President] Johnson's order marked the first such use of Marines in Latin America in years. U.S. officials expected criticism from Latin Americans mindful of American 'gunboat diplomacy' of a bygone era. But under international law, they said, a nation can send its forces to another land to protect its nationals when the local government breaks down."


1952: Eisenhower resigns from NATO“President Truman yesterday appointed dynamic Gen. Matthew B. Ridgway to succeed General of the Army Dwight D. Eisenhower as Supreme Allied Commander in Europe to build up defenses against the threat of Soviet aggression,” reported The Troy Record on April 29, 1952. “The appointments are effective June 1, the date Eisenhower is scheduled to doff his uniform and return to the U.S. to press his bid for the Republican presidential nomination.” NOTE: Eisenhower did receive the Republican nomination and was elected to the presidency in 1953, with Richard Nixon as his running mate.

[katcarasella]

1952: Eisenhower
This is not a joke so don't expect one.
When I was 2 or 3, I really don't remember this, but my Mom told me that Eisenhower came to Chicago to campaign and she was running down the street with my sister and I in the buggy so she could see him in his motorcade.
(and that's a fact)

[Janet]

That would be pretty cool Kat. Too bad you don't really remember it.

[goofywife]

1992: Riots break out in L.A.
The city of Los Angeles was a scene of violence today after riots broke out following the acquittal of four white police officers charged with the videotaped beating of Rodney King.

"Gov. Pete Wilson declared a state of emergency and 2,000 National Guardsmen were sent to armories and other gathering points to await orders as the city tried to quell the worst outbreak of violence since the Watts riots of 1965," reported The Capital on April 30, 1992. "Blacks dragged motorists from their cars and beat them, looters – most of them black – emptied a supermarket, and more than 300 fires were reported. At dawn, police with shotguns guarded firefighters as they battled more than 30 blazes, authorities said. Streets were largely deserted."

NOTE: An estimated 55 people were reported dead when the rioting finally ceased several days later. The acquitted police officers faced a second trial one year later, in which two were found guilty of violating King's civil rights.


1993: Buckingham Palace opens to public
Buckingham Palace announced today it will open its doors to the public in order to raise money to repair the fire-damaged Windsor Castle. "Treasures on view will include a raft of Old Master paintings, the world's finest collection of Sevres porcelain and antique French furniture, some from Versailles," informed The Intelligencer on April 30, 1993. "Admission will cost $12.50 for adults, and the palace expects up to 400,000 tourists a year. The government said the tours of Buckingham Palace plus new charges for visiting Windsor Castle are expected to meet 70 per cent of the repair bill."

1967: Muhammad Ali stripped of title
Boxer Cassius Clay, known as Muhammad Ali, was stripped of his heavyweight championship title today after refusing induction into the United States Army on religious grounds. "I had the world heavyweight title, not because it was 'given' to me, not because of my race or religion, but because I won it in the ring through my own boxing ability," said Ali in a statement published in The Lima News on April 29, 1967. "Those who want to 'take' it and hold a series of auction-type bouts not only do me a disservice but actually disgrace themselves," he continued. NOTE: Two months later, Ali was found guilty of draft evasion and was sentenced to prison for five years. He was allowed to box again in 1970, and the Supreme Court reversed his conviction the following year.


1945: Dachau concentration camp is liberated
United States forces freed 32,000 captives at the Dachau concentration camp today. "The political prisoners at Dachau wept with hysteria when troops of the U.S. Seventh Army cleared the enemy guards from the camp where gruesome torture rooms and gas chambers were located," read an article in The Daily Courier on April 30, 1945. Another 27,000 American and British prisoners of war were also freed when the U.S. Third Army found a large prisoner of war camp at Moosburg, just northeast of Munich.

[Janet]

1945: Dachau concentration camp is liberated
United States forces freed 32,000 captives at the Dachau concentration camp today. "The political prisoners at Dachau wept with hysteria when troops of the U.S. Seventh Army cleared the enemy guards from the camp where gruesome torture rooms and gas chambers were located," read an article in The Daily Courier on April 30, 1945. Another 27,000 American and British prisoners of war were also freed when the U.S. Third Army found a large prisoner of war camp at Moosburg, just northeast of Munich.

Whenever I read of the horrible things that happened...it makes me ashamed to be human.

[goofywife]

1945: Hitler commits suicide
Adolf Hitler and his wife for one day, Eva Braun, committed suicide today. . Early newspaper reports stated Hitler was thought to have been slain by the Russians or to have died of a stroke, but no mention was made of suicide. It was not until almost two months later that newspapers revealed the couple had made a suicide pact.

"Hitler shot himself through the temple, the chauffer said, while Eva Braun sent a bullet through her heart. Both died almost instantly. The source of this information apparently clarifying the mystery of Hitler's end as overlord of Europe was Erich Kempke, his driver since 1936," reported The Port Arthur News on June 21, 1945. "The bodies of Hitler and his bride were taken out into the chancellory garden, Kempke said, soaked with gasoline and burned."

NOTE: Reports revealed that Hitler and his wife shot themselves while simultaneously biting into a cyanide capsule. Though some remains were discovered, many still believe that Hitler may have faked his death and gone into hiding, and that the remains are inauthentic.

1980: Beatrix crowned queen of Netherlands
Princess Beatrix became queen of the Netherlands today upon the abdication of her mother, Queen Juliana. "Juliana signed the abdication document surrendering the throne at 10 a.m. in the royal palace on Dam Square, and Beatrix, her energetic, 42-year-old eldest daughter, succeeded her, becoming Holland's fourth successive female monarch and its sixth constitutional ruler," explained The Daily Intelligencer on April 30, 1980. NOTE: As the inaugural ceremonies were taking place, rioting erupted in the capital as protesters threw a smoke bomb into a crowd of spectators.

1975: South Vietnam surrenders
The Vietnam War ended today when the Saigon government announced its surrender. "The Viet Cong and North Vietnamese troops – jubilant over the unconditional surrender that ended 35 years of war against American, French, Japanese and South Vietnamese forces – seized Saigon Radio and announced they were renaming the South Vietnamese capital 'Ho Chi Minh City,'" informed the Delta Democrat-Times on April 30, 1975. "One by one, the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese troops overwhelmed the holdouts and gained complete control of all of Saigon. They crashed tanks through the wall at the presidential palace and hoisted a huge Viet Cong flag – red on the top, blue on the bottom with a gold star in the center."

1973: Nixon's top aides resign
Four of President Richard Nixon's closest aides resigned today. "Attorney General Richard G. Kleindienst and three trusted White House aides – H.R. Haldeman, John D. Ehrlichman and John W. Dean II – were swept out of office today by the Watergate bugging scandal," reported The Lowell Sun on April 30, 1973. "The resignations came amid growing pressures from within the Republican party for a housecleaning and full disclosure of the facts of administration involvement in the Watergate bugging."

1939: First regular TV service begins in U.S.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt appeared on television today for the opening of the New York World's Fair. His appearance opened the first regular television service in the United States. "Popular television in America, for years a fantasy of dreamers and a problem for scientists, was realized today. President Roosevelt and other guests at the New York World's fair inaugural were among the subjects telecast to homes and radio stores as far as 50 miles away," explained The Helena Independent on May 1, 1939. NOTE: At that time, television could only be broadcast 50 miles from the Empire State Building. Even then, television sets needed to be installed in positions that were in "the line-of-sight route."

[katcarasella]

1945: Dachau concentration camp is liberated

When Pete and I were in Germany we visited The Memorial site, I'll never forget it.

http://www.scrapbookpages.com/DachauScrapbook/index.html

[goofywife]

1971: Amtrak service begins

Amtrak, the National Railroad Passenger Corporation created by Congress, began operating 182 passenger trains today despite efforts to delay its official start. The government-backed system was met with criticism since more than 170 passenger trains throughout the U.S. were halted once the Amtrak changeover became effective.

"The corporation was established by Congress last year to establish and maintain a backbone national rail passenger system connecting the nation's principal cities. This came in the face of mounting railroad requests to get rid of passenger trains being operated at losses running $200 million a year," reported the Iowa City Press-Citizen on May 1, 1971.

NOTE: Even after cutting service to nearly half of the U.S.'s railroad passenger trains, Amtrak expected to lose $110 million within the first year of operation. The organization had hoped to achieve financial independence by 1974, but has not to this day.

1999: Mercury capsule from 1961 is discovered

The Liberty Bell 7, which sank after Gus Grissom's manned space flight on July 21, 1961, was found today by an underwater salvage team. "The only U.S. spacecraft ever lost following a successful mission, the capsule is still shiny in spots with an intact window and the name 'Liberty Bell 7' clearly printed beneath it," informed The Intelligencer on May 3, 1999.

1967: Elvis marries Priscilla

Elvis Presley, 32, married his longtime girlfriend, Priscilla Ann Beaulieu, 21, at a Las Vegas hotel today. Elvis met Priscilla, the daughter of a lieutenant colonel, when he was serving in the army in Germany in 1959. "With the life I had, I decided it would be best to wait (to marry). You know, all the shows and record engagements," Elvis told reporters in 1967.

1931: Empire State Building formally opens

The Empire State Building formally opened today when President Hoover pressed a button in the telegraph room at the White House which turned on the lights. "On the site of the old Waldorf-Astoria hotel, at Thirty-fourth street and Fifth avenue, it reaches nearly a quarter of a mile in the sky. In the words of former Governor Smith it is 'the tallest thing in the world today created by the hand of man,'" explained The Gettysburg Times on May 2, 1931.

1900: Hundreds of miners killed in Utah

A powder explosion at the No. 4 mine in Scofield, Utah, killed more than 200 people today. "The appalling nature of the disaster had not fully dawned upon the people of this place last night, as the company kept the grief stricken wives and children away from the scene of operation. All night long lights were kept burning in every home in Scofield and winter quarters and the moans of mothers and the piteous cries of the many orphans are heart-rending," reported the Reno Evening Gazette on May 2, 1900.

1893: World's Fair opens in Chicago

The Columbian Exposition, a World's Fair held as a tribute to the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus' discovery of the New World, opened today in Chicago. "Every great nation of the Old World was represented at today's ceremonies. England, Germany, France, Italy and Spain had their officials there, men of travel and experience, who have studied every great exposition of modern times, and they will see the glories of the last and greatest European one, eclipsed and diminished," informed the Davenport Daily Leader on May 1, 1893. "Within reach of Paris there are six millions of people to the one million within the same reach of Chicago, yet this country has so far spent double as much money upon its great Columbian fair as France did upon its late exposition. The tremendous confidence and hopefulness of the Americans is made clear by this fact alone." NOTE: The fair was known as the Great White City since the exposition buildings were based on classical architecture and made out of a material resembling marble.

[katcarasella]

1893: World's Fair opens in Chicago

My Maternal Grandmother was 4 yrs old and went to it.

http://parallel.park.org/Guests/WWWvoice/1893chi.html

[goofywife]

1946: Riots erupt at Alcatraz
Inmates Bernard Paul Coy, Joseph Paul Cretzer, Sam Shockley, Clarence Carnes, Marvin Franklin Hubbard and Miran Edgar Thompson started a riot today in Alcatraz prison after a failed escape attempt. Coy, whose prison job was to clean the gun galleries, had reportedly thrown a master switch to open the cells. He overpowered a guard to gain access to weapons.

"The fiercest prison mutiny in the Nation's history was uncontrolled in its second day as besiegers on Alcatraz island began lobbing 60-millimeter mortar shells into the barricaded cell-block and indicated that chemical warfare would be the next move against the convict holdouts," reported The Oakland Tribune on May 3, 1946. "Attacking U.S. Marines and prison guards already had used bazooka guns, demolition bombs, fragmentation hand grenades and other weapons of war in their all-out assault against the convict insurrectionists, barricaded in two separate parts of the cell block."

NOTE: The rioting, which is now called the Battle of Alcatraz, lasted two days. When it was over, two officers and three prisoners were killed, while 14 guards and two inmates were wounded.

1972: J. Edgar Hoover dies
J. Edgar Hoover, the infamous director of the FBI, died today of heart disease at the age of 77. "Hoover, the nation's chief law officer for 48 years, had become a legend in the United States, an 'untouchable' who shaped the FBI into a massive, powerful agency," explained The Lowell Sun on May 2, 1972. "The jut-jawed FBI head was permitted by presidential order to continue in his $42,500-a-year government job after reaching the mandatory retirement age of 70. Hoover, unmarried, dominated the bureau during his lifetime like no man in any other federal agency. Wielding vast power, he was said to lavish on the FBI the pride and possessiveness of a stern and watchful parent."


1955: Williams and Faulkner win Pulitzers
"William Faulkner and Tennessee Williams, two writers who have captured many of the top writing awards of the last decade, Monday received Pulitzer prizes," informed The Daily Register on May 3, 1955. "Faulkner won the prize for 'A Fable,' the novel of trench life in World War I which took him nine years to write. Williams won his second Pulitzer prize for the play 'Cat On A Hot Tin Roof,' a drama about a twisted Mississippi plantation family."

1952: First commercial jet flights begin
The De Havilland Comet, the world's first commercial jet airliner, took its inaugural flight today. "The sleek blue and white, four-engine jet liner, carrying a full load of 36 paying passengers, a crew of six and 30 bags of mail, left London airport at 3:14 p.m.," reported the Long Beach Press-Telegram on May 2, 1952. "With stops at Rome, Beirut, Khartoum in the Sudan, Entebbe in Uganda and Livingston in Rhodesia, it is due at Johannesburg in 23 hours and 40 minutes, slicing about one-third from the present commercial air travel time for the 6724-mile trip."

1945: Soviets announce fall of Berlin
The Soviet Union proclaimed the capture of Berlin today. "The announcement was made by the Moscow radio which declared that 70,000 Germans were captured in the cleanup of the city. Stalin's order described the capital as the center of German imperialism. He said the German garrison defending Berlin had laid down its arms today and resistance had ceased at 3 p.m.," reported The Sheboygan Press on May 2, 1945. NOTE: The battle for Berlin began on April 16, 1945, and by the time the battle was over, Adolf Hitler had committed suicide.


1939: Lou Gehrig is benched
Lou Gehrig's streak of 2,130 consecutive Major League games came to an end today when he was benched for what he called "the good of the team." On May 3, 1939, the Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune explained, "Lou Gehrig, the pressure off at last, sits on the Yankee bench for the first time in nearly 14 years and watches another, younger man play first base for the three-time world champions. It must have been a cruelly hard decision for the old 'Iron Horse' to make, when he told Manager Joe McCarthy he was ready to call it a career after 2,130 consecutive games."

[katcarasella]

May 2, 2007 at 5:27 P.M. Donald M. Carasella (Pete) went Home to Jesus.......

[goofywife]

1944: Rationing ends for most meats

All meats, except for beef steaks and beef roasts, are available ration free in the U.S. as of midnight today, the Office of Price Administration announced during World War II. The OPA also said that the monthly allotment for red points, which are needed to purchase butter, margarine, cheese, evaporated milk, beef steaks and roasts, would be cut in half, giving citizens less of these staples.

