Fun On this date in history...

Bri wrote, upon seeing the horse-drawn carriage, that he was waiting for Ben-Hur to ride past them. And I wrote that I couldn't help but see Luca Brasi sitting outside Buckingham Palace practicing his thank-you speech to HM Queen Elizabeth II.

 

Time to get caught up...

ON APRIL 30th:

In 1789, George Washington took the oath of office in New York as the first president of the United States.

In 1803, the United States purchased the Louisiana Territory from France for 60 million francs, the equivalent of about $15 million.

In 1812, Louisiana became the 18th state of the Union.

In 1900, engineer John Luther "Casey" Jones of the Illinois Central Railroad died in a train wreck near Vaughan, MS after staying at the controls in a successful effort to save the passengers.

Also in 1900, Hawaii became a territory of the United States, with Sanford B. Dole as governor.

In 1916, actor Phil Brown, known to “Star Wars” fans for playing Uncle Owen in “Star Wars: Episode IV- A New Hope”, was born in Cambridge, MA.

In 1923, actor Al Lewis, well-known for his roles on “Car 54, Where Are You?” and “The Munsters”, was born in New York City.

In 1927, the first ceremony at Grauman's Chinese Theater immortalizing the stars' hand/footprints in cement occurred. Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks, Sr. left their imprints.

In 1938, the first televised FA Cup Final took place between Huddersfield Town and Preston North End.

In 1939, the New York World's Fair officially opened with a ceremony that included an address by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Also in 1939, NBC inaugurated its regularly scheduled television service in New York City, broadcasting President Roosevelt’s speech.

In addition in 1939, Lou Gehrig played his last game with the New York Yankees. He had played in 2,130 consecutive games.

In 1943, during World War II, the submarine HMS Seraph surfaced in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Spain to deposit a dead man planted with false invasion plans and dressed as a British military intelligence officer. Part of Operation Mincemeat, it would later be recounted in the book The Man Who Never Was, later made into a (fictionalized) movie.

Also in 1943, the mystery movie “Sherlock Holmes in Washington”, starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce, was released in the U.S.

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

In 1948, actor Perry King, known to “Star Wars” fans for playing Han Solo in the radio adaptations of the Original Trilogy, was born in Alliance, OH.

In 1950, the mystery/suspense movie “D.O.A.”, starring Edmund O’Brien, was released in the U.S.

In 1957, Elvis Presley recorded the song “Jailhouse Rock” at Radio Recorders in Hollywood.

In 1958, the American Association of Retired Persons (later simply AARP) was founded in Washington, D.C., by Dr. Ethel Percy Andrus.

In 1961, K-19, the first Soviet nuclear submarine equipped with nuclear missiles, was commissioned.

In 1964, the FCC ruled that all TV receivers should be equipped to receive both VHF and UHF channels.

In 1968, New York City police forcibly removed student demonstrators occupying five buildings at Columbia University.

In 1973, President Richard Nixon announced the resignations of top aides H.R. Haldeman and John Ehrlichman, Attorney General Richard G. Kleindienst and White House counsel John Dean, who was actually fired.

In 1975, the Vietnam War ended as the South Vietnamese capital of Saigon fell to Communist forces.

In 1976, The Who's drummer Keith Moon paid nine cab drivers to block-off both ends of a New York street so he could throw the contents of his hotel room out of the window.

In 1988, Gen. Manuel Noriega, waving a machete, vowed at a rally to keep fighting U.S. efforts to oust him as Panama's military ruler.

In 1990, hostage Frank Reed was released by his captives in Lebanon; he was the second American to be released in eight days.

In 1993, tennis player Monica Seles was stabbed by Gunter Porsche, an obsessed fan of fellow tennis player Steffi Graf. Porsche had run out onto the court after her match and stabbed Seles in the upper back. Seles survived the attack and eventually recovered.

In 1999, Star Wars Celebration 1 started in Denver, CO. As your humble correspondent (who was there) can attest, the day was mainly noteworthy for the rotten, rainy weather and the way Anthony Daniels, who hosted the opening ceremonies, kept everyone’s spirits up and saved the day.

In 2005, on “Doctor Who”, the episode “Dalek” was broadcast on BBC 1. It marked the first appearance of the Doctor’s arch enemy in the revived series, as well as first presenting details on the end of the Time War, and the Doctor’s role in it.

In 2016, Franky Zapata broke the Guinness World Record for the farthest flight by hoverboard by flying 2,252.4 meters (7,389.76 ft) in 3 minutes and 55 seconds at speeds reported to be up to 55 km/h (the previous record was set by Alexandru Duru in August of 2014 at 275.9 m).

In 2019, Akihito, Emperor of Japan, abdicated, and was succeeded by his son, Naruhito.

Also in 2019, six people were shot, two fatally, on the last day of school at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. The gunman was arrested after running out of ammunition.

In addition in 2019, a military coup was attempted against the government of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. Maduro and Venezuelan politician Juan Guaido both claimed the presidency. Reportedly, at least one person was killed and 71injured during the first day of the crisis.

And in 2019, actor Peter Mayhew, well-known for playing Chewbacca in many “Star Wars” productions, died in Boyd, TX at age 74.

 

If I may...

ALSO ON MAY 1st:

In 1707, the Kingdom of Great Britain was created as a treaty merging England and Scotland took effect.

In 1786, Mozart's opera "The Marriage of Figaro" premiered in Vienna.

In 1851, Queen Victoria opened the Great Exhibition in London.

In 1898, Commodore George Dewey gave the command, "You may fire when you are ready, Gridley," as an American naval force destroyed a Spanish squadron in Manila Bay during the Spanish-American War.

In 1915, during World War I, a German submarine torpedoed and severely damaged the SS Gulflight, an American tanker near Britain's Scilly Isles, even though the United States was still neutral in the conflict.

Also in 1915, the RMS Lusitania set sail from New York, headed for Liverpool, England (it was torpedoed and sunk by a German sub off the coast of Ireland six days later).

In 1918, comedian/TV host Jack Paar, best-known for his successful run as host of “The Tonight Show” from 1957-1962, was born in Canton, OH.

In 1924, actor/TV host Art Fleming was born in New York City. He’s best remembered as the original host of “Jeopardy!”, with Don Pardo as his announcer.

In 1925, astronaut/aquanaut M. Scott Carpenter was born in Boulder, Co. One of the Mercury Seven astronauts, he was the pilot of Aurora 7, then later served on the Navy’s SEALAB II mission.

In 1930, the Lowell Observatory announced that the ninth PLANET in the solar system would be named Pluto.

