This Day in History

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY May 03 1469 Italian philosopher and writer Niccolo Machiavelli born In This Day In History video clip: May, 3, 1469 – Niccolo Machiavelli Born – On this day in 1469, the Italian philosopher and writer Niccolo Machiavelli is born. A lifelong patriot and diehard proponent of a unified Italy, Machiavelli became one of the fathers of modern political theory.... read more 1980s 1980 MADD founder’s daughter killed by drunk driver   Art, Literature and Film History 1933 Funk master James Brown is born 1810 Lord Byron swims across tumultuous Hellespont strait in Turkey 1948 U.S. Supreme Court decides Paramount antitrust case   Asian History 1947 New Japanese constitution goes into effect 1962 Trains collide near Tokyo, killing more than 160 people   Cold War 1951 Congressional hearings on General MacArthur begin   Crime 2007 Three-year-old Madeleine McCann goes missing in Portugal 1992 Kidnapped Exxon executive dies in a wooden box   Exploration 1952 Joseph Fletcher lands first aircraft on the North Pole   Hispanic History 1954 Supreme Court rules in Hernandez v. Texas, broadening civil rights laws   Inventions & Science This Day in History Video: What Happened on May 3   World War II 1946 Japanese war crimes trial begins 1942 The Battle of the Coral Sea begins

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY May 4 1970 National Guard kills four students in Kent State shootings On May 4, 1970, in Kent, Ohio, 28 National Guardsmen fire their weapons at a group of anti-war demonstrators on the Kent State University campus, killing four students, wounding eight and permanently paralyzing another. The tragedy was a watershed moment for a nation divided by the Vietnam War... read more 19TH Century 1886 The Haymarket Square Riot AFRICAN HISTORY 2002 Nigerian aircraft crashes in crowded city American Revolution 1776 Rhode Island becomes first colony to declare independence from England Art, Literature, and Film History 1929 Legendary actress Audrey Hepburn is born 1948 Norman Mailer's first novel, "The Naked and the Dead," is published 1956 Gene Vincent records "Be-Bop-A-Lula" 1959 Ella Fitzgerald becomes first Black woman to win a Grammy Award 1994 A lawmaker introduces the pun "May the Fourth be with you" on the floor of U.K. Parliament BLACK HISTORY 1961 The first Freedom Ride departs from Washington, D.C. Crime 1990 Electric chair malfunctions in Florida, leading states to change execution methods Landmarks 1904 U.S. officially acquires the Panama Canal, takes over construction MIDDLE EASTERN HISTORY 1994 Yitzhak Rabin and Yasser Arafat sign accord for Palestinian self-rule Sports 1924 Paris hosts its second Olympic Games 1966 Willie Mays breaks National League home run record U.S. Presidents 1865 President Lincoln is buried in Springfield, Illinois Women's History 1979 Margaret Thatcher becomes Britain's first female prime minister World War I 1916 Germany agrees to limit its submarine warfare

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY May 5 1961 Alan Shepard becomes the first American in space On May 5, 1961, Navy Commander Alan Bartlett Shepard Jr. is launched into space aboard the Freedom 7 space capsule, becoming the first American astronaut to travel into space. The suborbital flight, which lasted 15 minutes and reached a height of 116 miles into the atmosphere, was a major triumph... read more 1970s 1978 Ben & Jerry’s opens its first ice cream shop 1980s 1981 IRA militant Bobby Sands dies Art, Literature, and Film History 1816 The Examiner publishes John Keats' first poem 1967 "One Hundred Years of Solitude" is published 2002 "Spider-Man" becomes first movie to top $100 million in opening weekend BLACK HISTORY 1868 Martha Jones becomes first Black woman to receive a U.S. patent Cold War 1955 Allies end occupation of West Germany Crime 1905 British murder trial begins, the first to be solved by fingerprint evidence 2004 Human remains found in suitcase near Virginia Beach EUROPEAN HISTORY 1821 Napoleon dies in exile LATIN AMERICAN HISTORY 1862 Outnumbered Mexican army defeats French at Battle of Puebla Roaring Twenties 1921 Chanel No. 5 perfume launches Sports 1904 Cy Young pitches first perfect game in MLB history World War I 1919 Italian delegates announce return to Paris peace conference World War II 1945 Six killed in Oregon by Japanese bomb

