This day in history

[May 06, 2010]  (AP)  Today is Thursday, May 6, the 126th day of 2010. There are 239 days left in the year.

Today's highlight in history:

On May 6, 1910, Britain's Edwardian era came to an end upon the death of King Edward VII; he was succeeded by George V.

On this date:

In 1859, Georgia miner John H. Gregory discovered a lode of gold in Colorado.

In 1861, Arkansas seceded from the Union.

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

In 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed an executive order creating the Works Progress Administration.

In 1937, the hydrogen-filled German airship Hindenburg burned and crashed in Lakehurst, N.J., killing 35 of the 97 people on board and a Navy crewman on the ground.

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

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

In 1960, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the Civil Rights Act of 1960. Britain's Princess Margaret married Antony Armstrong-Jones, a commoner, at Westminster Abbey. (They divorced in 1978.)

In 1994, Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and French President Francois Mitterrand (frahn-SWAH' mee-teh-RAHN') formally opened the Channel Tunnel between their countries.

In 2002, right-wing Dutch politician Pim Fortuyn (pim fohr-TOWN') was shot and killed in Hilversum, Netherlands. (Volkert van der Graaf was later convicted of killing Fortuyn and was sentenced to 18 years in prison.)

Ten years ago: Jack Mazzan, who'd spent 20 years on death row for the murder of a judge's son, was released on bail, three months after the Nevada Supreme Court reversed his conviction. (Before he could be tried again, Mazzan pleaded guilty to killing Richard Minor Jr. and received a life sentence; Mazzan has since sought parole, unsuccessfully.) Fusaichi (foo-suh-EE'-chee) Pegasus became the first favorite to win the Kentucky Derby since Spectacular Bid in 1979.

Five years ago: President George W. Bush arrived in Riga, Latvia, as he opened a fast-paced, four-country journey to mark the 60th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany. British Prime Minister Tony Blair unveiled his Cabinet, changing leadership in defense and health but keeping mostly familiar faces after a third term victory dampened by a reduced majority in Parliament.

One year ago: After a day of meetings at the White House, President Barack Obama declared he'd gotten the commitments he wanted from the leaders of Pakistan and Afghanistan to more aggressively fight Taliban and al-Qaida militants. Gov. John Baldacci (bahl-DAH'-chee) signed a bill making Maine the fifth state to legalize same-sex marriage (however, the law was later overturned by a public vote).

Today's birthdays: Baseball Hall-of-Famer Willie Mays is 79. Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) is 76. Rock singer Bob Seger is 65. Singer Jimmie Dale Gilmore is 65. Gospel singer-comedian Lulu Roman is 64. Actor Alan Dale is 63. Actor Ben Masters is 63. Actor Gregg Henry is 58. Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair is 57. TV personality Tom Bergeron is 55. Actress Roma Downey is 50. Rock singer John Flansburgh (They Might Be Giants) is 50. Actor George Clooney is 49. Actor Clay O'Brien is 49. Rock singer-musician Tony Scalzo (Fastball) is 46. Actress Leslie Hope is 45. Rock musician Mark Bryan (Hootie and the Blowfish) is 43. Rock musician Chris Shiflett (Foo Fighters) is 39. Actress Adrianne Palicki is 27. Actress Gabourey Sidibe (GA'-bah-ray SIH'-duh-bay) is 27.

Thought for today: "The people no longer believe in principles, but will probably periodically believe in saviours." -- Jacob Christoph Burckhardt, Swiss historian (1818-1897)

[Associated Press]

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