In 1931, New York's 102-story Empire State Building was dedicated.

Also in 1931, singer Kate Smith made her debut on CBS Radio on her 24th birthday.

In 1941, “Citizen Kane”, Orson Welles’ controversial drama, premiered in New York City.

In 1942, the Disney cartoon “Donald Gets Drafted” was released in the U.S. This cartoon revealed, via Donald Duck’s induction notice, that his middle name is Fauntleroy.

In 1945, Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels and his wife Magda committed suicide in the Reich Garden outside the Fuhrerbunker. Their children were also killed by having cyanide pills inserted into their mouths by their mother.

Also in 1945, a day after Adolf Hitler took his own life, Admiral Karl Doenitz effectively became sole leader of the Third Reich with the Goebbels’ suicide.

In 1948, The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) was established, with Kim Il-sung as leader.

In 1956, the polio vaccine developed by Jonas Salk was made available to the public.

In 1960, the Soviet Union shot down an American U-2 reconnaissance plane over Sverdlovsk and captured its pilot, Francis Gary Powers.

In 1961, the Hammer Horror movie “Curse of the Werewolf”, starring Oliver Reed, was released in the U.K.

Also in 1961, the uncredited Hammer Horror movie “Shadow of the Cat”, starring Barbara Shelley and Andre Morell, was released in the UK.

In 1974, the regeneration scene, from Jon Pertwee to Tom Baker, for the last episode of the “Doctor Who” serial “Planet of the Spiders” was videotaped.

In 1975, Hank Aaron of the Milwaukee Brewers broke baseball's all-time RBI record previously held by Babe Ruth during a game against the Detroit Tigers (Milwaukee won, 17-3).

In 1977, the first publically-shown preview of the original “Star Wars” was shown at the Northpoint Theater in San Francisco. Admittance was by invitation only, and the theater marquee listed the movie title as “Alaska”,

In 1982, the World's Fair in Knoxville, Tennessee, was opened by President Ronald Reagan.

In 1990, in a case that drew much notoriety, Gregory Smart was shot to death in his Derry, NH home by Billy Flynn, the teenage lover of Smart's wife, Pamela. (Flynn was paroled in 2015; Pamela Smart is serving a life sentence for being an accomplice to first-degree murder.)

In 1991, the “Star Wars” novel Heir to the Empire, written by Timothy Zahn, was published. The first book of a trilogy, the succeeding parts (Dark Force Rising and The Last Command) would be published on May 1st of 1992 and 1993 respectively.

In 1999, the cartoon series “SpongeBob SquarePants” premiered on Nickleodeon.

In 2002, producer John Nathan-Turner, best-known for his work on the last period of the original run of “Doctor Who”, died in Brighton, East Sussex, England at age 54.

In 2003, in what became known as the “Mission Accomplished” speech, on board the USS Abraham Lincoln (off the coast of California), U.S. President George W. Bush declared that "major combat operations in Iraq have ended".

In 2011, Pope John Paul II was beatified by his successor, Pope Benedict XVI.

In 2015, actress/singer Grace Lee Whitney, best-known for her role as Janice Rand on the original series “Star Trek”, died in Coarsegold, CA at age 85.

 

If I may...

ON MAY 2nd:

In 1536, Anne Boleyn, Queen of England, was arrested and imprisoned on charges of adultery, incest, treason and witchcraft.

In 1611, the King James Bible was published for the first time in London, England, by printer Robert Barker.

In 1670, King Charles II of England granted a permanent charter to the Hudson’s Bay Company to open up the fur trade in North America.

In 1863, during the Civil War, Confederate Gen. Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson was accidentally wounded by his own men at Chancellorsville, Virginia; he died eight days later.

In 1885, “Good Housekeeping” magazine was first published in Holyoke, Massachusetts.

In 1890, the Oklahoma Territory was organized.

In 1908, the original version of "Take Me Out to the Ball Game," with music by Albert Von Tilzer and lyrics by Jack Norworth, was published by Von Tilzer's York Music Co.

In 1920, in Indianapolis, the first game of the National Negro Baseball League was played.

In 1925, actor/director Roscoe Lee Browne was born in Woodbury, NJ. He had a long and varied career, but your humble correspondent remembers his narration of the LP “The Story of ‘Star Wars’”.

In 1932, comedian Jack Benny’s radio show aired for the first time, sponsored by Canada Dry over the NBC Blue network.

In 1936, "Peter and the Wolf," a symphonic tale for children by Sergei Prokofiev, had its world premiere in Moscow.

In 1941, The Federal Communications Commission agreed to let regular scheduling of TV broadcasts by commercial TV stations begin on July 1, 1941. This was the start of network television.

Also in 1941, actor Paul Darrow was born in Surrey, England. Years later, one of his characters would lead Blake’s 7, long after Blake was gone.

In 1945, the Soviet Union announced the fall of Berlin, and the Allies reported the surrender of German troops in Italy.

Also in 1945, the US 82nd Airborne Division liberated Wobbelin concentration camp, finding 1000 dead prisoners, most of whom starved to death.

In addition in 1945, a death march from the Dachau concentration camp to the Austrian border was halted by the segregated, all-Nisei 522nd Field Artillery Battalion of the U.S. Army in southern Bavaria, saving several hundred prisoners.

In 1946, the film noir “The Postman Always Rings Twice” was released in the U.S. It starred Lana Turner and John Garfield, and was based on the novel by James M. Cain.

In 1947, the original “Miracle on 34th Street”, starring Edmund Gwen as Kris, was released in the U.S. The reasoning behind the release date of this Christmas movie is…interesting.

In 1957, Sen. Joseph R. McCarthy (R-WI) died at Bethesda Naval Hospital in Maryland at age 48.

Also in 1957, the Hammer Horror movie “The Curse of Frankenstein” was released in the U.K. It was the first Frankenstein movie from Hammer Films, the first Frankenstein movie filmed color, and the first time Peter Cushing played Baron Frankenstein.

Flag on the Moon. How did it get there? In 1961, “The Beast of Yucca Flats”. Released in the U.S. Starred Tor Johnson. Directed by Coleman Francis. Touched a button. Things happened.

In 1963, the Children's Crusade began in Birmingham, Alabama, as more than 1,000 black schoolchildren skipped classes and marched downtown to protest racial segregation; hundreds were arrested.

In 1965, Intelsat 1, also known as the Early Bird satellite, was first used to transmit television pictures across the Atlantic.

In 1967, filming began on the episode “Catspaw” for the original series “Star Trek”. It was also the first day of filming with Walter Koenig playing Ens. Chekov.