"Announcement that the Office of Price Administration has suspended the point-rationing system for all kinds of meat, with the exception of choice cuts and roast of beef, brings to an end one of the least glorious battles on the home front – the battle of the butcher shop," an editorial in the Valley Morning Star explained on May 12, 1944. "In a world which was visibly tottering under the weight of an atrocious assault on free institutions, a world in which whole races were being systematically exterminated and in which whole innocent and unoffending nations had been overrun and starved, the self-appointed spokesmen the American people acted as though the worst atrocity of all time was a system which limited their right to buy as much meat as they chose and at as high prices as they could afford."

NOTE: According to OPA Administrator Chester A. Bowles, rationing restrictions changed due to reduced Army and Navy demand, the stopping of lend-lease pork buying and the hope that more meat would be brought to the market over the summer.

1979: Thatcher wins Britain's general election

Margaret Thatcher, leader of Britain's Conservative Party, won today's general election to become the country's first female prime minister. "Though Mrs. Thatcher was withholding a victory statement until the 318 seats for majority were declared, the pro-Tory London evening papers pushed her into the premiership," explained The Daily Intelligencer on May 4, 1979.

1975: Ford commissions USS Nimitz

President Ford commissioned the 95,000-ton aircraft carrier USS Nimitz today in Norfolk, Virginia. "When she has taken board an air wing of 100 tactical aircraft, the Nimitz will be not only the largest but the most powerful surface warship in the world, according to Navy sources," informed The Post Crescent on May 4, 1975. "Powered by two nuclear reactors, she is designed to operate for 13 years without refueling." NOTE: The carrier, which was the first in a class of ships, was also considered one of the largest symbols of the "new U.S. Navy" that was slowly replacing older ships.

1971: Thousands of anti-war demonstrators arrested in Washington

More than 6,000 people were arrested in Washington D.C. today when war protesters tried to disrupt commuter traffic and march on the Pentagon. "Three hours after sunrise, more than 3,000 protesters had been arrested by flying squads of policemen wielding billy clubs and firing volley after volley of tear gas. National Guardsmen were deployed to aid police, and helicopters filled with about 200 Marines landed on the Washington Monument grounds," reported The Newport Daily News on May 3, 1971.

1948: Neighborhood covenants barring minorities deemed unenforceable

In two 6 to 0 decisions today, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that private neighborhood covenants that prohibit the sale of real estate to people of a certain race can be voluntarily carried out, but they are not legally enforceable. "In Washington, Thurman L. Dodson, president of the National Bar Association, composed of some 900 Negro lawyers, described the opinions as 'a notable achievement in the Negro's perennial struggle to eradicate his second-class citizenship status,'" the Long Beach Press-Telegram explained on May 4, 1948. NOTE: It wasn't until the Fair Housing Act was enacted on April 11, 1968, that racial discrimination was prohibited in the sale and rental of U.S. residential housing.

1923: Non-stop transcontinental flight is made

Lieutenants John MacReady and Oakley Kelly became the first to fly an airplane non-stop across the U.S. when they landed in San Diego today. "Thousands of cheering people who had stood on the streets through the morning awaiting the coming of the transcontinental flyers felt a thrill of pride in the newest accomplishment of American aviators," reported the Modesto Evening News on May 3, 1923. NOTE: The plane, which left Hempstead, New York, was in the air for over 26 hours.

1999 Oklahoma/Kansas Tornado Outbreak

A total of 74 tornadoes touched down across the two states in less than 21 hours. At one point, there were as many as four tornadoes reported on the ground at the same time. The strongest tornado, rated a maximum F-5 on the Fujita Tornado Scale, tracked for nearly an hour and a half along a 38-mile path from Chickasha through south Oklahoma City and the suburbs of Bridge Creek, Newcastle, Moore, Midwest City and Del City.

As the skies cleared, the states counted 46 dead and 800 injured, more than 8000 homes damaged or destroyed, and total property damage of nearly $1.5 billion.

Despite these grim statistics, there were significantly fewer losses because of applied knowledge and new technologies developed through years of tornado research by NOAA scientists. The National Severe Storms Laboratory and other NOAA Research laboratories and joint institutes helped develop some of the primary tools used by the National Weather Service to forecast and nowcast the Oklahoma/ Kansas tornado outbreak. These tools include the NEXRAD Doppler radar, the Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System, the Warning Decision Support System and NOAA's Profiler Network.

NOAA's effort to modernize the National Weather Service paid off in this single event. Researchers estimate that more than 600 lives were saved as a result of timely and accurate warnings and the public's knowledge of tornado safety.

[katcarasella]

May 3, 1927 Roger B Smith, my Dad was born.

[Janet]

I'm glad he was so we could now have you!

[katcarasella]

I'm glad he was so we could now have you!

Aww, that is so sweet:angel:

WHAT ARE YOU UP TO NOW?????

[Janet]

Keep wondering.....

[katcarasella]

Michelle is gonna get mad because you're littering up her thread,
I on the other hand only put in useful tidbits about myself. :sidesplit:
HELP SOMEONE SHE'S DRIVING ME NUTS.:crazy:

[Janet]

No one will save you now my pretty!!!!

[goofywife]

1970: Kent State Massacre

After three days of protests against the U.S. invasion of Cambodia by students at Kent State University, National Guardsmen shot into a crowd of unarmed student protesters today, killing four.

"Kent State University, evacuated after four students were shot to death by National Guardsmen breaking up an anti-war demonstration, was virtually deserted and under heavy police and military guard today," the News Journal reported on May 5, 1979. "National Guard officials said the soldiers fired in defense of their lives when the student crowd closed in throwing rocks and chunks of concrete."

NOTE: Eight of the National Guardsmen were indicted by a grand jury. Charges were dismissed against all eight. A nation-wide student strike and hundreds of demonstrations followed the shootings, closing more than 450 campuses and bringing even more focus on the invasion of Cambodia.

1959: First Grammy Awards are given

The first Grammy Awards were announced by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences today. "The awards, miniature gold plated replicas of old fashioned phonographs, were awarded to [David] Seville for his tune, 'The Chipmunk Song' which won the awards of 'Best Comedy Performance,' 'Best Engineered Record' and 'Best Recording for Children,'" reported The Daily Review on May 6, 1959. NOTE: Other winners included Italian Domenico Modugno for Best Record and Perry Como for Best Male Vocalist, while the top movie and Broadway album was "The Music Man."

1949: Italian soccer team dies in crash

Italy's championship soccer team died in a plane crash today. "The crash wiped out the 'Torino' team of this city – four times national champions and the bulwark of Italy's team in international competition," informed The Herald Press on May 5, 1949. "The three-motor Italian plane plowed into Superga hill, scraped the cathedral which stands there and fell in flames in the cathedral courtyard. A heavy rain was falling. The team was en route home from a game in Lisbon, Portugal."

1945: Nazi forces in Holland and Denmark surrender

American newspapers reported today that enemy forces in Holland, northwest Germany and Denmark have agreed to surrender. "The Nazis themselves said the cease fire order had sounded in Holland and that British troops were sweeping unopposed through Denmark," explained The Lowell Sun on May 4, 1945. "But a heavily-censored front dispatch from United Press War Correspondent Richard D. McMillan gave even more conclusive evidence of the German collapse on the northern front. 'The German army facing the British…is out of control,' McMillan cabled. 'The Germans are throwing away their arms by the hundreds of thousands, refusing to fight, trying to get home, or struggling to give themselves up as prisoners.'"

1932: Al Capone begins prison sentence

"Tonight Capone will start serving an 11-year sentence for evading income taxes, and, giving up hope at last, he said there was 'nothing to do but make the best of it.' As his train cut down toward the southland, the gangster jested and kept up a rapid fire conversation with guards, but did not try to hide his disappointment. 'How would you feel if you had 11 years staring you in the face?' he parried when newspapermen questioned him," reported The Oakland Tribune on May 4, 1932. NOTE: Capone was released in 1939, after completing about seven years of this sentence.

1930: Gandhi is arrested

The leader of India's civil disobedience campaign, Mahatma Gandhi, was taken into British police custody tonight. Armed policemen, led by the district magistrate, made the arrest as Gandhi slept. “Gandhi, leader of the passive revolution against the British rule in India, was arrested at Surat early yesterday and was taken to Poona, where he was held," explained The Daily Courier on May 5, 1930. "Constantly, since he began the passive resistance campaign more than a month ago, he had attempted to antagonize British authorities to the point where his arrest could not be avoided. Last week he declared he would lead a raid on a state-controlled salt depot, hoping that the act would force Britain's hand.” NOTE: Shops throughout India closed in protest of Gandhi's arrest, while more than 100,000 of his followers gathered for a mass demonstration the following night. Gandhi's dream of India's independence was finally achieved in August of 1947.

[katcarasella]

Are we going back in time Michelle? That would be so cool.:dreaming:

:sidesplit: I know, you're just testing us.:eek: Did I pass?

[goofywife]

You passed!!! I don't know where I was this morning.

Are we going back in time Michelle? That would be so cool.:dreaming:

:sidesplit: I know, you're just testing us.:eek: Did I pass?

[goofywife]

1961: Shepard is first American in space
Alan B. Shepard Jr., 37, became the first American to reach space today after soaring 115 miles above the earth in a spacecraft named Freedom 7.

"Shepard's blazing 5,000-mile-an-hour flight was only the beginning of American exploration of space, said Hugh Dryden, deputy administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration," the Oakland Tribune reported on May 5, 1961. "Soon, Dryden said, an astronaut will orbit the earth and later travel to the moon and back."

NOTE: After the historic flight, President Kennedy telephoned Shepard to offer his congratulations and said that he looked forward to seeing him. On May 8, Shepard was given a hero's welcome in Washington D.C.


1945: Japanese balloon bomb kills six in U.S.
A balloon carrying a bomb launched by the Japanese exploded near Lakeview, Oregon, today, killing a woman and five children on a fishing trip. The U.S. government did not release the information until several days after the incident. "Undersecretary of war Patterson disclosed today that a mother and five children were killed by a bomb from one of the long range Japanese balloons sporadically attacking the western part of this country," informed The Evening Tribune on May 31, 1945. NOTE: Their deaths were the only recorded fatalities within the U.S. mainland that were caused by an enemy attack during World War II.

1925: Science teacher is arrested for teaching evolution
High school science teacher J.T. Scopes of Dayton, Tennessee, was arrested today for violating a state law that prohibits the teaching of evolution. On May 6, 1925, the Oakland Tribune noted, "The defense will attack the constitutionality of the new law." NOTE: The “Scopes Monkey Trial” became a watershed case in the creation vs. evolution controversy, and ended with Scopes being found guilty and fined $100.00.

1904: Cy Young pitches perfect game
Baseball great Cy Young pitched the first perfect game in the history of modern professional baseball today. "Not for twenty-four years has any pitcher been able to accomplish the feat that big 'Cy' Young of the Boston Americas performed this afternoon -- that of retiring a team in succession without allowing a single man to get to first," explained The Mansfield News on May 6, 1904. NOTE: Prior to the formation of Major League Baseball, there had been other no hit games in the late 1800s.

[DianaB]

Sixteen years ago today my youngest daughter, Jaci, was born!!!

[AngieDoogles]

Aww, happy sweet sixteen, Jaci!

[Janet]

Sixteen years ago today my youngest daughter, Jaci, was born!!!


Your baby isn't much of a baby anymore huh Diana? I know how you're feeling..my baby isn't my baby anymore either. They grow up so darn fast.



:bigbday::bigbday::bigbday:


Happy Birthday Jaci!!!

Hope you have a wonderful day!!!

[goofywife]

1937: Hindenburg bursts into flames
The German dirigible Hindenburg burst into flames and collapsed to the ground today in Lakehurst, New Jersey. The large lighter-than-air ship used hydrogen, a highly explosive gas, for lift.

"Spectators sobbed hysterically at the abrupt disaster in which the Hindenburg had ended her maiden 1937 trip to America," reported the Fitchburg Sentinel on May 6, 1937. "Eighteen trips had been planned this year."

NOTE: Though the explosion was violent, most of the 97 aboard survived. 13 passengers and 22 crewmembers died, as well as one member of the ground crew. Most deaths were from people jumping from the burning ship rather than the fire itself.

1981: Lin wins Vietnam Veterans Memorial design competition
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund awarded a $20,000 prize to Yale architecture student Maya Ying Lin of Athens, Ohio, today for her memorial design, which was chosen for Washington D.C. out of 1,421 entries. NOTE: Lin recently served on the selection jury for the World Trade Center Site Memorial Competition, and was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters in 2005.

1910: King Edward VII dies
King Edward VII of Great Britain died today with his family nearby after a brief illness. "The prince of Wales succeeded to the crown immediately, according to the laws of the kingdom, without official ceremony. His first official act was to dispatch to the lord mayor the announcement of his father's death in pursuance of custom," informed The Galveston Daily News on May 7, 1910.

1996: Former CIA director's body is washed ashore
William E. Colby, director of the CIA from 1973 to 1975, was found washed up on a sandbar of the Wicomico River, not far from his vacation home in Maryland. "For the past week, while searchers looked for him in the Wicomico, near where it empties into the Potomac, his widow, Sally Shelton-Colby, had refused to accept the assumption that he had drowned," explained The Intelligencer on May 7, 1996. NOTE: It was believed that Colby, 76, drowned while canoeing on the river.

[katcarasella]

Thank You Michelle, I read these everday...:)

[goofywife]

You are too sweet!

Thank You Michelle, I read these everday...:)

[teri88]

wow! very interesting, I'll be watching for this thread.

[teri88]

I forgot to say, my hubby is obsessed with the Hindenburg, I can't wait to see if he knows today is the anniversary!

[Chandra Amaya]

Sixteen years ago today my youngest daughter, Jaci, was born!!!

awww, I missed it! Happy late Birthday Jaci. What type of party did she have? or how did she celebrate? DETAILS!

[goofywife]

1915: Germans sink Lusitania

A German submarine torpedoed and sunk the British ocean liner Lusitania today, killing almost 1,200 people. Many of the passengers were previously warned about the danger of sailing on the Lusitania because of the war between Germany and Great Britain.

"The Lusitania was steaming along about eight or ten miles off Old Head Kinsale, on the last leg of her voyage to Liverpool, when about 2 o'clock in the afternoon a submarine suddenly appeared and, so far as reports go, fired two torpedoes without warning, at the steamer. One struck her near the bows and the other in the engine room. The powerful agents of destruction tore through the vessel's side, causing terrific explosions. Almost immediately great volumes of water poured through the openings and the Lusitania listed," reported The Washington Post on May 8, 1915.

NOTE: More than 100 Americans died on board the ship, leading to protests from the United States and encouraging American involvement in the war. When Germany resumed unrestricted submarine warfare in 1917, the United States declared war against Germany and entered World War I.

1998: Daimler-Benz and Chrysler merge

Daimler-Benz, the maker of Mercedes cars, and Chrysler announced they will be merging today. "The transaction, formally announced today after the boards of both companies approved it, ranks as the biggest industrial merger ever. The new company, DaimlerChrysler, combines the No. 3 U.S. automaker that once trumpeted a 'Buy American' slogan with a German carmaker that had previously held only a small share of the U.S. market," informed The Capital on May 7, 1998. "The merger will give Chrysler greater access to the European market, something it has strived for."

