[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.