In 1968, the movie “The Odd Couple”, starring Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau, premiered in New York City.

In 1970, jockey Diane Crump became the first woman to ride in the Kentucky Derby; she finished in 15th place aboard Fathom. (The winning horse was Dust Commander.)

In 1974, the Hammer Horror movie “Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell” premiered in London. It was the last (to date) Frankenstein movie made by Hammer Films, the last time Peter Cushing played Baron Frankenstein, and the last movie directed by Terrence Fisher.

In 1980, producer/animator George Pal, best-known for sci-fi and fantasy movies, died in Los Angeles at age 72.

In 1982, the Weather Channel made its debut.

In 1984, producer/director/animator Bob Clampett, best-known for his work with Warner Bros. Animation, died in Detroit, MI at age 70.

In 1994, Nelson Mandela claimed victory in the wake of South Africa's first democratic elections; President F.W. de Klerk acknowledged defeat.

In 2011, the Marvel superhero movie “Thor”, starring Chris Hemsworth, premiered in Hollywood. It was released in several other countries the previous week.

 

If I may...

ON MAY 3rd:

In 1765, the first school of medicine in the American colonies, the Medical School of the College of Philadelphia (now the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania), was founded.

In 1791, Poland adopted a national constitution.

In 1802, Washington D.C. was incorporated as a city.

In 1903, actor/singer Bing Crosby was born in Tacoma, WA.

In 1910, author/screenwriter/producer Norman Corwin was born in Boston, MA. He’s best-known for his work in radio on programs including “The Columbia Workshop” and “Columbia Presents Corwin”.

In 1915, the poem “In Flanders Fields” was written by Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae.

In 1916, Irish nationalist Padraic Pearse and two others were executed by the British for their roles in the Easter Rising.

In 1919, singer/activist Pete Seeger was born in Patterson, NY.

In 1929, the Marx Brothers comedy “The Coconuts”, their first sound movie, premiered in New York City.

In 1933, Nellie T. Ross became the first female director of the U.S. Mint.

Also in 1933, singer James Brown, the Godfather of Soul, was born in Barnwell, SC.

In 1935, inventor/entrepreneur Ron Popeil was born in New York City. Those of us of a certain age still remember his all-but-omnipresent commercials.

In 1936, Joe DiMaggio of the New York Yankees made his major league debut. He got three hits.

In 1937, Margaret Mitchell won a Pulitzer Prize for her novel, "Gone With the Wind."

In 1944, the comedy-drama movie “Going My Way”, starring Bing Crosby and Barry Fitzgerald, premiered in New York City.

In 1945, during World War II, Allied forces recaptured Rangoon (Yangon) from the Japanese.

In 1952, the Kentucky Derby was televised nationally for the first time on CBS; the winner was Hill Gail.

In 1957, Walter O’Malley, the owner of the Brooklyn Dodgers, agreed to move the team from Brooklyn to Los Angeles. The borough has never forgiven him.

In 1960, the Harvey Schmidt-Tom Jones musical "The Fantasticks" began a nearly 42-year run at New York's Sullivan Street Playhouse.

In 1971, the radio program “All Things Considered” was first broadcast over NPR.

In 1975, America's oldest operational aircraft carrier, the USS Nimitz, was commissioned.

In 1979, Conservative Party leader Margaret Thatcher was chosen to become Britain's first female prime minister as the Tories ousted the incumbent Labor government in parliamentary elections.

In 1986, in NASA's first post-Challenger launch, an unmanned Delta rocket lost power in its main engine shortly after liftoff, forcing safety officers to destroy it by remote control.

In 1991, the last episode of the original series "Dallas" aired on CBS-TV. The series would be revived in 2012 on TNT.

In 1999, some 70 tornadoes roared across Oklahoma and Kansas, killing 46 people and injuring hundreds.

In 2000, Cardinal John J. O’Connor, archbishop of Scranton, PA from 1983-84, and archbishop of New York from 1984-2000, died in New York City at age 80.

In 2002, Star Wars Celebration II began in Indianapolis, IN. Your humble correspondent was there, and mainly remembers that the weather was better than Celebration I, but the lines for the Celebration Store were very, very long.

Also in 2002, “Spider-Man”, starring Tobey Maguire and directed by Sam Raimi, was released in the U.S.

In 2004, actor Anthony Ainley died in Harrow, London, England at age 71. He’s well-known to Whovians for playing the Master on “Doctor Who” from 1981-1989.

In 2005, the first democratically elected government in the history of Iraq was sworn in.

In 2007, astronaut/aviator Walter M. Schirra, Jr., pilot of Sigma 7, command pilot of Gemini 6A and commander of Apollo 7, died in La Jolla, CA at age 84.

In 2013, the Marvel superhero movie “Iron Man 3”, starring Robert Downey, Jr., was released in the U.S.

In 2015, two gunmen launched an attempted attack on an event in Garland, TX, which was held in response to the “Charlie Hebdo” attack. The attackers wounded a security officer, then were both shot and killed by a police officer.

In 2016, eighty-eight thousand people were evacuated from their homes in Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada as a wildfire ripped through the community, destroying approximately 2,400 homes and buildings.

 

This is what I tried to post for April 30th:

And this is for May 3rd:

 

If I may...

ON MAY 4th:

In 1776, Rhode Island declared its freedom from England, two months before the Declaration of Independence was adopted.

In 1814, Emperor Napoleon I of France arrived at Portoferraio on the island of Elba to begin his exile.

In 1886, at Haymarket Square in Chicago, a labor demonstration for an 8-hour work day turned into a deadly riot when a bomb exploded.

In 1896, actor/educator Prof. Frank Baxter was born in Newbold, NJ. He hosted several educational TV specials, appeared on radio on “The CBS Radio Workshop”, and is known to MSTies as the “gesture professor” from “The Mole People”.

In 1904, the United States took over construction of the Panama Canal from the French.

In 1909, actor/singer Howard DaSilva was born in Cleveland, OH. He’s probably best-known for playing Benjamin Franklin in the musical “1776”. And who else but Ben Franklin could narrate “Doctor Who” back in the Time-Life syndication days?

In 1925, an international conference opened in Geneva to forge an agreement against the use of chemical and biological weapons in war; the Geneva Protocol was signed on June 17, 1925 and went into force in 1928.

In 1929, actress/humanitarian Audrey Hepburn was born in Ixelles, Brussels, Belgium.

In 1932, mobster Al Capone, convicted of income-tax evasion, entered the federal penitentiary in Atlanta. (Capone was later transferred to Alcatraz Island.)