1992: NASA launches space shuttle Endeavour

The space shuttle Endeavour, which replaced the Challenger shuttle, was launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, today. "A wayward satellite and the nation's newest space shuttle are hurtling toward a weekend rendezvous today in a bold NASA mission to pluck the satellite from a useless orbit and put it to work," explained The Capital one day after the launch. "The shuttle Endeavour, one year off the assembly line, began the celestial chase with a twilight liftoff yesterday from the Kennedy Space Center. Its target is the Intelsat 6 satellite, which has been orbiting 350 miles above Earth since a miswired rocket failed to boost it to its 22,300-mile-high duty station two years ago."

1964: Plane crashes after passenger shoots pilots

A Pacific Airlines plane crashed in California today, killing all 44 people on board, after a passenger shot the pilots. "A note of mystery was injected into the tragedy with discovery of a .38 caliber revolver in the wreckage. Authorities said it might have belonged to an off duty police officer who was aboard, but they are not certain," reported The Modesto Bee and News-Herald on May 7, 1964. Authorities later discovered that the pilots were shot by a passenger who entered the cockpit. NOTE: In what was described as a "horrible coincidence," the Federal Aviation Agency released a statement on the morning of the crash telling airline pilots they would soon be required to lock their flight deck doors.

1896: Serial killer Dr. Holmes is hanged

American serial killer Herman W. Mudgett, better known as Dr. H.H. Holmes, was hanged in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, today. "Holmes, the murderer, died as he lived, with a lie on his lips. Calm and unruffled, he stood upon the fatal trap and told the witnesses of his execution that he had caused the death of only two women, and that they died by accident," explained The Gleaner on May 16, 1896. NOTE: Holmes had constructed a terrible “murder castle” which he opened as a hotel for the Chicago World’s Fair. The number of people he killed is unknown, but thought to be as high as 230, though he only confessed to 27 and only nine were confirmed. The 2003 best-seller The Devil in the White City deals with Holmes and the World’s Fair.

1840: Hundreds die in 'Great Natchez Tornado'

A tornado struck Natchez, Mississippi today, killing more than 300 people. On May 28, 1840, the Freeman and Messenger printed a letter to the editor, dated May 7. The letter read, "While nearly the whole of our citizens were engaged in dining at the hour of two this afternoon, vivid flashed the lightning, loud roared the thunder, and black grew the sky. In a few minutes the tempest came, and for about forty minutes we were in that perilous state which speaks only of destruction and death. First toppled down the chimneys, then went the roofs of houses, and a moment after, houses after houses fell into ruins."

[goofywife]

1902: Eruption destroys city of St. Pierre
Today's eruption of Mount Pelee wiped out the city of St. Pierre, located on the Caribbean island of Martinique, just four miles south of the volcano's peak. Flaming gas and cinders turned the city into a mass of fire.

"During the intervening hours a torrent of red hot cinders poured down upon the commercial capital. The streets were filled with the destructive outpouring, cutting off all avenues of escape. It is believed that very few of the 25,000 inhabitants could have escaped," reported The Galveston Daily News on May 10, 1902. "Although the Mount Pelee volcano had been emitting ashes and smoke at intervals for several days, the residents of St. Pierre did not apprehend any great eruption."

NOTE: According to The Fort Wayne Sentinel, smoke and steam had been released from the volcano almost fifty years before the deadly eruption, but no one thought Mount Pelee posed a threat.

1999: Citadel graduates first female
Nancy Mace became the first female to graduate from The Citadel, a formerly all-male South Carolina military school, today. "Ms. Mace entered The Citadel in 1996 after the school dropped its all-male admissions policy. That change came after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a similar policy at Virginia Military Institute," explained The Capital on May 9, 1999. NOTE: The first female admitted to The Citadel was Shannon Faulkner, who was able to attend with a judge's order. However, she quit in less than a week due to stress and isolation.

1973: American Indian Movement surrenders
"Indians holding Wounded Knee since Feb. 27 lay down their arms today in front of a symbolic tepee and submit to processing by federal authorities," explained The Morgantown Post on May 8, 1973. The surrender came after an agreement was made between federal officials and followers of the American Indian Movement to end the 71-day standoff and begin negotiations. NOTE: The location of the standoff was significant because approximately 300 Native Americans were killed in the Battle of Wounded Knee in 1890.

1945: V-E Day is declared
President Truman declared victory in Europe today, celebrating the defeat of Nazi Germany. "Combat troops received the news with stony apathy. There is still a war going on in the Pacific and they knew, and they only hoped the folks at home remembered, that Americans are fighting in Asia at this epochal moment of victory," informed The Lowell Sun on May 8, 1945. Truman also emphasized that the task to conquer Japan was still ahead. In his V-E proclamation, he said "our blows will continue until the Japanese lay down their arms in unconditional surrender."

1936: Jockey rides after pronounced dead
Jockey Ralph Neves was pronounced dead today by Dr. J.A. Warburton, the track physician, after falling from his horse while riding at Bay Meadow Racecourse in California. "'Just in case,' as Warburton put it, he gave the unconscious and apparently dead Neves an injection of adrenalin, powerful heart stimulant. Ten minutes later, as fellow jockeys stood around the 'bier,' shaking their heads and lamenting the fate of their companion, Neves sat up. In ten minutes more he announced he was ready to return to the track and ride in the closing races."

[teri88]

Poor Nancy Mace, if I was asked I would have said it was Shannon Faulkner. I forgot she didn't stay there!

[katcarasella]

Yeh, it's almost 5:30 A.M. I need my History fix, where is it??:p

[goofywife]

Here ya go Kat!!

1974: Nixon impeachment hearings begin
The House Judiciary Committee began impeachment hearings against President Richard M. Nixon today for his involvement in the Watergate cover-up. The committee met in a closed session to review a briefcase of evidence relating to Nixon's role in the scandal.

The Oakland Tribune explained that "the committee would begin its hearings by considering materials relating to the question of President Nixon's responsibility for the Watergate break-in and its subsequent investigation by law enforcement agencies."

NOTE: Instead of facing an impeachment trial, Nixon announced his resignation on national television on August 8, 1974. His resignation did not make him immune to criminal prosecution, but his successor, Gerald Ford, issued a controversial pardon which protected him.

1970: War protesters rally near White House
About 100,000 war protesters gathered just south of the White House in Washington, D.C., to express their opposition to the Vietnam war. today. "College students angered by U.S. intervention in Cambodia and the killing of four Kent State University students by Ohio National Guardsmen made up the bulk of the thousands," reported The Post Standard on May 9, 1970.


1960: FDA approves birth control pill
The Food and Drug Administration approved the first pill for contraceptive use, called Envoid, today. The Syracuse Herald Journal described this new development 35 years later on May 10, 1995: "To imagine just how different American society was when the FDA allowed the birth control pill to be marketed in 1960, there was then no uniform contraceptive law. It was not until 1965 - when the pill's popularity was soaring - that the U.S. Supreme Court recognized the use of contraceptives by married couples as part of their constitutional right to privacy. That right was not extended to individuals until 1972."

1955: West Germany joins NATO
West Germany became the 15th member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization today during a ceremony in Paris. "Chancellor Konrad Adenauer took his place at the NATO council table for the first time in a public session in the Palais de Chaillot," explained the Great Bend Daily Tribune on May 9, 1955. "For the 79-year-old West German statesman the ceremony marked a culminating stage in his long and difficult campaign to enroll his countrymen as an equal partner in the ranks of the free world's democracies."

1926: Byrd takes off for the North Pole
Commander Richard Byrd and his companion for the flight, Floyd Bennett, were honored as the first to fly an airplane to the North Pole. However, throughout the years there have been a number of doubts about their true accomplishment. In 1999, the Syracuse Herald Journal reported that archivists found a diary that Byrd kept on the flight, which cast doubt on the calculations that the men used to establish the location of the pole during their flyover.

[Janet]

Yeh, it's almost 5:30 A.M. I need my History fix, where is it??:p


Hey Kat, I was up then too. See how patient I am Michelle...LOL :p

[goofywife]

I think Kat has had too much coffee, someone take the pot from her!

Hey Kat, I was up then too. See how patient I am Michelle...LOL :p

[Janet]

She hasn't been on since this morning....

Kat!!! You get back here!!!

[goofywife]

1869: Spike links Transcontinental Railroad

A golden spike was driven in at Promontory, Utah, to link the First Transcontinental Railroad today. This joined the Union Pacific Railroad, running east to Omaha, to the Central Pacific, running west to California.

"The long-looked for moment has arrived," reported the The New York Herald on May 10, 1869. "The inhabitants of the Atlantic board and the dwellers on the Pacific slope are henceforth emphatically one people."

NOTE: The event was a turning point in American history, opening up the West and truly making the United States a coast–to–coast nation. Although the completion of the railroad was celebrated on May 10, it did not actually reach the Pacific Ocean until later in the year. On May 10, the rails stretched to Sacramento, where passengers were transferred to river steamers on their way to San Francisco.

2005: Grenade thrown at President Bush

A hand grenade was thrown at U.S. President George W. Bush today at a speech in Tbilisi, Georgia, but the explosive device did not detonate. “It remains unclear whether the grenade was aimed at Bush or Saakashvili [the President of Georgia] or was simply intended as a deadly disruption of what turned out to be an ebullient event,” informed The Post-Standard on May 19, 2005. NOTE: The grenade was thrown by dissident Vladimir Arutyunian, who was captured and sentenced to life imprisonment.

1960: Nuclear sub travels around the world

The Triton, a U.S. nuclear-powered submarine, finished a 36,000-mile underwater trip around the world today. "The historic 84-day voyage traced much of the route of the first trip around the globe by the surface ships of Ferdinand Magellan. The Magellan expedition took more than three years in 1519-22," explained The Hammond Times on May 10, 1960.

1940: Churchill becomes prime minister

Winston Churchill was named British prime minister following the resignation of Neville Chamberlain today. "In a dramatic ceremony at Buckingham Palace last night, Churchill, whose mother was an American, realized a lifetime ambition when he solemnly kissed the king's hand signifying his acceptance of the premiership," reported The Kingston Daily Freeman on May 11, 1940.

1933: Nazis hold public book burnings

The Nazi regime burned piles of books and other documents considered to be "un-German products," today. On May 10, 1933, the Dunkirk Evening Observer explained, "Fifteen thousand students, carrying banners and torches will escort six trucks carrying 20,000 volumes of objectionable literature in an hour's parade through the city." NOTE: Books by American authors including Helen Keller, Upton Sinclair and others were among those destroyed.

[goofywife]

1970: Tornado tears through Lubbock

A violent tornado touched down in Lubbock, Texas, today, killing at least 20 people and injuring hundreds. The storm, which left a path of destruction about eight miles long, blew away entire blocks where houses and businesses once stood and heavily damaged the heart of the downtown area.

"The spring dawn over this west Texas city of 161,000 showed damage over 2,500 square blocks from the tornado and the main storm that spewed rain and hail the size of lemons," reported the San Mateo Times on May 12, 1970. "Wind gusts after the twister lifted were measured at 100 miles an hour. Damage was estimated into the millions."

NOTE: The twister was the worst to hit Texas since the Waco tornado, which struck on the same date in 1953, killing 114 people.

1985: Soccer fans battle fire in England

A fire at a soccer stadium in England killed more than 50 people today. "An assistant fire chief, Peter Kneale, said the blaze was fanned by a strong wind and was 'a very rapid spreading fire.' He said it started in the north end of the stand and enveloped the whole structure in smoke and flames in four minutes," informed The Daily Intelligencer on May 12, 1985. NOTE: It is thought that the fire started when a fan threw a cigarette butt. The cigarette evidently fell under the stadium, where 20 years of rubbish had accumulated, starting a flash fire that spread rapidly.

1953: Tornado devastates Waco, Texas

A F5 tornado struck Waco, Texas today, ending a legend previously believed by a number of residents that their city was the only spot in Texas safe from a twister. "Weary rescue workers freed an elderly gray-haired woman today from nearly 14 hours of nightmare trapped under tons of debris in tornado-hammered Waco where 48 were known dead and more than 250 injured," reported The Kerrville Times on May 12, 1953. NOTE: Before a tornado ripped through Waco, the city of San Angelo, Texas, was struck by a twister that resulted in 13 deaths and more than a hundred injuries. However, the Waco disaster turned out to be the deadliest tornado in Texas history since 1900. After rescue workers were able to dig through the massive piles of rubble, it was found that 114 died and nearly 600 were injured.

1934: Dust cloud covers one-third of nation

"The huge dust storm moving from the Midwest descended on New York and the surrounding territory today, darkening the sky and sifting into Manhattan's skyscrapers. Despite closed windows, the dust penetrated almost every building, laying a thin coat of fine dust over furniture and floors," The Daily Times-News explained on May 11, 1934. NOTE: The dust cloud was 1,500 miles long, 900 miles across and two miles high, covering almost one-third of the nation. Topsoil was lost and crops withered in the ground, causing farmers daily losses of $2 million.

1894: Pullman employees go on strike

Thousands of workers at the Pullman Palace Car Company went on strike this morning and demanded their wages be restored to previous levels after receiving over a 27 percent pay cut from last year's pay. Pullman refused strikers' demands, saying the company was running at a loss due to its decision to keep its men employed. NOTE: The strike was broken up by U.S. Marshals and 12,000 Army troops. 13 strikers were killed and 57 wounded.

[katcarasella]

1894: Pullman employees go on strike

Ahh I remember that well:dreaming:

[Forgivenmom5]

Good memory Kat!!!

[AngieDoogles]

1894: Pullman employees go on strike

Ahh I remember that well:dreaming:

LOL, I actually do remember this. From my history class. :) I just finished the second US history (1877 to present) and this was on one of our tests. It was really a big deal because it led to some of the first steps to fair wages and working conditions. Pullman was a real jerk in my opinion...

[goofywife]

1949: Soviets lift blockade in Berlin

Traffic into Berlin was restored today when the Soviets lifted their 11-month-old blockade. In one of the major Cold War crises, the Soviet Union had blocked railroad and street access to West Berlin in hopes that the Allies would abandon the city. Instead, British and American planes flew in vital supplies like food and fuel to help West Berliners survive. Although the blockade was lifted today, air lifts did not stop until September 30. This was done as a precautionary measure to build up adequate supplies in case the Soviets issued another blockade.

"Thus-ended the dependence of 2,000,000 west Berliners on British and American planes for food and fuel," reported the Galveston Daily News on May 12, 1949. "But the air lift was going ahead at full schedule, and pilots said their instructions were to keep right on for at least 80 days."

NOTE: Despite uneasiness regarding whether the lift would last, there was a celebratory mood in Berlin. Schools closed for a holiday, and newspapers said that Berlin was in "a carnival mood." The blockade had began on June 24, 1948, and the Berlin Airlift supplied food for the city throughout the entire winter, dropping a total of 2,326,406 tons of food and supplies.