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY May 6 1994 English Channel tunnel opens In a ceremony presided over by England's Queen Elizabeth II and French President François Mitterrand, a rail tunnel under the English Channel was officially opened, connecting Britain and the European mainland for the first time since the Ice Age. The Channel Tunnel, or "Chunnel," connects... read more Art, Literature, and Film History 1940 John Steinbeck wins a Pulitzer for "The Grapes of Wrath" 2004 Final episode of "Friends" airs on NBC Cold War 1992 Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev reviews Cold War in speech at Westminster College Crime 1876 "Duchess of Devonshire" painting stirs interest—and theft 2013 Ohio kidnap victims rescued after years in captivity NATURAL DISASTERS & ENVIRONMENT 1937 The Hindenburg disaster Sports 1954 Roger Bannister runs first four-minute mile 1991 Harry Gant is oldest NASCAR winner—again U.S. Presidents 1935 FDR creates the Works Progress Administration (WPA) 1994 Paula Jones accuses Bill Clinton of sexual harassment World War II 1942 All American forces in the Philippines surrender unconditionally

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY May 7 1994 Edvard Munch's "The Scream" recovered after theft On May 7, 1994, Norway's most famous painting, "The Scream" by Edvard Munch, is recovered almost three months after it was stolen from a museum in Oslo. The fragile painting was recovered undamaged at a hotel in Asgardstrand, about 40 miles south of Oslo, police said... read more 1950s 1954 French defeated at Dien Bien Phu Art, Literature and Film History 1824 Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 debuts Cold War 1960 Leonid Brezhnev becomes leader of the USSR Crime 1896 Serial killer H.H. Holmes is hanged in Philadelphia Immigration 1843 First Japanese immigrant arrives in the U.S. Inventions & Science 1998 Daimler-Benz announces purchase of Chrysler Corp. 2004 Marine biologist Richard Thompson coins the term “microplastics” Native American History 1763 Ottawa Chief Pontiac's Rebellion against the British begins VIETNAM WAR 1984 Vietnam veterans exposed to Agent Orange win $180 million settlement World War I 1915 German submarine sinks Lusitania World War II 1945 Germany surrenders unconditionally to the Allies at Reims

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY May 8 1945 Allied nations worldwide celebrate V-E Day Great Britain, the United States and several other countries celebrate Victory in Europe Day. Cities put out flags and banners, rejoicing in the defeat of the Nazis during World War II... read more 19th CENTURY 1846 Future president Zachary Taylor fights the Battle of Palo Alto Art, Literature and Film History 1963 American moviegoers get their first view of James Bond in "Dr. No" 1976 The theme song from "Welcome Back, Kotter" is the #1 song in America 2010 Betty White becomes oldest "Saturday Night Live" host Civil War 1864 General Lee's army beats Grant's Union troops to Spotsylvania Cold War 1984 Soviets announce boycott of 1984 Olympics Early U.S. 1792 Militia Act establishes conscription under federal law Exploration 1541 Spanish conquistador Hernando de Soto reaches the Mississippi Native American History 1973 American Indian Movement (AIM) ends occupation of Wounded Knee NATURAL DISASTERS & ENVIRONMENT 1902 Mount Pelée begins to erupt, burying Caribbean city U.S. Presidents 1884 Harry S. Truman is born Vietnam War 1970 Nixon defends invasion of Cambodia World War I 1919 New celebration of Armistice Day proposed World War II 1945 High-ranking Nazi Hermann Göring is captured by the U.S. Seventh Army

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY May 9 1960 FDA approves "the pill" The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves the world's first commercially produced birth-control pill—Enovid-10, made by the G.D. Searle Company of Chicago, Illinois. Development of "the pill," as it became popularly known, was initially commissioned by birth-control pioneer Margaret Sanger... read more 19th CENTURY 1887 "Buffalo Bill's Wild West" show opens in London Art, Literature and Film History 1950 L. Ron Hubbard publishes "Dianetics" 1964 An unlikely challenger ends the Beatles' reign atop the U.S. pop charts Crime 1671 Irish adventurer "Captain Blood" steals crown jewels 1978 Former Italian Prime Minister Aldo Moro is found dead 1988 Woman convicted of killing two in Excedrin tampering 1997 Andrew Cunanan continues murder spree Exploration 1926 Explorer Richard Byrd claims to have flown over the North Pole U.S. Presidents 1914 Woodrow Wilson proclaims the first Mother's Day holiday 1974 House votes to initiate impeachment proceedings against President Nixon Vietnam War 1969 Reporter breaks the news of secret bombing in Cambodia 1970 President Nixon meets with anti-war protesters at the Lincoln Memorial World War I 1915 Allies launch dual offensive on Western Front