In 1942, the Battle of the Coral Sea, the first naval clash fought entirely with carrier aircraft, began in the Pacific during World War II. (The outcome was considered a tactical victory for Imperial Japan, but ultimately a strategic one for the Allies.)

In 1954, actress/singer Pia Zadora was born in Hoboken, NJ.

In 1959, the first Grammy Awards ceremony was held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. Domenico Modugno won Record of the Year and Song of the Year for "Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu (Volare)"; Henry Mancini won Album of the Year for "The Music from Peter Gunn."

Also In 1959, the Hammer mystery/horror movie “Hound of the Baskervilles”, starring Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee, was released in the UK.

In 1961, the first group of "Freedom Riders" left Washington D.C. to challenge racial segregation on interstate buses and in bus terminals.

In 1968, on “Doctor Who”, part two of “The Wheel in Space” was broadcast. It featured the first appearance of Wendy Padbury as Zoe Heriot.

In 1970, Ohio National Guardsmen opened fire during an anti-war protest at Kent State University, killing four students and wounding nine others.

In 1975, actor/comedian/Stooge Moe Howard died in Los Angeles at age 77.

In 1979, Margaret Thatcher became the first female Prime Minister of the UK.

In 1980, Marshal Josip Broz Tito, president of Yugoslavia, died in Ljubljana in Yugoslavia at age 87.

In 1982, twenty sailors were killed when the British Type 42 destroyer HMS Sheffield was hit by an Argentinian Exocet missile during the Falklands War.

In 1984, during a game against the Minnesota Twins, the Oakland A’s Dave Kingman hit a fly ball that got stuck in the ceiling of the Metrodome. It was ruled a ground rule double.

In 1994, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and PLO leader Yasser Arafat signed an accord on Palestinian autonomy that granted self-rule in the Gaza Strip and Jericho.

In 1998, a federal judge in Sacramento, CA gave “Unabomber” Theodore Kaczynski four life sentences plus 30 years after Kaczynski accepted a plea agreement sparing him from the death penalty.

In 1999, the last episode of the sit-com “NewsRadio” was broadcast on NBC-TV.

In 2000, the destructive "ILOVEYOU" malware, sent by e-mail, began to infect computer networks and hard drives across the globe.

In 2007, Greensburg, KS was almost completely destroyed by a 1.7 mi wide EF5 tornado. It was the first-ever tornado to be rated as such with the new Enhanced Fujita scale.

In 2017, Buckingham Palace announced that 95-year-old Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, the Prince consort of Queen Elizabeth II, would retire from royal duties in August.

Also in 2017, The U.S. House of Representatives voted in favor of the repeal of the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (popularly known as “Obamacare”) and passage of the House's 2017 American Health Care Act, by a narrow 217–213 vote.

In 2019, at the 145th Kentucky Derby, first-place finisher Maximum Security was disqualified, and longshot Country House was awarded the victory. It was the first time a Derby winner was disqualified for an on-track infraction. And with odds of 65-1, I really wish I’d had a bet down.

 

If I may...

ON MAY 5th:

In 1260, Kublai Khan became ruler of the Mongol Empire.

In 1821, Napoleon Bonaparte died in exile on the island of St. Helena at age 51.

In 1862, Mexican troops defeated French occupying forces in the Battle of Puebla.

In 1864, journalist/author Nellie Bly was born in Cochran’s Mills, PA.

In 1865, what's believed to be America's first train robbery took place as a band of criminals derailed a St. Louis-bound train near North Bend, OH; they proceeded to rob the passengers and loot safes on board before getting away.

In 1899, actor Freeman Gosden, co-creator and co-star of the radio series “Amos ‘n’ Andy” was born in Richmond, VA.

In 1904, pitching against the Philadelphia Athletics at the Huntington Avenue Grounds, Cy Young of the Boston Americans threw the first perfect game in the modern era of baseball.

In 1914, actor Tyrone Power was born in Cincinnati, OH.

In 1915, singer/actress Alice Faye was born in New York City.

In 1925, schoolteacher John T. Scopes was charged in Tennessee with violating a state law that prohibited teaching the theory of evolution. (Scopes was found guilty, but his conviction was later set aside.)

In 1934, the first Three Stooges short for Columbia Pictures, "Woman Haters," was released.

In 1937, musician/composer Delia Derbyshire was born in Coventry, England. She is best-known for her work with the BBC Radiophonic Workshop, and for being the unofficially-acknowledged co-composer of the “Doctor Who” theme.

In 1943, actor/author/comedian/TV host/Python Sir Michael Palin KCMG CBE FRGS, was born in Broomhill, Sheffield, West Riding of Yorkshire, England.

In 1944, actor John Rhys-Davies was born in Ammanford, Carmarthenshire, Wales.

In 1945, in the only fatal attack of its kind during World War II, a Japanese balloon bomb exploded on Gearhart Mountain in OR, killing Elsie Mitchell, the 26-year-old pregnant wife of a minister, and five children: Dick Patzke, 14; Jay Gifford, 13; Edward Engen, 13; Joan Patzke, 13; and Sherman Shoemaker, 11.

Also in 1945, Denmark and the Netherlands were liberated as a German surrender went into effect.

In 1946, the International Military Tribunal for the Far East began in Tokyo with twenty-eight Japanese military and government officials accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

In 1955, West Germany became a fully sovereign state.

Also in 1955, the musical "Damn Yankees" opened on Broadway at the 46th Street Theater.

In 1957, actor/writer/director Richard E. Grant was born in Mbabane, Swaziland. He’d later play two different Doctors (sort of) and later play someone trying to kill the Doctor.

In 1961, astronaut Alan B. Shepard Jr. became America's first space traveler as he made a 15-minute suborbital flight aboard Mercury capsule Freedom 7.

In 1973, Secretariat won the Kentucky Derby, the first of its Triple Crown victories.

In 1981, Irish Republican Army hunger-striker Bobby Sands died at the Maze Prison in Northern Ireland in his 66th day without food.

In 1985, President Ronald Reagan kept a controversial promise to West German Chancellor Helmut Kohl by leading a wreath-laying ceremony at the military cemetery in Bitburg.

In 1993, the final episode of “Quantum Leap” was broadcast on NBC-TV. The fan complaints began just about as the end credits started rolling.

In 1994, Singapore caned American teenager Michael Fay for vandalism, a day after the sentence was reduced from six lashes to four in response to an appeal by President Bill Clinton, who considered the punishment too harsh.

In 2005, Tony Blair won a historic third term as Britain's prime minister, but his Labour Party suffered a sharply reduced parliamentary majority.