1970: Banks becomes member of 500 home run club

Ernie Banks hit the 500th home run of his National League career today, making him the ninth member of the 500-homer club. The milestone hit was made at Wrigley Field in Chicago with the Cubs playing the Atlanta Braves. "The 39-year-old Mr. Cub lined a Pat Jarvis 1-1 pitch into the leftfield bleachers in the second inning for his third homer of the season and joined eight others in the coveted 500-homer club, headed by Babe Ruth with 714," explained The Stars and Stripes on May 14, 1970. NOTE: After making the hit, Banks admitted to feeling pressure to reach his 500th.

1965: Soviet spacecraft crash-lands on moon

Russia failed to achieve the first "soft" lunar landing today when its spacecraft crashed on the moon's surface. On May 12, 1965, an article in The Sheboygan Press informed, "The observers said if Luna 5 landed successfully, the mission might encompass collecting samples of the Lunar surface and radioing back information, or scanning the moon with a camera and transmitting pictures." NOTE: Although a "soft" landing was not achieved, the Soviets still called the mission a success because they gathered information for future lunar landings.

1932: Lindbergh baby found dead

The infant son of Charles Lindbergh was found dead just miles away from the Lindbergh home today. "Charles Augustus Lindbergh, Jr., was kidnapped on the night of March 1 from the crib in which it was sleeping peacefully. The only clues that could be found on the following morning were a home-made ladder, footprints of a man and a woman, a blanket and an abandoned blue sedan," reported The Coshocton Tribune on May 12, 1932. NOTE: The body was discovered about six weeks after the family paid a ransom of $50,000 in exchange for what proved to be false information on the baby's location.

[katcarasella]

1949: Soviets lift blockade in Berlin.......
I was 3 months old :teddy:

1970: Banks becomes member of 500 home run club
Jenny was 6 weeks old :teddy:

[AngieDoogles]

1949: Soviets lift blockade in Berlin.......
I was 3 months old :teddy:

1970: Banks becomes member of 500 home run club
Jenny was 6 weeks old :teddy:

Aww, how sweet!

[goofywife]

1981: Pope John Paul II is shot

Pope John Paul II, the first non-Italian pope in 455 years, was shot today in Vatican City. He was immediately taken to the Agostino Gemelli University Policlinic, considered Rome's most modern hospital.

"Vatican radio said the pontiff had been driven through St. Peter's Square in his jeep and was about to leave the jeep to start a general audience when shots were heard at about 5:25 p.m.," reported the Syracuse Herald-Journal on May 13, 1981. “The pontiff collapsed into the arms of his aides as the jeep returned inside the Vatican at high speed, the radio said.”

NOTE: The Pope made a full recovery. Police in the square apprehended Turkish citizen Mehmet Ali Agca after he shot the pontiff. Agca was sentenced to life in prison, but was pardoned in 2000 at the request of the Pope.

1985: MOVE headquarters bombed

Philadelphia police dropped a bomb made from C-4 onto the headquarters of MOVE, a radical African-American neo-Luddite group. “The concussion-like bomb, dropped Monday from a police helicopter, smashed through a crude wood-and-steel battlement atop the house and caved in the roof,” informed the Daily News on May 14, 1985. “A fire, fanned by hot winds, spread to as many as 60 surrounding structures, and gunfire from within the building kept firefighters from dousing the swirling flames for about an hour.” NOTE: The bomb ultimately destroyed more than 50 homes and killed eleven people, including four children.

1980: Tornado hits Kalamazoo, Michigan

A tornado devastated Kalamazoo, Michigan, today, killing five people and causing heavy damage in the downtown area. "About 85 people were treated for injuries at the city's two major hospitals. Two were reported critically injured. Most of the injured were cut by flying glass or bruised by falling debris in the rush-hour storms," explained The Daily Intelligencer on May 14, 1980. NOTE: The tornado that ripped through downtown Kalamazoo was part of a severe weather system that produced another tornado which also hit areas in Kalamazoo County.

1958: Nixon's car is attacked by mob

While traveling in Venezuela, Vice President Richard M. Nixon's car was attacked by a mob as he rode from the airport. The attackers hurled rocks, smashed the car's windows and shouted, "Go Home Yankee Dog." "The Vice President, winding up his tour of South America, arrived amid rumors that he was to be the victim of an assassination attempt. Venezuelan authorities in advance of his arrival had discounted these reports and given assurances that Nixon would be well guarded," reported the Oakland Tribune on May 13, 1958. "The violence of the demonstrations against the Vice President obviously surprised officials."

1940: Wilhelmina takes refuge in England

Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands safely arrived in England today where she took refuge from Nazi invaders. Crown Princess Juliana, her husband, Prince Bernhard, and their children we also welcomed by King George's family. "A sailor of the British ship which brought the royal family here said, 'for some time it was murder, but we got clear and had a steady journey,'" informed the Dunkirk Evening Observer on May 14, 1940. NOTE: According to newspaper reports from 1940, the Germans tried to kill the royal family as they fled for Great Britain.

[goofywife]

1998: Seinfeld finale airs

The final episode of the top-rated comedy Seinfeld aired tonight on NBC. To commemorate the sitcom's last episode, a number of the fans threw parties, while others watched at home.

"The 75-minute episode had a 41.3 rating and 58 share, Nielsen Media Research said Friday. A rating point represents 980,000 households. The share means that 58 percent of in-use televisions were tuned to 'Seinfeld,'" reported The Chronicle Telegram on May 16, 1998.

NOTE: A NBC spokesperson said they were "thrilled" by the ratings, but the final Seinfeld episode still fell below the finales for Cheers and M-A-S-H. When Cheers went off the air in 1993, its finale had a 45.9 rating and 72 share. In 1983 when the final M-A-S-H aired, it is estimated that 105 million people watched. Today, M-A-S-H still holds the all-time record for the most-watched finale with a 60.2 rating and 77 share.

1998: Frank Sinatra dies at 82

Frank Sinatra, one of the most influential singers in U.S. history, died today of a heart attack at the age of 82. "The blunt, often aggressive son of Italian immigrants communicated across generational lines with love songs filled with a rare mix of vulnerability and verve – from 'Strangers in the Night' to 'One for My Baby,'" explained The Chronicle Telegram on May 15, 1998.

1973: Skylab is sent into space

Skylab, the first U.S. space station, was sent into space today to serve as a "cabin in the sky" for astronauts. "No more cramped quarters like the Mercury, Gemini or Apollo capsules. Skylab is as large as a three-bedroom house and has 60 times more volume than Apollo," informed The Post Crescent on May 14, 1973. While the first three-man crew was to enter space on May 15 to link up with the space station, the flight was postponed when temperatures of 100 degrees were recorded inside the lab. NOTE: Two of the six solar panels also failed to extend properly, which reduced the Skylab's power supply.

1963: Kuwait is admitted to the United Nations

The oil-rich country of Kuwait became the 111th member of the United Nations today. "The tiny Persian Gulf state was welcomed at a brief session in which the assembly, called to devise a formula for financing its expensive peace-keeping operations, referred the problem to its budgetary and administrative committee," reported the Winnipeg Free Press on May 15, 1963.

1948: Israel is proclaimed

"The State of Israel, first Hebrew nation in 2000 years, was born today in a Jewish Declaration of Independence asserting the 'historic right' of the Jews of Palestine to reconstitute their national home," explained the Oakland Tribune today in 1948. NOTE: The proclamation was to become effective after midnight, once Great Britain no longer ruled the land.

[Chandra Amaya]

I watched the Seinfeld finale and remember watching Mash with mom while she cried. I think she watched cheers as well, but Mash was her show. I can't believe it was 98 when seinfeld aired. I'm getting old!

[goofywife]

1972: Governor George Wallace is shot
Alabama Governor George Wallace was shot today while campaigning for President of the United States. Although a bullet was lodged in his lower spine, leaving Wallace paralyzed, he vowed to continue his campaign.

On May 16, 1972, The Daily Kennebec Journal described the event, reporting: "The governor had just finished a speech at the shopping complex 15 miles from Washington. He stepped from behind the podium on the rostrum to exchange handshakes with some of the 1,000 gathered to hear him. A man wearing Wallace buttons pushed through the crowd, asking the governor to shake hands. When he got near enough, the man stuck a gun in Wallace's stomach and fired. Wallace fell backward, hit four times."

NOTE : The assailant, Arthur Bremer, was arrested and sentenced to 53 years in prison. Wallace did continue his presidential campaign, but eventually lost the Democratic Party's nomination to Senator George McGovern of South Dakota.

1957: Britain tests first hydrogen bomb
"British newspapers declared today Britain's first hydrogen bomb test had restored the nation's independence of the United States and increased its stature as a world power. Asian nations quickly expressed regret at the blast, exploded yesterday in the Christmas Island area of the Pacific. But U.S. officials welcomed the news as contributing to Allied strength by making Britain the world's third full-fledged nuclear power, along with Russia and the United States," explained The Odessa American on May 16, 1957. NOTE: This test, known as Grapple, exploded with 300 kilotons of force, much short of the expected one megaton. Even so, Britain proclaimed the test a success.

1942: Gas rationing goes into effect
In order to aid in the war effort, the United States began rationing gasoline today in 17 states along the East coast. "New Yorkers already were shopping for new ways to get around, and it appeared likely that more and more bicycles and even roller-skates would be put to use," informed The Galveston Daily News on May 16, 1942. "From all parts of the area affected by rationing, which went into effect at 12:01 a.m. [yesterday], came reports that gasoline pumps were running dry, partly as a result of a last-minute rush by motorists to stock up before the restrictions went into effect."

1918: Airmail service begins
Thousands of people, including President Woodrow Wilson, cheered the first flight of U.S. airmail service today. "The great machine mounted into the air piloted by Lieut. George L. Boyle, of Fort Scott, Kan., cut its way through a light, low hanging haze, then soared away on the first lap of its journey to Philadelphia and New York," informed The Fort Wayne News and Sentinel on May 15, 1918. NOTE: The inaugural flight carried 5,000 letters and cut the New York to Washington mail delivery time down from 32 to three hours

1911: Standard Oil declared a monopoly
The United States Supreme Court declared Standard Oil an unreasonable monopoly today. The oil company drew a lot of criticism for its business tactics, prompting the U.S. Department of Justice to sue the company for violating the Sherman Anti-Trust Act of 1890. "From the very beginning, the business and the legal worlds recognized that the suit put the Sherman anti-trust law to the most severe test to which it had been subjected. The law has been on the statute book since 1890 and has been the basis of some eighteen suits finally passed upon by the supreme court of the United States," reported The Fort Wayne Sentinel on May 16, 1911. NOTE: As a result of the verdict, Standard Oil was ordered to dissolve into 34 companies.

[goofywife]

1938: Fire destroys Terminal Hotel
The Terminal Hotel in Atlanta, Georgia, caught fire today, in a disaster that killed more than 25 people. Within 30 minutes, the blaze had engulfed the five-story building, giving many guests little chance to escape.

"The fire was described by Fire Chief O.J. Parker as 'the deadliest in the history of Atlanta.' Collapse of the roof, plunging debris through charred floors to the basement, cut off hope of survival for any who were trapped. Only the walls were left standing," reported the Charleston Daily Mail on May 16, 1938. "Hotel attaches said 'at least fifty' were registered when the flames broke out with an explosion in the basement kitchen shortly after 3 a.m. (EST)."

NOTE: Fourteen men who were originally believed to have perished in the fire managed to escape by sliding down a rope which was hanging from a painter's scaffold.

1991: Queen addresses U.S. Congress
Queen Elizabeth II became the first British monarch to address the United States Congress today. "'I do hope you can see me today from where you are,' said the diminutive queen, making gentle reference to a protocol gaffe at the White House earlier in the visit when her face was hidden by microphones and one of her trademark hats. The House chamber rocked with laughter and applause, and the members of Congress and diplomats rose to a standing ovation," explained the Daily Herald on May 17, 1991.

1975: First woman climbs Mt. Everest
Japanese mountain climber Junko Tabei reached the summit of Mount Everest today, becoming the first woman to climb the world's highest peak. "Mrs. Junko Tabei, packing a limited stock of gear, braved bad weather to reach the top of 29,028-foot Mt. Everest at noon Friday to end a 22-year male domain," informed The Coshocton Tribune on May 18, 1975. "The achievement was made more remarkable by the fact that she and her party was hit by an avalanche May 4 at their second high altitude camp pitched at 21,000 feet." NOTE: Tabei's climb made her the 36th person to reach the summit.

1960: Summit in Paris collapses
At a world summit in Paris today, Russian leader Nikita Khrushchev came to verbal blows with U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower over American U-2 spy plane flights over the Soviet Union. Khrushchev demanded the flights stop and withdrew his invitation for Eisenhower to visit the Soviet Union the following month. "The summit conference collapsed in its first session today, with the Soviet Union and the United States accusing each other of torpedoing the historic session called in an effort to ease world tensions," reported The Daily Times-News on May 16, 1960. "Premier Nikita S. Khrushchev bitterly attacking U.S. policy, called for a six-month delay and said a later U.S. administration may understand the situation if the present administration can't."

1868: President Johnson is acquitted
U.S. President Andrew Johnson was acquitted today during his impeachment trial. Thirty-five senators voted "guilty" and 19 voted "not guilty," just one vote shy of the necessary two-thirds required to remove Johnson from office. "The President might go forth nominally acquitted, but he would go forth nevertheless a blasted public functionary," informed The Davenport Daily Gazette on May 18, 1868. NOTE: Three months earlier, the House had passed a resolution to impeach Johnson for his violation of the Tenure of Office Act. Members of Congress alleged that the president had violated the act by removing Secretary of War Edwin Stanton from office.

[goofywife]

1974: Police raid SLA hideout

Police today raided a Los Angeles home, seeking leaders of the Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA) , a terrorist group known kidnapping newspaper heiress Patty Hearst. Group members had also committed several murders and bank robberies, as well as other acts of violence.

"Five bodies were found inside a south-central Los Angeles house after flak-jacketed police hoping to trap members of the Symbionese Liberation Army waged an hour-long gun battle with those inside," reported The Capital on May 18, 1974. "Hundreds of police and FBI agents had massed in the south-central Los Angeles area in hopes of trapping SLA members believed to have taken refuge in the area. The SLA claims responsibility for the Feb. 4 kidnapping of Miss Hearst."

NOTE: During the exchange of gunfire, the house was virtually destroyed by a blaze. Patty Hearst, who was found in September of 1975 and later convicted of armed robbery, was not inside the home during the raid.

1992: Lawrence Welk dies

"Lawrence Welk, the smiling maestro whose danceable 'champagne music' entertained millions of Americans during his 30 years on television, has died. He was 89," informed The Gettysburg Times on May 19, 1992. "The affable, German-accented bandleader toured the country for 25 years early in his career without making much impression in the music business. But from the time he appeared on Los Angeles television in 1951, his lilting music attracted an adoring audience, mostly those of mature years. He appeared on television regularly until 1982."