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY May 10 1869 Transcontinental railroad completed, unifying United States On May 10, 1869, the presidents of the Union Pacific and Central Pacific railroads meet in Promontory, Utah, and drive a ceremonial last spike into a rail line that connects their railroads. This made transcontinental railroad travel possible for the first time in U.S. history. No longer would western... read more AFRICAN HISTORY 1994 Nelson Mandela, South Africa's first Black president, is inaugurated American Revolution 1773 British parliament passes unpopular Tea Act 1775 Second Continental Congress assembles as Americans capture Fort Ticonderoga ASIAN HISTORY 1990 China releases 211 prisoners arrested during Tiananmen Square protests Civil War 1863 Confederate general Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson dies 1865 Confederate President Jefferson Davis captured by Union forces Crime 1924 J. Edgar Hoover begins his 48-year tenure as FBI director 2002 Robert Hanssen, FBI agent turned Russian spy, is sentenced to life in prison EUROPEAN HISTORY 1871 Treaty of Frankfurt ends Franco-Prussian War 1940 Winston Churchill becomes prime minister of Britain Exploration 1996 Eight climbers die on Mt. Everest Inventions & Science 1980 Government approves $1.5 billion loan for Chrysler Sports 1970 Photographer captures soaring Stanley Cup champion Bobby Orr in iconic image

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY May 11 1934 Dust storm sweeps from Great Plains across Eastern states On May 11, 1934, a massive storm sends millions of tons of topsoil flying from across the parched Great Plains region of the United States as far east as New York, Boston and Atlanta. At the time the Great Plains were settled in the mid-1800s, the land was covered by prairie grass, which held moisture... read more 19th CENTURY 1858 Minnesota enters the Union 1970s 1972 Labor organizer and civil rights activist Cesar Chavez begins hunger strike Art, Literature and Film History 1981 Reggae star Bob Marley dies at 36 Civil War 1864 Confederate Cavalry General J.E.B. Stuart is mortally wounded Crime 1812 British prime minister Spencer Perceval assassinated 1949 Evidence found against French serial killer known as "The Queen of Poisoners" Inventions & Science 1947 B.F. Goodrich Co. announces development of tubeless tire 1997 Deep Blue defeats Garry Kasparov in chess match Sports 1985 Fire kills 50 at soccer stadium Vietnam War 1961 President Kennedy orders more troops to South Vietnam 1969 Bloody 10-day battle at "Hamburger Hill" begins World War II 1987 "Butcher of Lyon," former Nazi Gestapo chief, charged with war crimes

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY May 12 1932 Kidnapped Lindbergh baby found dead The body of aviation hero Charles Lindbergh's baby is found on May 12, 1932, more than two months after he was kidnapped from his family's Hopewell, New Jersey, mansion. Lindbergh, who became the first worldwide celebrity five years earlier when he flew The Spirit of St. Louis across the Atlantic... read more 1970s 1975 American freighter ship Mayaguez seized by Cambodian navy American Revolution 1780 Americans suffer worst defeat of revolution at Charleston Art, Literature and Film History 1907 Celebrated actress Katharine Hepburn is born 1963 Bob Dylan walks out on "The Ed Sullivan Show" 1965 Rolling Stones record “Satisfaction,” which came to Keith Richards in his sleep Cold War 1949 Soviet Union lifts its 11-month blockade against West Berlin Sports 1957 Race car driver A.J. Foyt gets first pro victory Ferrari race car crashes at Mille Miglia race, killing 11 U.S. Presidents 1903 Teddy Roosevelt's trip to San Francisco is captured on film Vietnam War 1961 Lyndon B. Johnson visits South Vietnam

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY May 13 1846 U.S. Congress declares war on Mexico On May 13, 1846, the U.S. Congress overwhelmingly votes in favor of President James K. Polk's request to declare war on Mexico in a dispute over Texas. Under the threat of war, the United States had refrained from annexing Texas after the latter won independence from Mexico in 1836. But in 1844... read more Cold War 1958 Vice President Nixon is attacked Crime 1981 Pope John Paul II shot 1985 Philadelphia police drop bomb on MOVE headquarters, killing 11 EUROPEAN HISTORY 1568 Mary Queen of Scots defeated 1940 Churchill announces: "I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat" Sports 1973 Bobby Riggs and Margaret Court face off in first "Battle of the Sexes" U.S. GOVERNMENT & POLITICS 1920 Socialist party nominates “Convict 2253” for president World War I 1915 Edith Wharton writes of the war's effect on France 1919 German foreign minister protests Versailles Treaty terms