Also in 2005, "Precious Doe," a slain girl in Kansas City, Missouri, was identified after four years as 3-year-old Erica Michelle Marie Green. (Harrell Johnson was later convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without parole; Erica's mother, Michelle Green, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and received a 25-year term.)

In 2018, NASA’s InSight Mars lander launched from Vandenberg AFB, near Lompoc, CA. It was the first interplanetary mission launched from the West Coast of the U.S.

 

If I may...

ON MAY 6th:

In 1536, King Henry VIII ordered English-language Bibles be placed in every church.

In 1659, a faction of the British Army removed Richard Cromwell as Lord Protector of the Commonwealth and reinstalled the Rump Parliament.

In 1840, Britain's first adhesive postage stamp, the Penny Black, officially went into circulation five days after its introduction.

In 1861, Arkansas seceded from the Union.

Also in 1861, Richmond, VA was declared the new capital of the Confederate States of America.

In 1863, during the Civil war, the Battle of Chancellorsville ended with the defeat of the Army of the Potomac by Confederate troops.

In 1877, Chief Crazy Horse of the Oglala Sioux surrendered to United States troops in Nebraska.

In 1889, the Paris Exposition formally opened, featuring the just-completed Eiffel Tower.

In 1910, Britain's Edwardian era ended with the death of King Edward VII; he was succeeded by George V.

EE-YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEES? In 1911, actor Frank Nelson was born in Colorado Springs, CO.

In 1915, Babe Ruth hit his first major-league home run as a player for the Boston Red Sox.

Also in 1915, actor/filmmaker Orson Welles was born in Kenosha, WI.

In 1935, the Works Progress Administration began operating under an executive order signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Also in 1935, the first flight of the Curtiss P-36 Hawk was made.

In 1937, the German zeppelin Hindenburg caught fire and was destroyed within a minute while attempting to dock at Lakehurst, NJ. Thirty-six people were killed.

In 1941, at California’s March Field, Bob Hope performed his first USO show.

Also in 1941, the first flight of the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt was made.

In 1942, during World War II some 15,000 Americans and Filipinos on Corregidor surrendered to Japanese forces.

In 1948, the film of the Laurence Olivier version of “Hamlet” premiered in London.

In 1952, actor Michael O’Hare, best-known for playing Jeffrey Sinclair on “Babylon 5”, was born in Chicago, IL.

In 1954, medical student Roger Bannister broke the four-minute mile during a track meet in Oxford, England, in 3:59.4.

In 1957, the final episode of "I Love Lucy" aired on CBS-TV.

In 1960, Britain's Princess Margaret married Antony Armstrong-Jones, a commoner, at Westminster Abbey. (They divorced in 1978.)

In 1965, after a Rolling Stones concert in Clearwater, FL, was cut short by rowdy fans, Keith Richards composed the opening guitar riff of "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction," which he co-wrote with Mick Jagger. (The song was recorded less than a week later, and the single was released in the United States on June 6.)

In 1975, during a lull in fighting, 100,000 Armenians gathered in Beirut to commemorate 60th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.

In 1981, Yale architecture student Maya Ying Lin was named winner of a competition to design the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

In 1994, former Arkansas state worker Paula Jones filed suit against President Bill Clinton, alleging he'd sexually harassed her in 1991. (Jones reached a settlement with Clinton in November 1998.)

Also in 1994, Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and French President Francois Mitterrand formally opened the Channel Tunnel between their countries.

In 1996, the body of former CIA director William Colby was found washed up on a riverbank in southern Maryland, eight days after he disappeared.

In 2001, during a trip to Syria, Pope John Paul II became the first pope to enter a mosque.

In 2004, the series finale of the sit-com “Friends” was aired on NBC-TV. attracting 52.46 million viewers, making it, at the time, the sixth most-watched TV series finale in U.S. history.

In 2013, three women missing for more than a decade were found alive in Cleveland, OH. Their captor, Ariel Castro, was taken into custody, and later committed suicide.

In 2015, in the “Deflategate” scandal, the NFL found that two New England Patriots employees intentionally deflated footballs used in the AFC Championship game against the Indianapolis Colts and that Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was generally aware of the deflation. (Brady was later suspended for four games, and the Patriots were fined $1 million and lost two draft picks.)

In 2019, Archie, the first child of Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, was born. The boy is seventh in line to the British throne.

Also in 2019, President Donald Trump awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, to Tiger Woods for his accomplishments in professional golf and charitable work.

 

If I may...

ON MAY 7th:

In 1429, Joan of Arc ended the Siege of Orleans, pulling an arrow from her own shoulder and returning, wounded, to lead the final charge. The victory marked a turning point in the Hundred Years’ War.

In 1718, the city of New Orleans was founded by Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne, Sieur de Bienville.

In 1789, America's first inaugural ball was held in New York in honor of President George Washington, who'd taken the oath of office a week earlier.

In 1824, Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125, had its premiere in Vienna.

In 1840, Pytor Illych Tchaikovsky was born in Votkinsk, Russian Empire.

In 1911, filmmaker Ishiro Honda was born in Asahi, Yamagata, Japan. While he worked in a variety of genres, he’s best known for his kaiju films, especially the original “Gojira”.

In 1915, in an incident that sparked international outrage, a German U-boat torpedoed and sank the British liner RMS Lusitania off the southern coast of Ireland, killing 1,198 people, including 128 Americans, out of the nearly 2,000 on board.

In 1922, actor Darren McGavin was born in Spokane, WA. It’s a toss-up whether he’s best-remembered as Carl Kolchak or Ralphie’s lamp-winning Old Man.

In 1934, the Universal horror movie “The Black Cat”, starring Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff (or Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi, if you prefer) was released in the U.S., following its May 3rd premiere.

In 1939, Germany and Italy announced a military and political alliance known as the Rome-Berlin Axis.

In 1941, Glenn Miller and his Orchestra recorded "Chattanooga Choo Choo" for RCA Victor.

In 1942, U.S. Army Gen. Jonathan Wainwright went on a Manila radio station to announce the Allied surrender of the Philippines to Japanese forces during World War II.

Also in 1942, during the Battle of the Coral Sea, U.S. Navy aircraft carrier aircraft attacked and sank the Imperial Japanese Navy light aircraft carrier Shoho. The battle marked the first time in the naval history that two enemy fleets fought without visual contact between warring ships.

In 1945, Germany signed an unconditional surrender at Allied headquarters in Rheims, France, ending its role in World War II.

In 1954, the 55-day Battle of Dien Bien Phu in Vietnam ended with Vietnamese insurgents overrunning French forces.