1978: Charlie Chaplin's stolen coffin is found

The body of Charlie Chaplin was found today, more than two months after it was taken from its burial spot and held for ransom. "The two men who stole Charlie Chaplin's body said they got the idea from news reports about grave robbers in Italy who collected ransom for the body of a prominent Italian," reported the Bucks County Courier Times on May 18, 1978. "The 300-pound oak coffin containing the body of the famed film comedian was found yesterday buried in a cornfield 10 miles from the village cemetery of Corsier-Sur-Vevey where Chaplin was buried Dec. 27. Police said the body had not been touched."

1973: Watergate probe begins

The United States Senate began televised hearings on the Watergate scandal today. "A tribunal of seven senators opened historic hearings into the Watergate scandal, and an aide in President Nixon's reelection campaign testified there was no doubt that final political authority rested with the White House," reported the Syracuse Herald Journal on May 17, 1973. "The leadoff witness, Robert C. Odle Jr., who served as director of administration at the Committee for the Re-Election of the President, said he did not know of political sabotage or surveillance by that organization." NOTE: The hearings would eventually reveal corruption within the highest levels of the U.S. government and result in Nixon’s resignation.

1954: U.S. outlaws segregation in schools

The United States Supreme Court ruled unanimously today in the landmark case Brown v. Board of Education, outlawing racial segregation in public schools. The decision overturned the 1896 Plessy v. Ferguson ruling that created the "separate but equal" justification, which established the segregation of public facilities. "Speaking for a unanimous court, Chief Justice Earl Warren said education must be available to all on an equal basis," explained The Charleston Daily Mail on May 17, 1954. "The decision, a sweeping victory for Negroes, is probably the most important in U.S. race relations since the famous Dred Scott decision of 1857, which held that a Negro was not a citizen. The Civil War reversed that decision."

[Janet]

ooooohh these were all interesting to read.

[goofywife]

1980: Mount St. Helens erupts

Mount St. Helens, a volcano in southwestern Washington, erupted today, spewing gas and hot ash into the earth's atmosphere. The eruption killed 57 people and destroyed trees and wildlife in the area.

"Mount St. Helens blew off 1,300 feet of its top Sunday in violent eruptions which sent hot mud, ash and gases raging down its slopes," reported The Chronicle Telegram on May 19, 1980. "Heavy ash, boiling up as high as 10 miles from the top of the mountain, drifted eastward today, blotting out the sky and leaving gritty, slippery deposits on roads as far east as Montana and Wyoming, 500 miles away. The ash turned day into night in most of eastern Washington."

NOTE: The volcano began showing signs of activity almost two months before the devastating eruption. Before 1980, Mount St. Helens had remained silent since a small eruption occurred in 1857, 123 years earlier.

1969: Apollo 10 blasts off

Apollo 10, the fourth manned Apollo mission, was launched from the Kennedy Space Center today. "Apollo 10 hurtled away Sunday on its lonely mission to skim over the craters of the moon, the last daring test for a lunar landing this summer. The three astronauts beamed back brilliant and unprecedented color television pictures of the earth, hanging 26,000 miles away like a blue and white ball," explained The Times Recorder one day after the launch. "Apollo 10 provided the final dress rehearsal for the Apollo 11 manned landing on the moon in July." NOTE: The mission was described as a dress rehearsal because the crew tested the lunar module while in orbit.

1933: Roosevelt creates Tennessee Valley Authority

As a part of his New Deal policies, U.S. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed the Tennessee Valley Authority Act into law today. "Under the new law, the president will appoint a board of three as a 'Tennessee valley authority' to manage industrial and agricultural development of the valley," informed the Winnipeg Free Press on May 19, 1933. "Early employment of thousands of men is hoped for by the administration in putting the vast project into operation."

1927: Explosions kill students in Bath

After killing his wife and setting fire to his farm, school board member Andrew Kehoe set off dynamite at a school in Bath, Michigan today. Kehoe was allegedly upset over a property tax increase to fund the school building. "Explosion of dynamite mysteriously planted under the foundations of the Bath Consolidated grade school here today, took an estimated toll of between 30 and 40 young lives and completely demolished the west wing of the two story brick structure," reported The Warren Tribune on May 18, 1927. "Work of the physicians and nurses was hampered by the heartbreaking search of parents for their children. Parents went from group to group and the general rescue activity was frequently interrupted by the sobbing of a mother who had found what she feared."

1910: Earth passes through tail of Halley's Comet

The Earth passed through the tail of Halley's Comet today. "Old earth entered into the midst of the comet's tenuous tail at 2 o'clock this afternoon if the astronomers have not been handing out false promises," explained The Fort Wayne Sentinel on May 18, 1910. "Tonight at 10 o'clock the head and tail of the comet and the earth and the sun will be on a direct line." However, just one day after this report was printed, the same newspaper reported that "Mother Earth fell down on the job and did not go through the comet's tail," since nothing significant seemed to happen.

[goofywife]

I was in Basic training at Ft Jackson SC when this happened. We had a girl in the barracks from that area.

[teri88]

Hey, where is May 19th? I miss my Today In History!

[Dobie]

Hello - what happened to the last 2 days?

[katcarasella]

She got tangled up in one of Katy's Bows.:p

[goofywife]

Sorry Ladies, I have my regular job, one web site and 400 bows on my plate. But I am catching up!

[goofywife]

1994: Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis dies
Former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis died today of cancer at the age of 64. Jackie, as she was popularly called, was renowned for her grace and sophistication. She married John F. Kennedy in 1953 when she was 24. Five years after his assassination, she became the wife of shipping mogul Aristotle Onassis.

"Her exquisite style epitomized a presidency; her stoic dignity carried the nation through the assassination that cut it short," reported the Daily Herald on May 20, 1994. "And in the years that followed Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis' glamour sustained the tattered myth of an American Camelot. There were women who had more money, more fame or more class, but there was nobody like her. In the end Jackie O was more than a thin, beautiful socialite with a soft little voice. She was more than the wife and widow of a president, John Fitzgerald Kennedy, and a Greek tycoon, Aristotle Onassis. She married fame and wealth, but earned respect and admiration."

NOTE: From 1978 until her death, Jackie worked as an editor for Doubleday. She and Kennedy had two children, John Jr. and Caroline. John Jr. died on July 16, 1999, when his plane went down into the ocean off the coast of Martha's Vineyard.

1982: Sophia Loren imprisoned for tax evasion
Actress Sophia Loren began serving a 30-day prison sentence in Italy today, after a court found her guilty of failing to report five million lire on her income tax return for 1970. "I'm very worried about the time I will have to spend in jail," she told reporters at the Rome airport in 1982. While Loren filed a petition for pardon with President Sandro Pertini, saying her accountants made an error, the actress and her husband, producer Carlo Ponti, had been under investigation for tax and currency violations for quite some time. NOTE: In 1977, finance police nabbed Loren before she caught a flight to Paris and detained her for nine hours at Rome's Leonardo da Vinci Airport. Prior to that, 10 Italian police agents searched the couple's villa in Rome for seven hours without giving a reason for the search.

1971: Soviet Union launches Mars 2
The Soviet Union launched its second Mars probe today. The first mission was launched in 1962, but failed to reach the Red Planet. "A five-ton Soviet rocket hurled through space today on a six-month unmanned voyage to Mars. It was the Soviets' second expedition to explore the Red Planet. At Cape Kennedy, America's Martian probe, Mariner, sat on the launch pad, its firing postponed indefinitely for the second time since May 8 for additional tests on a control unit," Bucks County Courier Times reported on May 20, 1971.

1962: Kennedy ‘Birthday Salute’More than 15,000 people gathered in New York’s Madison Square Garden for the 42nd birthday of President John F. Kennedy. Marilyn Monroe, in a sheer dress with 2,500 rhinestones sewn in, sang a now-famous sultry version of “Happy Birthday to You.” “As Miss Monroe, in a slinky white dress, sang her version of ‘Happy Birthday,’ two chefs carried around the arena a five-foot birthday cake, sparkling with 45 blue candles. The President actually won’t be 45 until May 29,” explained the Independent Record on May 20, 1962.

1897: Oscar Wilde set free
Playwright Oscar Wilde was set free today after serving two years in Reading Gaol Prison on charges of indecency. The North Adams Transcript noted, "Oscar Wilde, sentenced May 25, 1895, was released from prison today. He goes to Paris but will return and engage in literary work over his own signature. One of his first acts on regaining freedom was to refuse £1,000 for the story of his prison experiences." NOTE: Wilde wrote a letter entitled De Profundis to former lover Lord Alfred Douglas while in prison, and later wrote The Ballad of Reading Gaol about his experience there.

[goofywife]

1927: Lindbergh begins trans-Atlantic flight
Aviator Charles Lindbergh attempted a non-stop solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean today in a gray monoplane. Lindbergh began his flight at Roosevelt Field in Long Island shortly before 8 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time.

"Government vessels and steamships are watching for the intrepid American, but are not expected to sight him until he swings his airplane off the coast of Newfoundland," reported the Oakland Tribune on May 20, 1927.

NOTE: After flying 33 ½ hours, Lindbergh arrived at Le Bourget Field in France to become the first man ever to fly solo from New York to Paris.

1989: Comedian Gilda Radner dies of cancer
Gilda Radner, an original star of Saturday Night Live, died of cancer today at the age of 42. "As the obnoxious, nasal-voiced TV news commentator Roseanna Roseannadana, her catch-phrase was 'It's always something,' which became the title of her book on cancer," explained the Chronicle Telegram on May 21, 1989.

1932: Earhart takes off for Europe
Amelia Earhart Putnam began her historic solo flight across the Atlantic today on the anniversary of Charles Lindbergh's famous flight. "Lindbergh's was the first solo flight across the Atlantic. The woman flier was the first trans-Atlantic woman passenger. She hopes to be the first woman to make the solo flight," reported The Vidette-Messenger on May 20, 1932. NOTE: While Earhart did not land in Paris as planned, she successfully made it across the Atlantic alone.

1902: U.S. ends occupation of Cuba
"Secretary of State Hay took final steps today of acquainting the nations that the United States government has redeemed its pledge to make free the people of Cuba," informed in the Davenport Daily Republican on May 21, 1902. "This was done by cabling every capital where there is a resident, either ambassador or minister for the United States, of an identical note informing our representatives that the military occupation ceased and that an independent government, republican in form, had been inaugurated there, under the presidency of Tomas Estrada Palma."

[goofywife]

1932: Amelia Earhart lands in Ireland
Amelia Earhart Putnam became the first woman to make a successful trans-Atlantic solo flight after she landed her black and red monoplane in Northern Ireland today. While she originally planned to arrive in Paris, she was forced to cut her flight short due to mechanical

"Mrs. Putnam said she decided to land in Ireland because of a slight leakage of gasoline, she feared she might not be able to reach Paris without a mishap and elected to make a safe landing," reported the New Castle News on May 21, 1932.

NOTE: According to newspaper reports from 1932, Earhart immediately telephoned London after landing in Ireland in order to get a message to her husband, George Palmer Putnam, about her success. Earhart's achievement came on the fifth anniversary of the trans-Atlantic flight of Col. Charles A. Lindbergh.

1972: Michelangelo's Pieta is damaged
Michelangelo's famous sculpture Pieta in St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City was damaged today after mentally disturbed Laszlo Toth attacked it with a hammer. "The statue, completed by Michelangelo in 1500, was shipped to New York World's Fair in April 1964, reportedly insured for $10 million against damage in transit. After its return to the Vatican Pope Paul VI declared that it never again would leave its place in St. Peter's," informed the Independent read on May 22, 1972. NOTE: Toth was not charged with the crime, but instead committed to a psychiatric institution for two years.

1945: Humphrey Bogart marries Lauren Bacall
Hollywood's Lauren Bacall and Humphrey Bogart married today during a simple ceremony on a farm in Ohio. "Miss Bacall recited the vows, her voice a little more husky than usual. Bogart, on his fourth trip to the altar, spoke softly but with precision," explained The Fresno Bee Republican on May 21, 1945. NOTE: The couple remained married until Bogart’s death in 1957.

1927: Lindbergh arrives in Paris
Aviator Charles Lindbergh arrived at Le Bourget Field in France today after flying 33 1/2 hours solo from New York. "He was the first man ever to fly from New York to Paris and as the wheels of Lindbergh's monoplane touched the ground the dream of airmen that the North American and European continents should be linked in non-stop airplane flight was realized," reported the Stevens Point Daily Journal on May 21, 1927.

1917: Fire devastates Atlanta
A horrific fire destroyed much of Atlanta today as flames engulfed almost 2,000 homes in 75 blocks. "It was the greatest fire in Atlanta's history since civil war days when General Sherman, terming this city the backbone of the confederacy, decreed it must be burned," explained The La Crosse Tribune and Leader-Press on May 22, 1917. NOTE: The fire, which started with in a stack of burning mattresses, only resulted in one death: a woman who suffered a heart attack after watching her home burn to the ground.

[teri88]

thanks Michelle!

[katcarasella]

Today in History - May 30

Today is Friday, May 30, the 151st day of 2008. There are 215 days left in the year.
Today's Highlight in History:
On May 30, 1958, unidentified American service members killed in World War II and the Korean War were interred in the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery.
On this date:
In 1431, Joan of Arc, condemned as a heretic, was burned at the stake in Rouen, France.
In 1854, the territories of Nebraska and Kansas were established.
In 1883, 12 people were trampled to death when a rumor that the recently opened Brooklyn Bridge was in imminent danger of collapsing triggered a stampede.
In 1908, "the man of a thousand voices," Mel Blanc, was born in San Francisco.
In 1911, Indianapolis saw its first long-distance auto race; Ray Harroun was the winner.
In 1922, the Lincoln Memorial was dedicated in Washington by President Harding, Chief Justice William Howard Taft and Robert Todd Lincoln.
In 1937, 10 people were killed when police fired on steelworkers demonstrating near the Republic Steel plant in South Chicago.
In 1943, American forces secured the Aleutian island of Attu from the Japanese during World War II.
In 1971, the American space probe Mariner 9 blasted off from Cape Kennedy, Fla., on a journey to Mars.
In 1986, 21 elderly passengers were killed when a tour bus went out of control on a mountain road and plunged into the Walker River near the California-Nevada border.
Ten years ago: Northern Afghanistan was rocked by a powerful earthquake believed to have killed up to 5,000 people. A tornado tore through Spencer, S.D., killing six people. Pakistan set off another nuclear blast.
Five years ago: President Bush left for a weeklong tour of Europe and the Middle East. The U.N. Security Council unanimously authorized the deployment of a French-led international force in northeastern Congo, the scene of ethnic fighting.
One year ago: The Taliban claimed responsibility for shooting down a Chinook helicopter over southern Afghanistan, killing five U.S. soldiers, a Canadian and a Briton. A Saudi being held at the Guantanamo Bay prison since 2002 was found dead, an apparent suicide.
Today's Birthdays: Country musician Johnny Gimble is 82. Actor Clint Walker is 81. Actor Keir Dullea is 72. Actress Ruta Lee is 72. Actor Michael J. Pollard is 69. Rock musician Lenny Davidson (The Dave Clark Five) is 64. Actor Stephen Tobolowsky is 57. Actor Colm Meaney is 55. Actor Ted McGinley is 50. Actor Ralph Carter is 47. Actress Tonya Pinkins is 46. Country singer Wynonna Judd is 44. Rock musician Tom Morello (Audioslave; Rage Against The Machine) is 44. Movie director Antoine Fuqua is 43. Rock musician Patrick Dahlheimer (Live) is 37. Actress Idina Menzel is 37. Actor Trey Parker is 36. Rapper Cee-Lo is 34. Rapper Remy Ma is 28. Actor Blake Bashoff is 27.
Thought for Today: "There are two statements about human beings that are true: that all human beings are alike, and that all are different. On those two facts all human wisdom is founded." — Mark Van Doren, American poet (1894-1972).