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY May 13 1846 U.S. Congress declares war on Mexico On May 13, 1846, the U.S. Congress overwhelmingly votes in favor of President James K. Polk's request to declare war on Mexico in a dispute over Texas. Under the threat of war, the United States had refrained from annexing Texas after the latter won independence from Mexico in 1836. But in 1844... read more Cold War 1958 Vice President Nixon is attacked Crime 1981 Pope John Paul II shot 1985 Philadelphia police drop bomb on MOVE headquarters, killing 11 EUROPEAN HISTORY 1568 Mary Queen of Scots defeated 1940 Churchill announces: "I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat" Sports 1973 Bobby Riggs and Margaret Court face off in first "Battle of the Sexes" U.S. GOVERNMENT & POLITICS 1920 Socialist party nominates “Convict 2253” for president World War I 1915 Edith Wharton writes of the war's effect on France 1919 German foreign minister protests Versailles Treaty terms

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY May 14 1804 Lewis and Clark depart to explore the Northwest One year after the United States doubled its territory with the Louisiana Purchase, the Lewis and Clark expedition leaves St. Louis, Missouri, on a mission to explore the Northwest from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean. Even before the U.S. government concluded purchase negotiations... read more 1990s 1991 Two trains crash in Japan, killing more than 40 American Revolution 1787 Constitutional Convention delegates begin to assemble Art, Literature and Film History 1998 Frank Sinatra dies Cold War 1955 The Warsaw Pact is formed COLONIAL AMERICA 1607 Jamestown settlers arrive Inventions & Science 1796 Early smallpox vaccine is tested MIDDLE EASTERN HISTORY 1948 State of Israel proclaimed Space Exploration 1973 America's first space station, Skylab, is launched Sports 1904 First American Olympiad opens in St. Louis, Missouri U.S. Presidents 1999 President Clinton apologizes to Chinese leader for embassy bombing

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY May 15 1937 Madeleine Albright, America's first female secretary of state, is born Madeleine Albright, America's first female secretary of state, is born Marie Jana Korbelova on May 15, 1937, in Prague, Czechoslovakia (now the Czech Republic). The daughter of Czech diplomat Josef Korbel, Albright fled to England with her family after the Nazis occupied Czechoslovakia... read more 21st CENTURY 2009 GE finally initiates cleanup of polluted Hudson River AMERICAN REVOLUTION 1765 Parliament passes the Quartering Act Art, Literature and Film History 1982 "Ebony And Ivory" begins a seven-week run at #1 on the pop charts Cold War 1988 Soviets begin withdrawal from Afghanistan Crime 1948 A three-year-old’s brutal murder begins an unusual investigation 1972 Alabama governor George Wallace shot 1976 Young woman and her married lover arrested for killing her family Inventions & Science 1942 Seventeen states put gasoline rationing into effect U.S. Presidents 1800 President John Adams orders federal government to Washington, D.C. 1942 Ronald Reagan applies for transfer to Army Air Force World War II 1941 First Allied jet-propelled aircraft flies 1942 Legislation creating the Women's Army Corps becomes law

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY May 16 1929 First Academy Awards ceremony On May 16, 1929, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences hands out its first awards, at a dinner party for around 250 people held in the Blossom Room of the Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood, California... read more 1980s 1985 Discovery of Ozone Hole announced American Revolution 1769 Virginia’s House of Burgesses criticizes taxation without representation 1777 Georgia Patriot Button Gwinnett is fatally wounded in duel Art, Literature and Film History 1717 Satirical writer Voltaire is imprisoned in the Bastille 2014 Pioneering TV journalist Barbara Walters signs off Cold War 1960 U.S.-Soviet summit meeting collapses after U-2 spy plane shot down France 1770 French dauphin, Louis, marries Marie Antoinette Sports 1980 Basketball great Magic Johnson plays center as a rookie, wins championship U.S. Presidents 1868 Senate fails to convict President Andrew Johnson of impeachment charge World War I 1918 U.S. Congress passes Sedition Act World War II 1943 Warsaw Ghetto uprising ends