In 1960, Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev announced that his nation was holding American U-2 pilot Gary Powers.

In 1963, the United States launched the Telstar 2 communications satellite.

In 1964, Pacific Air Lines Flight 773, a Fairchild F-27 airliner, crashed near San Ramon, CA, killing all 44 aboard; the FBI later reported that a cockpit recorder tape indicated that the pilot and co-pilot had been shot by a suicidal passenger.

In 1970, the Hammer Horror movie “Taste the Blood of Dracula”, once again starring Christopher Lee as the Count, was released in the U.K.

In 1975, President Gerald R. Ford formally declared an end to the "Vietnam era." Meanwhile, in Ho Chi Minh City — formerly Saigon — the Viet Cong celebrated its takeover.

In 1984, a $180 million out-of-court settlement was announced in the Agent Orange class-action suit brought by Vietnam veterans who charged they'd suffered injury from exposure to the defoliant.

In 1992, the NASA Space Shuttle Endeavour went on its first flight.

Also in 1992, a 203-year-old proposed constitutional amendment barring Congress from giving itself a midterm pay raise received enough votes for ratification as Michigan became the 38th state to approve it.

In 1994, Edvard Munch’s iconic painting “The Scream” was recovered undamaged after being stolen from the National Gallery of Norway the previous February.

In 1998, Mercedes-Benz bought Chrysler for $40 billion and formed DaimlerChrysler in the largest industrial merger to date.

In 2000, Vladimir Putin was inaugurated as president of Russia.

In 2004, American businessman Nick Berg was beheaded by Islamic terrorists. The act was recorded on videotape and released on the Internet.

In 2013, writer/producer/VFX designer Ray Harryhausen died in London at age 92.

In 2017, a state of emergency was declared in Montreal, Canada as 1,200 Canadian Forces personnel were deployed in the province of Quebec to help with rising floodwaters. 146 communities were affected and more than 1,500 residents were evacuated from their homes.

Also in 2017, Emmanuel Macron won the French presidential election, earning 66.1% of the vote to challenger Marine Le Pen's 33.9%, becoming the youngest French head of state since Napoleon.

In addition in 2017, The U.S. Air Force’s unmanned spacecraft X-37B successfully landed at Kennedy Space Center’s Shuttle Landing Facility in Merritt Island, FL, after spending a record-breaking 718 days in orbit.

 

If I (yes, I know it's late) may...

ON MAY 8th:

In 1541, Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto reached the Mississippi River.

In 1794, Antoine Lavoisier, the father of modern chemistry, was executed on the guillotine during France's Reign of Terror.

In 1846, during the Mexican-American War, forces under Gen. Zachary Taylor defeated a Mexican force north of the Rio Grande at the Battle of Palo Alto, the first major battle of the war.

In 1861, Richmond, VA was named the capital of the Confederate States of America.

In 1884, Harry Truman, the 33rd president of the U.S., was born in Lamar, MO.

In 1886, pharmacist John Pemberton first sold a carbonated beverage named “Coca-Cola" as a patent medicine.

Be vewy, vewy quiet. In 1889, actor/voice artist Arthur Q. Bryan was born in Brooklyn, NY. He’s best-known for doing the voice of Elmer Fudd for the Warner Bros. cartoon series.

In 1902, in Martinique, Mount Pelee erupted, destroying the town of Saint-Pierre and killing over 30,000 people. Only a handful of residents survived the blast.

In 1912, Paramount Pictures was founded as the Famous Players Film Company.

In 1913, director/animator/puppeteer Bob Clampett, best-known for his work at Termite Terrace, was born in San Diego, CA.

In 1915, Regret became the first filly to win the Kentucky Derby.

In 1920, graphic designer/filmmaker Saul Bass was born in New York City.

In 1921, Sweden's Parliament voted to abolish the death penalty.

In 1926, actor/comedian Don Rickles was born in Queens, NY.

In 1927, while attempting to make the first non-stop transatlantic flight from Paris to New York, French war heroes Charles Nungesser and Francois Coli disappeared after taking off aboard The White Bird biplane.

In 1940, actor/musician/singer/songwriter Ricky Nelson was born in Teaneck, NJ.

In 1942, during World War II, the Battle of the Coral Sea came to an end with Imperial Japanese Navy aircraft carrier aircraft attacking and sinking the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier U.S.S. Lexington.

In 1942, the horror movie “The Corpse Vanishes”, starring Bela Lugosi in his low budget days, was released in the U.S.

In 1943, the Western drama “The Ox-Bow Incident”, starring Henry Fonda, premiered in New York City.

In 1945, the Setif Massacre began in Algeria as French authorities clashed with protesters celebrating the surrender of Nazi Germany and calling for freedom from colonial rule; tens of thousands of Algerians are believed to have died in weeks of violence.

In 1945, President Harry S. Truman announced on radio that Nazi Germany's forces had surrendered, and that "the flags of freedom fly all over Europe."

Also in 1945, the program “On a Note of Triumph” was broadcast on CBS radio. Produced for V-E Day, it was written by Norman Corwin and narrated by Martin Gabel.

In 1955, actor/director Stephen Furst was born in Norfolk, VA. You probably remember him as either a pledge at Delta Tau Chi, or as the eventual Emperor of the Centauri Republic.

In 1958, Vice President Richard Nixon was shoved, stoned, booed and spat upon by anti-American protesters in Lima, Peru.

In 1958, the Hammer Horror movie “Horror of Dracula”, starring Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing, was released in the U.S. (It would have its British premiere in London on May 22nd.)

In 1962, the musical comedy "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum", starring Zero Mostel, opened on Broadway at the Alvin Theater.

In 1964, the Hammer Horror movie “The Evil of Frankenstein”, starring Peter Cushing, was released in the U.S. (It would be released in the U.K. at the end of the month.)

In 1969, the drama “Easy Rider”, starring Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper and Jack Nicholson, premiered at the Cannes Film Festival.

In 1970, the album “Let it Be”, the Beatles’ last studio album, was released in the U.K.

In 1971, Joe Frazier defeated Muhammad Ali at New York's Madison Square Garden. It was Ali's first defeat of his pro career.

In 1972, President Richard Nixon announced that he had ordered the mining of Haiphong Harbor during the Vietnam War.

In 1973, militant Native Americans who'd held the South Dakota hamlet of Wounded Knee for ten weeks surrendered.

In 1980, The World Health Organization confirmed the eradication of smallpox.

In 1984, the Soviet Union announced it would boycott the upcoming Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

Also in 1984, a gunman entered the Quebec National Assembly and opened fire, killing three and wounding 13. Rene Jalbert, Sergeant-at-Arms of the assembly, succeeded in calming him, for which he would later receive the Cross of Valour.