TODAY: 1st Annual 4 WT Meet-up

[goofywife]

1966: Surveyor lands on moon

Surveyor 1 landed on the moon's surface today, marking the United States' first successful soft landing on the moon.. The spacecraft was launched from Cape Canaveral on May 30 and landed on the moon 63 hours and a quarter million miles later.

"Surveyor 1, defying longshot odds against a first-try success, televised earthward today striking photos of the lunar landscape after a seemingly perfect gentle landing on the moon,” reported the Modesto Bee and News-Herald on June 2, 1966. “The pictures indicated to scientific viewers at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory that the Sea of Storms target area has a relatively smooth, hard surface apparently suitable as a possible descent point for future astronauts."

NOTE: The spacecraft carried two television cameras and transmitted more than 11,000 images to the Earth. It continued to send data from the moon until July 14, 1966. For more information about space

1953: Elizabeth II is crowned queen

On a damp and cool day in London, Elizabeth II was crowned Great Britain's queen during a coronation ceremony full of pomp and pageantry at Westminster Abbey. As the Archbishop of Canterbury placed the five-pound jewel-encrusted crown of St. Edward upon her head, symbolizing her formal accession, four-year-old Charles watched his mother with awe as he sucked his thumb. "The coronation of Elizabeth II was the mightiest pageant of our generation, and it was many other things: It was the Middle Ages marching confidently through the 20th Century, an old way of life holding its own in a new way of life, the weaving of ancient threads into a fresh pattern," explained The Ada Evening News on June 2, 1953.

1935: Babe Ruth retires

Babe Ruth announced his retirement from baseball today. He quit the Braves after having an argument with the president of the team, Judge Emil Fuchs. "A seething mountain of a man was George Herman Ruth today, but all the arguments in the world, all the hot words, bitter recriminations that have passed between him and the Boston Braves couldn't hide this epochal line for baseball's history: Babe Ruth is all done," reported The Oshkosh Northwestern on June 4, 1935.

1886: President Cleveland marries in White House

U.S. President Grover Cleveland became the only president to wed in the White House today. He married 21-year-old Frances Folsom, the daughter of his former law partner. On June 4, 1886, The Semi Weekly Age explained, "It was a great event because of the exalted position of the groom - the Chief Magistrate of a nation of 60,000,000 people, and because it was the first wedding of the kind that has ever occurred under the roof of the Executive Mansion."

[goofywife]

1969: Last Star Trek episode airs

The last original Star Trek segment aired today. "In it a scorned woman (and you know all about them), trades bodies with Captain Kirk and convinces the crew that he (or should it be she?) is insane. If it sounds complicated, it is. But count on William Shatner to give a good performance," reported The Valley Independent on June 3, 1969.

While Star Trek fans were able to save Gene Roddenberry's 1968-1969 season of the show after thousands of letters protested the cancellation, network authorities said letters would not bring the show back for the 1969-1970 season. The show became one of the most successful rerun syndications in television history.

"Since that dark day in 1969 when NBC brought the programming hammer down on 'Star Trek,' there probably hasn't been a 24-hour period when the original program, one of the original episodes, wasn't being broadcast somewhere," explained the Chronicle Telegram on December 20, 1987.

1968: Andy Warhol is shot

Artist and filmmaker Andy Warhol was shot in his New York studio today by actress Valerie Solanas, who starred in Warhol's film I, A Man. "Doctors said today Warhol had a '50-50' chance of surviving," informed the Bucks County Courier Times on June 4, 1968. "Miss Solanas, who last year placed an ad in a Greenwich Village weekly, The Village Voice, announcing formation of 'The Society for Cutting up Men' (SCUM), said she shot Warhol because he 'had too much control of my life.'" NOTE: Although Warhol recovered, his injuries and the trauma of the event continue to affect him for the rest of his life. Solanas pleaded guilty to attempted murder, was sentenced to three years in prison, on her release was again prosecuted for harassing Warhol, and spent the rest of her life in and out of mental hospitals.

1965: White walks in space

Connected to Gemini 4 by a tether, astronaut Edward H. White II became the first American to walk in space today. "Part of today's plan called for White and his command pilot, James A. McDivitt to pretend they are returning from a moon trip and try to orient themselves visually by spotting landmarks such as the Florida Peninsula," reported The Post Crescent on June 4, 1965. "White stayed alone in space for 20 minutes, double the time spent by a Soviet cosmonaut last March, and had to be coaxed back into the capsule by McDivitt, who followed peremptory commands barked into space from mission control in Houston."

1963: Pope John XXIII dies of stomach cancer

Less than five years into his papacy, Pope John XXIII, born Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, died of stomach cancer today at age 81. "The tributes to Pope John XXIII came today from the high and the humble, the religious and the not so religious - and they all sounded the same basic theme. He was a good man," explained The Daily Messenger on June 4, 1963. NOTE: In the fall of 1962, Pope John XXIII convened the first general council of the Church - known as Vatican II - in almost a century. He was succeeded by Pope Paul VI.

[goofywife]

1998: Nichols sentenced for bombing
Terry Nichols, accomplice to Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh, was sentenced to life in prison today after he was convicted of manslaughter for the 1995 terrorist attack., which killed 168 people on April 19, 1995.

"The jury deadlocked over whether to give him the death penalty on the conspiracy conviction, so sentencing fell to [Judge] Matsch, who under law could impose no more than the sentence he did," reported the Syracuse Herald Journal on June 5, 1998. "The judge didn't just impose a sentence. As Nichols sat without visible emotion, Matsch called him an 'enemy of the Constitution' and ridiculed the bombing plot as a vain attempt to throw the nation into chaos."

NOTE: Six years after his federal sentencing, Nichols was also found guilty of 161 counts of first-degree murder by the state of Oklahoma. He received 161 consecutive life terms without parole for these crimes.

2003: Martha Stewart is indicted
Claiming her innocence and promising to fight to "clear my name," 61-year-old Martha Stewart and her stockbroker Peter Bacanovic were indicted on nine criminal counts today, including obstruction of justice, securities fraud, and conspiracy in relation to the ImClone stock scandal. Just hours later, Stewart announced her resignation. "The queen of home décor resigned late Wednesday as chairwoman and CEO of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, the company she used to stamp her style on everything from magazines and TV screens to bed linens and bath towels," informed The Valley Independent on June 5, 2003. NOTE: Stewart spent five months in prison after being convicted on March 5, 2004.

1989: Tiananmen Square Massacre
The student protests in Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China, were brought to a violent halt this morning by the Chinese military. Martial law was originally declared on May 20, but the sheer number of protesters halted the army’s entry into Beijing. Soldiers and tanks were finally ordered to take the city, moving in late at night on June 3 and early on June 4. Soldiers arriving on armored personnel carriers began the attack, firing into crowds and clearing the square with fixed bayonets. Tiananmen Square was emptied by 6:00 a.m., after the death of hundreds of protesters. NOTE: The true number of dead is not known; the Chinese government reported between 200 and 300, while the Chinese Red Cross reported the loss of 2,000 to 3,000.

1984: Springsteen releases best-selling album
Bruce Springsteen released Born in the U.S.A. today, his seventh studio album. Just one month after its release, the album reached number one on Billboard's 200 Chart. Although it would become Springsteen's best-selling album, newspaper reviews were mixed. "Springsteen's great talents as a storyteller and wordsmith are not evident in his new songs; what he says he has said before – and better – on previous albums," explained one review in The Post-Standard on June 22, 1984. NOTE: The album went on to sell more than 15 million copies in the United States alone.

1944: Rome falls to Allies
The Allied forces captured their first Axis capital, Rome, today. “American troops entered the city limits of Rome yesterday while the whole civilized world waited to see whether the Germans would seriously defend it and so make a battleground of the venerated capital,” reported the London Stars and Stripes on June 5, 1944. NOTE: The Germans declared Rome an “open city,” meaning that it would not be defended. Allied forces marched through the city and pursued the Axis forces north.

1919: U.S. Congress approves 19th Amendment
The 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution was approved by Congress today. "With the passage by the Senate of the resolution proposing the Susan B. Anthony suffrage amendment to the Constitution, the 40 years' fight for universal suffrage is brought to an end, so far as Congress is concerned," reported The Washington Post on June 6, 1919. "The final decision now rests with the States, and it is confidently predicted that the legislatures of the necessary three-fourths of the States will ratify the amendment within a comparatively short time." NOTE: The amendment was ratified just over one year later, on August 18, 1920.

[goofywife]

1968: Robert Kennedy is shot

Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, U.S. presidential candidate, was shot in the head and neck at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, California, today. Kennedy was leaving a campaign rally when assassin Sirhan Sirhan fired the shots.

"The 42-year-old brother of the late President Kennedy was shot from about three feet away by a swarthy man in his 20's who was subdued by three Kennedy aides but not until he had emptied all eight bullets from a .22 caliber revolver toward the senator," reported the Bucks County Courier Times on June 5, 1968. "Kennedy's wife Ethel, who is expecting their 11th child, was not hurt."

NOTE: Kennedy died the day after the shooting occurred, and Sirhan was convicted in 1969 and sentenced to life in prison. After Kennedy's death, the U.S. Secret Service extended its protection to include presidential candidates.

2004: Ronald Reagan dies

"Ronald Reagan, the cheerful crusader who devoted his presidency to winning the Cold War, trying to scale back government and making people believe it was 'morning again in America,' died Saturday after a long twilight struggle with Alzheimer's disease," informed The Intelligencer on June 6, 2004. NOTE: Since Reagan’s death, his widow Nancy Reagan has been a staunch advocate of stem-cell research, stating that she believes that it could lead to a cure for Alzheimer’s disease.

1981: Report introduces first recognized AIDS case

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a report today announcing that rare cases of pneumonia were found among five homosexual men in Los Angeles, California. "The AIDS epidemic - a wave of death spread by sex, blood, birth and dirty drug needles - officially began," explained North Hills News Record on June 5, 1996, referring to the report that was issued 15 years earlier. "And social observers were making bold predictions. The sexual revolution was over, early marriage and premarital virginity would come back into vogue and the drug war would be transformed."

1967: Six-Day War begins in Mideast

"For the third time in 20 years, war broke out today in the Middle East and gunfire sounded in Israel and in three of its Arab neighbors - Egypt, Jordan and Syria. The Arabs, sworn to destroy Israel, were battling the Jewish state's forces on two fronts, at Egypt's Sinai frontier and on the Syria and Jordan borders. Each side accused the other of lighting the fuse for the explosion which, as in 1956, threatened to involve the major powers," reported the Oshkosh Daily Northwestern on June 5, 1967. NOTE: By the end of the war, Israel had gained control of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, two areas under disputed ownership to this day.

1947: Marshall Plan speech is given

U.S. Secretary of State George Marshall gave a speech at Harvard University today asking for economic aid to be sent to war-torn Europe. On June 5, 1947, the Middletown Times Herald reported, "Secretary of State George C. Marshall, in a thinly-veiled attack on communist tactics, warned today that the United States would oppose firmly any governments or groups that sought to 'perpetuate human misery' for political purposes. At the same time, Marshall declared that this country must extend Europe additional financial help for the next three or four years to prevent crises of 'grave character.'"

[Janet]

You know Michelle, I love these posts so much. Some things of course, I remember, but they just don't seem like they happened soooo long ago. Other things seemed like just a few weeks.

[goofywife]

I totally agree. As I posted the one on the Bombing, it seems like it was just last year. I am getting old!

You know Michelle, I love these posts so much. Some things of course, I remember, but they just don't seem like they happened soooo long ago. Other things seemed like just a few weeks.

[goofywife]

1944: D-Day
Allied forces launched one of the largest amphibious assaults in history on the northern coast of France today, beginning the final chapter in the World War II defeat of Nazi Germany. The military operation (named Overlord) was postponed on June 5 due to poor weather.

"The British, Canadian and American assault forces which stormed the beaches of Normandy were being reinforced constantly by hundreds of gliders and by surface craft sailing in to the coast from which the Germans had been driven," reported the Winnipeg Free Press on June 7, 1944.

NOTE: The 130,000 troop Normandy landing was the largest single-day invasion in history. By August 25, Allied forces liberated Paris.

1985: Nazi "Angel of Death" found in Brazil
Police in Brazil reported today that they unearthed a body in Embu, 17 miles from Sao Paulo, which they believe is Josef Mengele, the Nazi "Angel of Death" during World War II. "Robert Mengele, 41, broke years of silence last week to announce that his father, implicated in the death of more than 400,000 concentration camp inmates, had died in 1979. He said he was certain that remains exhumed June 6 near Sao Paulo, Brazil, are his father's," explained The Daily Intelligencer on June 19, 1985. NOTE: In 1992, DNA tests confirmed the conclusions of the police report.

1971: The Ed Sullivan Show ends
The Ed Sullivan Show ended today with a re-run, but not without a few personal comments from Ed Sullivan before the show's close. "Not for its artistic quality, but for its historical interest, The Ed Sullivan Show is worth seeing. It's the last. Ed exits, smiling, with a repeat of a typical Ed Sullivan mish-mash of acts, perhaps a bit better than usual but still the same old vaudeville turns," informed The Odessa American on June 6, 1971.


1968: Robert Kennedy dies
Senator Robert F. Kennedy died at 1:44 a.m. PDT today, a little more than 24 hours after he was shot at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles. "Robert Kennedy, 42, never regained consciousness, never showed signs of recovery after a savage burst of revolver fire sent a bullet plunging into his brain – at the pinnacle of his own campaign for the White House," reported the Panama City Herald on June 6, 1968. NOTE: President Johnson called for a national day of mourning, while Gov. Ronald Reagan proclaimed a state of mourning in California.

1966: Meredith is shot during civil rights march
James Meredith, the first African-American to attend the University of Mississippi, was shot during a civil rights march from Memphis to Jackson today. "An unemployed white hardware clerk from Memphis, Aubrey James Norvell, 40, was trapped in the woods with a shotgun in his hand and admitted to the shooting. He was jailed overnight and was scheduled for a hearing today on charges of assault and battery with intent to murder," The Valley Independent reported on June 7, 1966. NOTE: The photograph of Meredith after being shot won the Pulitzer Prize for Photography in 1967. Meredith fully recovered.

[DianaB]

Today is Dae Lynn's birthday (26) and the anniversary of my Dad's death (2 years ago).