In 1999, The Citadel, South Carolina's formerly all-male military school, graduated its first female cadet, Nancy Ruth Mace.

In 2012, principal photography was completed on the sequel “Star Trek Into Darkness”.

In 2015, in the U.K., the Conservative Party won a majority in the 2015 general election, enabling them to lead without requiring a coalition government, with David Cameron being reelected as Prime Minister. The same day, Ed Milliband (Labour Party), Nick Clegg (Liberal Democratic Party) and Nigel Farage (UK Independence Party) resigned their respective leadership positions.

In 2016, actor William Schallert died in Pacific Palisades, CA at age 93. In addition to a wide variety of roles, he was best-known for playing Martin Lane on “The Patty Duke Show”. He also served as president of the Screen Actors Guild from 1979-1981.

In 2021, the “Make More MST3K” Kickstarter campaign was completed, raising $6,510,304 towards the making of a 13th season of “Mystery Science Theater 300” and the Gizmoplex virtual theater project.

 

If I (Ken, get your act together, would ya?) may...

ON MAY 9th:

In 1754, a political cartoon in Benjamin Franklin's Pennsylvania Gazette depicted a snake cut into eight pieces, each section representing a part of the American colonies; the caption read, "JOIN, or DIE."

In 1864, Union Maj. Gen. John Sedgwick was killed by a Confederate sniper during the Civil War Battle of Spotsylvania in Virginia.

In 1887, Buffalo Bill Cody’s Wild West Show opened in London.

In 1893, psychologist/author William Moulton Marston, the creator of Wonder Woman, was born in Saugus, MA.

In 1901, Australia opened its first parliament in Melbourne.

In 1914, President Woodrow Wilson, acting on a joint congressional resolution, signed a proclamation designating the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day.

In 1931, astronaut Vance D. Brand, CM pilot for the Apollo spacecraft of the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project, was born in Longmont, CO.

In 1936, Italy annexed Ethiopia.

In 1941, the German submarine U-110 was captured by the Royal Navy. On board was the latest Enigma cryptography machine which Allied cryptographers later used to break coded German messages.

In 1942, the SS murdered 588 Jewish residents of the Podolian town of Zinkiv (Khmelnytska oblast, Ukraine). The Zoludek Ghetto (in Belarus) was destroyed and all its inhabitants murdered or deported.

In 1945, with World War II in Europe at an end, Soviet forces liberated Czechoslovakia from Nazi occupation.

Also in 1945, the Channel Islands were liberated by the British after five years of German occupation.

In 1951, the U.S. conducted its first thermonuclear experiment as part of Operation Greenhouse by detonating a 225-kiloton device on Enewetak Atoll in the Pacific nicknamed "George."

In 1958, the Alfred Hitchcock thriller “Vertigo” had world premiere in San Francisco.

In 1961, in a speech to the National Association of Broadcasters, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Newton N. Minow decried the majority of television programming as a "vast wasteland."

In 1965, Bob Dylan played the first of two sold-out performances at the Royal Albert Hall in London. Both shows had sold out in less than four hours. Donovan and The Beatles were in the audience for opening night.

In 1970, Lynyrd Skynyrd first performed "Free Bird" in public, at the grand opening of the Jacksonville Art Museum in Jacksonville, Florida.

In 1973, the dystopian thriller “Soylent Green”, starring Charlton Heston and Edward G. Robinson, was released in the U.S.

In 1974, the House Judiciary Committee opened public hearings on whether to recommend the impeachment of President Richard Nixon. (The committee ended up adopting three articles of impeachment against the president, who resigned before the full House took up any of them.)

In 1980, 35 people were killed when a freighter rammed the Sunshine Skyway Bridge over Tampa Bay in Florida, causing a 1,400-foot section of the southbound span to collapse.

Also in 1980, in Norco, CA, five masked gunmen held up a Security Pacific bank, leading to a violent shoot-out and one of the largest pursuits in California history. Two of the gunmen and one police officer were killed and thirty-three police and civilian vehicles were destroyed in the chase.

In 1994, South Africa's newly elected parliament chose Nelson Mandela to be the country's first black president.

In 2002, the pilot episode of "CSI: Miami" aired as an episode of “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation”. And that (sunglasses on), was only the beginning. YEEEEEAAAAAH!

In 2005, President George W. Bush, Russian President Vladimir Putin, French President Jacques Chirac and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder commemorated the 60th anniversary of the Allied victory over Nazi Germany with a lavish military parade in Moscow. President Bush then traveled to the republic of Georgia, the first American chief executive to visit.

In 2017, President Donald Trump removed James Comey as F.B.I. Director, citing Comey’s oversight of the investigation in the handling of classified e-mails by then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

In 2020, singer/songwriter/musician Little Richard died in Nashville, TN at age 87.

 

If I (okay, you're nearly there) may...

ON MAY 10th:

In 1508, Michelangelo was formally hired by Pope Julius II to paint the Sistene Chapel ceiling.

In 1773, the Parliament of Great Britain passed the Tea Act, designed to save the British East India Company by granting it a monopoly on the North American tea trade.

In 1775, Ethan Allen and his Green Mountain Boys, along with Col. Benedict Arnold, captured the British-held fortress at Ticonderoga, NY.

Also in 1775, representatives from the Thirteen Colonies began the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia, PA.

In 1863, during the Civil War, Confederate Lt. Gen. Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson died of pneumonia, a complication resulting from being hit by friendly fire eight days earlier during the Battle of Chancellorsville in Virginia.

In 1865, Confederate President Jefferson Davis was captured by Union forces in Irwinville, GA.

In 1869, a golden spike was driven in Promontory, UT, marking the completion of the first transcontinental railroad in the United States.

In 1876, the Centennial Exposition was opened in Philadelphia, PA by U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant and Brazilian Emperor Dom Pedro II.

In 1888, composer Max Steiner, best-known for his film music, was born in Vienna, Austria.

In 1894, composer/conductor Dimitri Tiomkin was born in Kremenchuk in what is now Ukraine.

In 1899, actor/singer/dancer Fred Astaire was born in Omaha, NE.

In 1924, J. Edgar Hoover was named acting director of the Bureau of Investigation (later known as the Federal Bureau of Investigation, or FBI).

In 1933, the Nazis staged massive public book burnings in Germany.

In 1935, writer/script editor Terrance Dicks was born in East Ham, Essex, England. He’s best-known for his work on “Doctor Who”, particularly the many, many episode novelizations he wrote.