[Janet]

Well tell Dae Lynn ..Happy Birthday. Hopefully I'll be able to meet her and her mother someday. It's hard to believe but my dad has been gone 34 years come this August. I still miss him so much. He would be so amazed with the technology today. He didn't even like 'dialing' the phone..he would always ask me to do it for him.

[goofywife]

1982: Graceland opens to the public
Priscilla Presley allowed public tours into Graceland for the first time today, almost five years after Elvis' death. "Graceland officials readied the 14-acre estate for 21,000 visitors to take the two-hour tour this week, with peeks at the living, dining, jungle and television rooms, and on to the trophy room, where Presley's awards are housed," explained the Syracuse Herald Journal on June 7, 1982. "The tour ends in the meditation garden where the singer, his parents and grandmother are buried."


1966: Reagan receives nomination for California governor
"Actor Ronald Reagan won the Republican gubernatorial nomination in a landslide in his first try for political office and prepared today to battle California's two-term Democratic Gov. Edmund G. Brown in November," informed the Bucks County Courier on June 8, 1966. "Reagan, one of Hollywood's leading men in the 1940's and more recently a television personality, crushed former San Francisco Mayor George Christopher under a wave of votes from populous Southern California in Tuesday's primary." NOTE: Reagan went on to win the election, serving as the governor of California until 1975.

1965: Supreme Court recognizes contraceptive rights
In the case of Griswold v. Connecticut, the Supreme Court today struck down the Connecticut anti-birth control law, which disallowed all contraceptive use. "The vote was 7 to 2, with Justice William O. Douglas speaking for the majority. Douglas based his reasoning on the principle that 'a governmental purpose to control or prevent activities constitutionally subject to state regulation may not be achieved by means which sweep unnecessarily broadly and thereby invade the area of protected freedom,'" reported the Oshkosh Daily Northwestern on June 7, 1965.

1942: Battle of Midway ends
American planes defeated a Japanese fleet that was headed to invade the Midway Islands today. "The victory off Midway, ranking with the greatest in United States naval history, undoubtedly brought greatly nearer the zero hour for an all-out attack against Japan by the Allied Nations. This was made certain by crippling blows to the enemy fleet and its air arm. As in the battle of the Coral Sea, which opened the second phase of the war in the Pacific, air power played the principal part in repelling the attempted invasion of Midway," explained The Gleaner on June 9, 1942.

[goofywife]

1953: Court says D.C. restaurants must serve African-Americans
The Supreme Court ruled today that restaurants and bars in Washington D.C. are required to serve African-American customers. "The court ruled 8-0 that an 80-year-old District of Columbia law forbidding racial discrimination by cafes, bars and ice cream parlors is valid and still in effect," informed The Frederick Post on June 9, 1953. NOTE: The decision came after a restaurant operated by the Thompson chain refused to serve African-Americans.

1949: FBI report calls Hollywood celebrities communists
"Hollywood movie stars Fredric March, Edward G. Robinson and other major figures in the West Coast film colony were named in a secret FBI report today as alleged members of the Communist Party," explained The News in 1949. The FBI report became public at the espionage trial of Judith Coplon, who was a former Justice Department analyst. NOTE: March responded by saying that the communist charges in the report are "absurd."

1892: Outlaw Robert Ford killed
Deputy Sheriff Edward O'Kelly shot and killed Bob Ford, the outlaw who assassinated Jesse James, today. On June 9, 1892, the Decatur Daily Republican reported, "An unknown man was seen to hand Kelly a double-barreled shot gun when he stepped into the hall and called 'Bob!' Ford turned around when but five feet away and placed his hand on his hip pocket. Kelly raised his gun and fired a load of buckshot into Ford's neck, severing the windpipe and jugular vein and killing him instantly."

1789: Madison proposes Bill of Rights
James Madison proposed 12 amendments to the U.S. Constitution today, the final ten achieving approval to become what is now called the Bill of Rights. On September 21, 1934, 145 years later, The Soda Springs Sun noted in retrospect, "Certain members opposed all amendments until the Constitution had been longer established and the federal government more fully organized; others felt that even stronger safeguards were essential. But these objections were overcome, and Madison's proposals referred to a committee composed of one member from each state."

[goofywife]

1986: Report on Challenger disaster is released
The Challenger commission told President Reagan today in a 250 page report that seven astronauts died from "an accident that didn't have to happen." "The report will say the explosion of the Challenger, 73 seconds after liftoff on Jan. 28, was triggered by a flame that found a path between segments of the right booster rocket and that such a catastrophic failure was foreshadowed by a long history of known but unsolved problems," reported The Daily Intelligencer on June 9, 1986. NOTE: When preparing the report, the commission conducted 160 interviews and studied 122,000 pages of related documents.

1909: Woman begins auto trip across U.S.
Alice Ramsey, the president of the Women's Motoring Club of New York, set off on an automobile trip from New York to San Francisco today along with three other women. "From the start to the end, Mrs. Ramsey will do the driving and, furthermore, will have to make alone all tire repairs, tire changes and such for, while she will not be alone in the car she will be unaccompanied by man. It is this that makes the trip all the more interesting for it will be the first time that a woman has ever attempted the long journey between the two cities under these conditions. Unassisted she will have to pick the route, guide the car across the Rocky mountains, and in fact, will travel over roads and routes that would tax an expert male driver," The Atlanta Constitution reported on June 6, 1909. NOTE: She made it just fine.

1899: Jeffries wins heavyweight title
James Jeffries, born in Carroll, Ohio, was named heavyweight champion "in a contest for supremacy in pugilism of the world" when he won the Jeffries-Fitzsimmons fight at Coney Island today. "The idea of Fitzsimmons, the conqueror, being put to sleep by a man who had hitherto been regarded as a second-rater, was too much for the sports. Fitzsimmons soon got up on his feet and doggedly walked out of the ring," informed The Fort Wayne News on June 10, 1899.

1870: Charles Dickens dies
British author Charles Dickens was mourned today as "death struck him with sudden power, and in the midst of another work of genius, took him away," according to The Daily Gazette on June 11, 1870. On June 25 of the same year, the St. Joseph Herald reprinted comments made in the The London Times about Charles Dickens: "The ordinary expressions of regret are not cold and conventional. Millions of people feel it as a personal bereavement. Statesmen, savants and benefactors of the race, when they die, can leave no such void. They cannot, like this great novelist, have been an inmate of every house."

[goofywife]

1977: James Earl Ray escapes
James Earl Ray, the convicted assassin of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., escaped from a maximum security prison in Tennessee today along with five other prisoners. It was the third time he tried to flee from his 99-year sentence.

"The prisoners went over the wall about 8 p.m. EDT using a makeshift ladder made of a metal conduit. Prison officials said the escape was covered by a mock fight between two prisoners in the yard of Brushy Mountain State Prison, the state's maximum security facility," reported the Oakland Tribune on June 11, 1977.

NOTE: Three days later, two bloodhounds found Ray hiding beneath a pile of leaves within 10 miles of the state prison. According to newspaper reports from 1977, he surrendered without a struggle once he was spotted.

2004: Ray Charles dies
Legendary musician Ray Charles died of acute liver disease today in Beverly Hills, California, at the age of 73. "Blind by age 7, and an orphan at 15, the gifted pianist and saxophonist spent his life shattering any notion of musical categories and defying easy definition," explained the Gettysburg Times on June 11, 2004.

1985: Socialite Claus von Bulow is acquitted
A jury in Providence, Rhode Island, found Danish-born socialite Claus von Bulow innocent of trying to kill his heiress wife, Martha 'Sunny' von Bulow, with insulin injections today. Von Bulow was on trial for a second time as his wife laid in an irreversible coma in a New York hospital. "After their 1966 marriage in an intimate chapel ceremony, Claus and Martha von Bulow seemed to have everything money could buy – palatial homes, limousines, servants and a reigning spot in the whirl of high society," informed The Post Standard on June 11, 1985. "But they became one of the world's best known couples because of their private unhappiness."

1945: Eisenhower receives Order of Victory
General Dwight D. Eisenhower and British Field Marshal Sir Bernard L. Montgomery were presented with the Soviet Order of Victory today. "It was the first time that Soviet Russia's highest award had been presented to any but Russians. Eisenhower was the eighth person to receive the award, and the British field marshal, the ninth," reported The Lowell Sun on June 11, 1945.

[katcarasella]

Saturday, June 10, 1972 My Daughter Kristine Leigh was born at 7:38 A.M. :cheer:

[teri88]

hmmmm apparently,nothing happened in history on June 11th, 12th, 13th! :D

[Janet]

No, all the typewriters in the world were broken those days and the repair place was closed.

[katcarasella]

Today is Saturday, June 14, the 166th day of 2008. There are 200 days left in the year. This is Flag Day.
Today's Highlight in History:
On June 14, 1777, the Continental Congress in Philadelphia adopted the Stars and Stripes as the national flag.
On this date:
In 1775, the Continental Army, forerunner of the United States Army, was created.
In 1801, former American Revolutionary War General and notorious turncoat Benedict Arnold died in London.
In 1846, a group of U.S. settlers in Sonoma proclaimed the Republic of California.
In 1928, the Republican National Convention nominated Herbert Hoover for president on the first ballot.
In 1940, in German-occupied Poland, the Nazis opened their concentration camp at Auschwitz; the same day, German troops entered Paris.
In 1943, the Supreme Court, in West Virginia Board of Education v. Barnette, ruled that schoolchildren could not be compelled to salute the flag of the United States.
In 1954, the words "under God" were added to the Pledge of Allegiance.
In 1967, the space probe Mariner 5 was launched from Cape Kennedy, Fla., on a flight that took it past Venus.
In 1982, Argentine forces surrendered to British troops on the disputed Falkland Islands.
In 1985, the 17-day hijack ordeal of TWA Flight 847 began as a pair of Lebanese Shiite Muslim extremists seized the jetliner shortly after takeoff from Athens, Greece.
Ten years ago: The Chicago Bulls clinched their sixth NBA championship, defeating the Utah Jazz in Game 6 played in Salt Lake City, 87-86.

[DianaB]

Today is Tuesday, June 17, the 169th day of 2008. There are 197 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On June 17, 1775, the Revolutionary War Battle of Bunker Hill took place near Boston. The battle, which actually occurred on Breed's Hill, was a costly victory for the British, who suffered heavy losses while dislodging the rebels.

On this date:

In 1856, the Republican Party, meeting in Philadelphia, nominated John Charles Fremont to be its presidential candidate. Fremont ended up losing to James Buchanan.

In 1885, the Statue of Liberty arrived in New York Harbor aboard the French ship Isere.

In 1928, Amelia Earhart embarked on a trans-Atlantic flight from Newfoundland to Wales with pilots Wilmer Stultz and Louis Gordon, becoming the first woman to make the trip as a passenger.

In 1944, the Republic of Iceland was established.

In 1948, a United Air Lines DC-6 crashed near Mount Carmel, Pa., killing all 43 people on board.

In 1957, mob underboss Frank Scalice was shot to death at a produce market in New York.

In 1961, Soviet ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev defected to the West while his troupe was in Paris.

In 1963, the Supreme Court, in Abington School District v. Schempp, struck down rules requiring the recitation of the Lord's Prayer or reading of Biblical verses in public schools.

In 1971, the United States and Japan signed a treaty under which Okinawa would revert to Japanese control following America's postwar occupation.

In 1972, President Nixon's eventual downfall began with the arrest of five burglars inside Democratic national headquarters in Washington's Watergate complex.

[katcarasella]

In 1885, the Statue of Liberty arrived in New York Harbor aboard the French ship Isere.

I remember this day like it was yesterday..:dreaming:

[Janet]

:sidesplit::sidesplit:And for some darn reason....I believe you.....

[teri88]

June 18, 1988 I got married!:D

[DianaB]

Congratulations, Teri and your husband!!!!!! How many years has it been? Did you do something special?

[Janet]

Well, I didn't see this!! Happy Anniversary (late) !!!! Congratulations.

[teri88]

Thanks guys. Apparently Diana doesn't do math:D It was 20 years. We didn't do anything because he works 3 jobs so he doesn't get home until 10 pm. (He leaves the house at 5 am) So, I guess the special thing I did was wait up for him that night! (I can't keep my eyes open past 9:30) He brought me the most gorgeous roses! He got them at Shoprite, I'm shocked how beautiful they are, they don't even look real!

[Gina]

Happy Belated Anniversary Teri! I buy flowers at the ShopRite Floral dept. they are beautiful.. Enjoy the roses and many more anniversaries.. :)

[Forgivenmom5]

That was a very sweet thing for your husband to do. He must have been very tired and still made the effort to do something nice for you. Congratulations on your anniversary and best wishes for many more.

[teri88]

My hubby is incredible. He works 65 hours a week and then today he spent the day in the kitchen making dinners for the week. He just told me the stuff he made and put in containers in the fridge. As wonderful as it is, it kind of bums me out, too. I became disabled 2 years ago and I have very little use of my hands. You should see how long it takes me to type! Anyway, cooking is difficult because I drop everything. But instead of complaining that there is nothing to eat he does something like this. Is there another man on the planet like him? I doubt it.

sorry that I somehow seem to have highjacked the history thread:rolleyes:

[katcarasella]

Today is Monday, June 23, the 174th day of 2008. There are 191 days left in the year.
Today's Highlight in History:
On June 23, 1868, Christopher Latham Sholes received a patent for his "Type-Writer."
On this date:
In 1757, forces of the East India Co. led by Robert Clive defeated troops loyal to the provincial governor of Bengal in the Battle of Plassey, which effectively marked the beginning of British colonial rule in India.
In 1836, Congress approved the Deposit Act, which contained a provision for turning over surplus federal revenue to the states.
In 1931, aviators Wiley Post and Harold Gatty took off from New York on a round-the-world flight that lasted eight days and 15 hours.
In 1938, the Civil Aeronautics Authority was established.
In 1947, the Senate joined the House in overriding President Truman's veto of the Taft-Hartley Act, designed to limit the power of organized labor.
In 1956, Gamal Abdel Nasser was elected president of Egypt.
In 1967, President Johnson and Soviet Premier Alexei Kosygin held the first of two meetings at Glassboro State College in New Jersey.
In 1969, Warren E. Burger was sworn in as chief justice by the man he was succeeding, Earl Warren.
In 1972, President Nixon and White House chief of staff H.R. Haldeman discussed a plan to use the CIA to obstruct the FBI's Watergate investigation. (Revelation of the tape recording of this conversation sparked Nixon's resignation in 1974.)
In 1985, all 329 people aboard an Air-India Boeing 747 were killed when the plane crashed into the Atlantic Ocean near Ireland, after a bomb on board exploded.
Ten years ago: President Clinton said the reported discovery of traces of deadly nerve gas on an Iraqi missile warhead gave the United States new ammunition to maintain tough U.N. sanctions against the Baghdad government.
Five years ago: A divided Supreme Court, in a 5-4 decision, allowed the nation's colleges and universities to select students based in part on race. The Supreme Court said the government could require public libraries to equip computers with anti-pornography filters. Democrat Howard Dean formally announced his presidential campaign. Maynard Jackson Jr., the first black mayor of Atlanta, died in Washington, D.C., at age 65.
One year ago: Searchers in Summit County, Ohio, found the body of Jessie Davis, a missing 26-year-old pregnant woman. (Bobby Cutts Jr., a former Canton police officer who was the father of Davis' unborn child, was later convicted of murder and aggravated murder and sentenced to 57 years to life in prison.)
Today's Birthdays: Singer Diana Trask is 68. Musical conductor James Levine is 65. Rhythm-and-blues singer Rosetta Hightower (The Orlons) is 64. Actor Ted Shackelford is 62. Actor Bryan Brown is 61. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas is 60. "American Idol" judge Randy Jackson is 52. Actress Frances McDormand is 51. Rock musician Steve Shelley (Sonic Youth) is 46. Actor Paul La Greca is 46. Rhythm-and-blues singer Chico DeBarge is 38. Actress Selma Blair is 36. Rock singer KT Tunstall is 33. Rhythm-and-blues singer Virgo Williams (Ghostowns DJs) is 33. Singer-songwriter Jason Mraz is 31. Rock singer Duffy is 24. Country singer Katie Armiger is 17.
Thought for Today: "One today is worth two tomorrows." — Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790).