In 1937, playwright/screenwriter Jonathan Hales was born in London. He’s best-known for his work with Lucasfilm, including co-writing the screenplay for “Star Wars: Episode II- Attack of the Clones”.

In 1940, during World War II, German forces began invading the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Belgium and France.

Also in 1940, British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain resigned, and Winston Churchill formed a new government.

In 1941, Rudolf Hess parachuted into Scotland to try to negotiate a peace deal between the United Kingdom and Nazi Germany. He was taken prisoner the next day.

In 1943, actor David Clennon was born in Waukegan, IL. Among his many roles is the less-sneering, more ambitious version of Adm. Motti in the “Star Wars” radio adaptation.

In 1960, the nuclear-powered submarine USS Triton completed its submerged navigation of the globe.

In 1962, Marvel Comics published the first issue of “The Incredible Hulk”.

In 1963, the Rolling Stones began their first recording session in London for Decca Records. The band recorded the Chuck Berry song "Come On" and Willie Dixon's "I Want to Be Loved."

In 1969, The National and American Football Leagues announced their plans to merge for the 1970-71 season.

In 1975, Sony began selling its Betamax home videocassette recorder in Japan.

In 1984, the International Court of Justice said the United States should halt any actions to blockade Nicaragua's ports (the U.S. had already said it would not recognize World Court jurisdiction on this issue).

In 1994, Nelson Mandela took the oath of office in Pretoria to become South Africa's first black president.

Also in 1994, the state of Illinois executed serial killer John Wayne Gacy for the murders of 33 young men and boys.

In 1995, 104 miners were killed in an elevator accident in Orkney, South Africa.

Also in 1995, former President George H.W. Bush's office released his letter of resignation from the National Rifle Association in which Bush expressed outrage over an NRA fund-raising letter's reference to federal agents as "jack-booted thugs." (NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre apologized a week later.)

In 2000, the science fiction movie “Battlefield Earth”, starring John Travolta and based on L. Ron Hubbard’s novel, premiered in the U.S.

In 2002, FBI agent Robert Hanssen was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole for selling United States secrets to Russia for $1.4 million in cash and diamonds.

In 2005, a hand grenade landed about 65 feet from President George W. Bush while he was giving a speech to a crowd in Tbilisi, Georgia, but it malfunctioned and didn’t detonate.

In 2012, The Damascus bombings were carried out using a pair of car bombs detonated by suicide bombers outside of a military intelligence complex in Damascus, Syria, killing 55 people and injuring 400 others.

In 2013, One World Trade Center in Manhattan became the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere.

In 2018, the prequel/anthology movie “Solo: A ‘Star Wars’ Story” premiered in Los Angeles.

 

And on May 9th...

 

And on the Tenth...

 

If I may...

ON MAY 11th:

In 330, Byzantium was renamed Nova Roma during a dedication ceremony, but it would be more popularly referred to as Constantinople.

In 1647, Peter Stuyvesant arrived in New Amsterdam to become governor of New Netherland.

In 1659, the Massachusetts General Court banned the observance of Christmas under penalty of stiff fines. The law stood for over twenty years.

In 1812, Prime Minister Spencer Perceval was assassinated by John Bellingham in the lobby of the British House of Commons.

In 1816, the American Bible Society was formed.

In 1846, President James K. Polk asked for and received a Declaration of War against Mexico, starting the Mexican-American War

In 1858, Minnesota became the 32nd state of the Union.

In 1862, during the Civil War, the Confederate ironclad CSS Virginia was scuttled by its crew off Craney Island, VA, to prevent it from falling into Union hands.

In 1888, composer/lyricist Irving Berlin was born in Tyumen, Russian Empire.

In 1894, four thousand Pullman Palace Car Company workers went on a wildcat strike in Illinois.

In 1911, actor/comedian Phil Silvers was born in Brooklyn. It would be years before he’d earn his stripes, or go looking for the Big W.

In 1927, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences was founded during a banquet at the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles.

In 1931, the thriller “M”, directed by Fritz Lang and starring Peter Lorre, premiered in Berlin.

In 1935, the Rural Electrification Administration was created as one of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal programs.

Also in 1935, actor Doug McClure was born in Glendale, CA. He should not be confused with Troy McClure.

In 1943, “Yankee Doodle Mouse”, the first of eight Tom & Jerry cartoons to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Subject was released in the U.S .

In 1944, during World War II, Allied forces launched a major offensive against Axis lines in Italy.

In 1945, the aircraft carrier USS Bunker Hill was attacked and severely damaged by two kamikaze aircraft off Okinawa; according to the U.S. Navy's official website, 346 men were killed, 43 were left missing, and 264 were wounded.

In 1949, Israel joined the United Nations.

Also in 1949, President Harry Truman signed Public Law 60, establishing the Joint Long Range Proving Ground at Cape Canaveral. It would eventually evolve into Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, and be popularly linked with nearby Kennedy Space Center.

In 1953, a tornado devastated Waco, TX, claiming 114 lives.

In 1955, the horror movie “Bride of the Monster”, starring Bela Lugosi and directed by Ed Wood, premiered in Hollywood.

That’s right, Arthur. In 1957, Buddy Holly and the Crickets auditioned for “Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scouts”, but were rejected.

In 1960, Israeli agents captured Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

In 1963, the Warner Brothers cartoon “Woolen Under Where” was released in the U.S. It was the last cartoon short to feature Ralph Wolf and Sam Sheepdog. It was also the only cartoon in the series not directed by Chuck Jones, who was fired by WB during production.

In 1973, the espionage trial of Daniel Ellsberg and Anthony Russo in the "Pentagon Papers" case came to an end as Judge William M. Byrne dismissed all charges, citing government misconduct.

In 1985, 56 people died when a flash fire swept a jam-packed soccer stadium in Bradford, England.

In 1987, Klaus Barbie went on trial in Lyon for war crimes committed during World War II.

In 1993, Joel Hodgson announced that he was leaving as host of “Mystery Science Theater 3000”.

In 1996, an Atlanta-bound ValuJet DC-9 caught fire shortly after takeoff from Miami and crashed into the Florida Everglades, killing all 110 people on board.

In 1997, Deep Blue, a chess-playing supercomputer, defeated Garry Kasparov in the last game of the rematch, becoming the first computer to beat a world-champion chess player in a classic match format.

In 2001, author/screenwriter/script editor Douglas Adams died in Santa Barbara, CA at age 49.

In 2010, Conservative leader David Cameron, at age 43, became Britain's youngest prime minister in almost 200 years after Gordon Brown stepped down and ended 13 years of Labour government.