[goofywife]

1997: Report explains Roswell sightings
The United States Air Force released a report today on the 1947 'Roswell Incident,' in which a flying disc had reportedly crashed near Roswell, New Mexico. The report, in response to witnesses that claimed to see the military recovering alien bodies, stated that the bodies were actually life-sized dummies.

"Just as sightings of squids and whales once spawned tales of sea monsters, the Air Force says, the shadowy doings of brave fliers, high-altitude balloons, lifelike crash dummies and saucerlike craft were glimpsed and embellished into false evidence of aliens," reported the Syracuse Herald Journal on June 25, 1997. "Dummies were routinely dropped from balloons to test parachutes and were sometimes lost in the desert and disfigured in suggestive ways, their hands often missing a finger. A distinguishing characteristic of the aliens supposedly sighted near Roswell, the report notes, is four fingers."

NOTE: The report did not convince those who witnessed the Roswell incident, as they quickly pointed out that the parachute tests occurred years after the sightings. While the Air Force stated there was no other explanation, believers continued to voice their opinion that the report was part of a government cover-up.

1975: Jetliner crashes at JFK Airport
"An Eastern Airlines 727 jetliner coming in for a landing in a thunderstorm crashed and burned just short of Kennedy airport Tuesday, killing more than 100 persons aboard," informed the Florence Morning News on June 25, 1975. "At least two eyewitnesses reported seeing lightning strike the aircraft just before it tore through three landing approach light stanchions and plowed into an area of parkland north of the airport. As it skidded along the ground, the big airliner spun across heavily traveled Rockaway Boulevard, but did not strike any vehicles. Then it flipped upside down."NOTE: Official reports after the accident did not mention lightning as the probable cause. Instead, a high descent rate due to strong winds was thought to have caused the crash, which left 113 people dead.

1957: Court rules obscenity not protected by First Amendment
The United States Supreme Court ruled today that obscenity is not protected by the First Amendment to the Constitution, which guarantees free speech and freedom of the press. "The law was attacked by Samuel Roth, New York publisher, who was convicted of sending obscene literature through the mails and got five years' imprisonment and $5,000 fine," explained The Greeley Daily Tribune on June 24, 1957. "The statute involved in the Roth case makes unlawful the mailing of 'every obscene, lewd, lascivious or filthy book, pamphlet, picture, paper, letter, writing, print or other publication of an indecent character.'" NOTE: In 1973, another Supreme Court case led to the creation of the Miller test, which defines when materials are considered obscene.

1908: Grover Cleveland dies
Former U.S. President Grover Cleveland died of heart failure today at his home in Princeton, New Jersey. On June 26, 1908, the Bedford Gazette published a message to the American people from President Theodore Roosevelt. "In [Cleveland's] death the nation has been deprived of one of its greatest citizens," read the message. "As mayor of his city, as governor of his state, and twice as President, he showed signal power as an administrator, coupled with entire devotion to the country's good and a courage that quailed before no hostility when once he was convinced where his duty lay."

[goofywife]

1950: North Korea invades South Korea
Armed forces from Communist North Korea invaded the American-supported republic of South Korea today when they crossed the 38th parallel, the boundary that divides the zones. It was unclear at first whether the United States would take direct military action to defend the nation. However, South Korean Ambassador John Myun Chang said during a conference at the State Department, "I don't think the United States will abandon us."

"The extent and purpose of the attacks remained unclear for hours after the first fragmentary reports of the invasion were received," reported The Cedar Rapids Gazette on June 25, 1950. "But shortly after noon, the Communists' radio at Pyongyang, the Northern capital, said that war had been declared effective at 11 a.m."

NOTE: Two days after the invasion, President Truman authorized the use of American forces to aid South Korea. The June 25 attacks marked the beginning of the Korean War, a conflict that lasted until 1953.

1981: Male-only draft registration declared constitutional
The U.S. Supreme Court declared today that Congress has the constitutional power to exclude women when authorizing a military draft registration. "Women's groups had cautioned that the outcome of the case would have significant impact on the legal future of equality between the sexes," informed the European Stars And Stripes on June 26, 1981. "But [Justice] Rehnquist said, 'This case is quite different from several of the gender-based discrimination cases we have considered.' He said Congress' deliberation 'clearly establishes that the decision to exempt women from registration was not the accidental byproduct of a traditional way of thinking about women.'"

1971: Titian artwork sells for more than $4 million
A 400-year-old painting by Italian artist Titian sold for $4,032,000 today at Christie's auction house in London. The masterpiece, called "The Death of Actaeon," was sold to American art dealer Julius Weitzner. At the time, it was the second highest price paid for a painting. "Only Velasquez's 'Juan de Parreja,' auctioned here last November to New York dealer Alec Wildenstein for $5,604,000, has carried a higher price tag, but Weitzner shrugged: 'The bids were so low – I thought they would go higher,'" explained The Odessa American on June 26, 1971. NOTE: The most expensive art sold to date is Jackson Pollock’s No. 5, for $140 million in 2006.

1951: CBS airs first color telecast
Seven sponsors paid $1,000 each for a one-minute ad today on the first commercial color television show. The historic program was transmitted by the Columbia Broadcasting System after the company won a battle against RCA-Victor in the Supreme Court. While color television sets were generally not available yet, it was estimated that about 40,000 people saw the first color program. "CBS said there are at least 1,000 sets in the New York area alone that have been home-built or home-converted for color broadcasts. CBS estimated that for the big premiere an average of 10 persons watch each of those sets," reported the Long Beach Press-Telegram on June 26, 1951.

1876: Custer is defeated at Little Bighorn
Lt. Col. George A. Custer and the 7th Calvary were annihilated by Sioux and Cheyenne Indians today during the Battle of Little Bighorn in the Montana Territory. "From the reports which have come to hand, it appears that, after assigning Major Reno with seven companies to attack the lower part of the Indian camp, and stationing three companies in reserve, Gen. Custer placed himself at the head of five companies – about 300 men – and dashed into a nest of three or four thousand Sioux warriors, the same men who, under Sitting Bull, recently defeated Gen. Crook on Rosebud Creek," explained The Decatur Republican on July 13, 1876. While Custer was respected for his military experience, a Chicago Tribune reporter called him "reckless, hasty and impulsive" in 1876.

[DianaB]

I can remember watching my first color TV program when I was in the 4th grade. I went to a friend's house and we watched Cinderella and it was so beautiful! I've never seen that program since. It ended up that we were the first in our neighborhood to have a color TV. That was quite the thing back then!!!!

[goofywife]

My parents would not let us watch! It was going to ruin our eyes.:yelrotflmao:

I can remember watching my first color TV program when I was in the 4th grade. I went to a friend's house and we watched Cinderella and it was so beautiful! I've never seen that program since. It ended up that we were the first in our neighborhood to have a color TV. That was quite the thing back then!!!!

[Janet]

Was the Cinderella that you saw Diana the one with Leslie Ann Warren in it and they were dancing and singing? I loved that show, but I've only seen it twice and it was beautiful too.

[goofywife]

1963: Kennedy gives 'I am a Berliner' speech
U.S. President John F. Kennedy delivered a speech in West Berlin today criticizing communism and the construction of the Berlin wall. The speech contained his famous quote, "Ich bin ein Berliner" - "I am a Berliner."

"They waved American Flags, rhythmically chanted 'Ken-ne-dy, Ken-ne-dy' and showered the president with confetti during his tour that included two stops at the Reds' anti refugee wall," reported The Modesto Bee and News-Herald on June 27, 1963. "Germans were particularly pleased by Kennedy's City Hall statement: 'All free men wherever they live are citizens of this city and therefore as a free man I am proud to say: Ich bin ein Berliner (I am a Berliner).'''

NOTE: Although newspapers at the time translated Kennedy's quote just as the president had intended, there has been some disagreement around what was actually said. There is a German pastry named a Berliner Pfannkuchen, also referred to as a Berliner. Because of this, some Americans believe that Kennedy may have made a language slip-up and really said, "I am a jelly doughnut."

1979: Muhammad Ali retires
Muhammad Ali, one of the most famous African American prize fighters in history, retired from boxing today. "Heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali, saying he's no longer willing 'to kill myself training for 15 rounds,' confirmed Tuesday that he sent a letter to the World Boxing Association resigning his title, effective immediately. 'Everybody gets old, you can't go on like years ago,' Ali said by telephone from his Los Angeles home," relayed The Frederick Post on June 27, 1979. NOTE: During his boxing career, Ali won the world heavyweight title three times over a 15-year span.

1974: First bar code reader scans chewing gum
The first retail product with a UPC bar code symbol was sold today. "Twenty-five years ago, on June 26, 1974, at 8:01 a.m. in a Marsh supermarket in Troy, Ohio, a consumer named Clyde Dawson purchased a package of Wrigley's chewing gum. And for the first time, a laser beam in an NCR checkout terminal 'read' a universal product code on the package and automatically rang up his purchase. It was the world's first bar code scanning in an actual supermarket. It was the beginning of a new era," reported the Syracuse Herald Journal on June 23, 1999. NOTE: When the UPC codes were first introduced in stores, some consumer groups saw it as a threat.

1948: Airlifts to Berlin begin
The Western Allies began airlifting food and other supplies into Berlin today. In an effort to force the Allies to abandon West Berlin, the Soviet Union had organized a land and water blockade around the city. An article on June 27, 1948 in The Charleston Daily Mail explained, "The Americans flew in powdered and canned milk and promised Army 'C' rations for civilians in the Russian siege of Berlin Saturday. A Flying Fortress brought medical supplies in the first of several such flights to bring in vitally needed goods to keep the city's economy going." NOTE: The blockade was lifted in May of 1949, but the airlifts continued through September.

1945: United Nations Charter is signed
The United Nations Charter, which established the international peace organization, was signed today in San Francisco. "With great issues of war and peace hanging on their pen strokes, delegates of 50 countries went to a flag-draped conference auditorium today to sign the new United Nations charter, and then hear President Truman make his first major address on American foreign policy. A triumphant meeting of the United Nations conference - its last working session - last night approved the final version of the charter," reported the Charleston Daily Mail on June 26, 1945.

[Gina]

I use to watch Cinderella with Lesley Ann Warren every year I loved it, it was my favorite. My friends and I use to put on plays and take turns being cinderella. lol oh the innocence of being young.. lol

Thanks Michelle, some of the history makings I remember as if it was yesterday.

[goofywife]

1950: Truman sends troops to Korea
U.S. President Harry S. Truman sent American troops to support South Korea today, two days after it was invade by North Korea. When 15 other U.N. member nations joined in supporting South Korea, Truman appointed Gen. Douglas MacArthur as the commander of the U.N. forces.

"American planes and warships were dispatched Tuesday to the aid of South Korea," reported the Walla Walla Union-Bulletin on June 27, 1950. "In Tokyo, Gen. MacArthur's headquarters reported American fighters have already shot down four Communist-manned North Korean planes. The first task of the U.S. planes was said to be bomb all towns captured by North Korean troops. The South Koreans were reliably reported to have hurled back the Communist invaders to a point 20 miles from Seoul, the capital."

NOTE: The war lasted more than three years, with an armistice agreement signed on July 27, 1953.

1995: Atlantis heads to space station
NASA launched Atlantis today, sending the space shuttle off to the Russian space station Mir and marking the first U.S. and Russian docking mission in 20 years. "Atlantis will bring back American astronaut Norman Thagard and two cosmonauts, who have been aboard Mir since March 16, and drop off two Russians to take control of the station. The 100-ton shuttle and the 123-ton station will be joined for five days while their crews conduct experiments to see how Thagard and his crewmates fared physically during their stay in space," reported the Syracuse Herald Journal on June 28, 1995.

1985: Route 66 is decommissioned
Route 66, one of the original federal highways, was officially removed from the U.S. Highway System today. "Route 66 - the 2,200-mile highway immortalized in song, novel and television - is officially history, having fallen victim to the nation's interstate highway system. The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials on Thursday decertified the 59-year-old road, and also voted to remove Route 66 highway signs," reported The Daily Intelligencer on June 30, 1985. "Most of the road followed a wilderness path that was forged in 1857 by a caravan of camels commanded by U.S. Navy Lt. Edward Beale. Wagon trains, then cattlemen and finally cars and trucks followed."

1957: Hurricane Audrey kills 500
Hurricane Audrey struck Louisiana and Texas today, killing around 500 people. Cameron, a settlement along Louisiana's Gulf Coast, was hit hard by the storm. On July 3, 1957, The Sheboygan Press described Cameron as a "ghost town." "Stories of Cameron survivors for the first time pin-pointed the magnitude of Louisiana's worst catastrophe of the century. Death estimates now reach 500 and property damage uncounted tens of millions of dollars," wrote the paper. For more information about Audrey, as well as other deadly hurricanes,

1918: Draft numbers are chosen
The United States military began its second national draft lottery for World War I today. "Drawing of the draft numbers for America's class of 1918 was completed in two hours today when 1200 numbered pellets were drawn from the bowl in the Senate office building, giving every man who has become 21 years since the first registration his place in the selective service. The first number drawn from the bowl was 246 and the last was 225," wrote the Clearfield Progress on June 27, 1918.

[DianaB]

Was the Cinderella that you saw Diana the one with Leslie Ann Warren in it and they were dancing and singing? I loved that show, but I've only seen it twice and it was beautiful too.

I don't know who was in it. I was only in the 4th grade about 10 years old. They did sing and dance and I remember that Cinderella's dress was so beautiful!

[DianaB]

The Route 66 isn't too far from us but we've never been on it that I can remember. In the Joplin Mall it's decorated with a Route 66 theme and it's really cute. The route cuts across the bottom of the southeast corner of Kansas. I read that a few of the characters from the movie "Cars" is based on people who live around in that area!

[Janet]

You were still a baby then weren't you????....LOL.

[DianaB]

You were still a baby then weren't you????....LOL.

Yep, but I think that some of the old highway is still used. I checked and it's called Historic Route 66 and you can still travel on some of it!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66