This day in history

[May 14, 2010]  (AP)  Today is Friday, May 14, the 134th day of 2010. There are 231 days left in the year.

Today's highlight in history:

On May 14, 1610, King Henry IV of France was stabbed to death while riding in his carriage in Paris by a religious fanatic, Francois Ravaillac, who was executed less than two weeks later.

On this date:

In 1643, Louis XIV became King of France at age four upon the death of his father, Louis XIII (the successor to Henry IV).

In 1796, English physician Edward Jenner succeeded in inoculating 8-year-old James Phipps against smallpox by using cowpox matter.

In 1804, the Lewis and Clark expedition to explore the Louisiana Territory as well as the Pacific Northwest left camp near present-day Hartford, Ill.

In 1860, the first Japanese diplomatic mission to the United States arrived in Washington.

In 1900, the Olympic games opened in Paris, held as part of the 1900 World's Fair.

In 1940, the Netherlands surrendered to invading German forces during World War II.

In 1942, Congress voted to establish the Women's Auxiliary Army Corps. Aaron Copland's "Lincoln Portrait" was first performed, by the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra.

In 1948, according to the current-era calendar, the independent state of Israel was proclaimed in Tel Aviv.

In 1973, the United States launched Skylab 1, its first manned space station.

In 1998, singer-actor Frank Sinatra died at a Los Angeles hospital at age 82. The hit sitcom "Seinfeld" aired its final episode after nine years on NBC.

Ten years ago: Tens of thousands of mothers rallied in Washington to demand strict control of handguns. Former Japanese Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi (kay-zoh oh-boo-chee) died in Tokyo at age 62.

Five years ago: The U.S. military in Iraq wrapped up Operation Matador, a major offensive in a remote desert region near the Syrian border.

One year ago: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi bluntly accused the CIA of misleading her and other lawmakers about waterboarding during the Bush administration, disputing Republican charges that she was complicit in its use. Chrysler announced plans to eliminate 789 dealerships as part of its restructuring. A pair of spacewalking astronauts installed a new piano-sized camera in the Hubble Space Telescope.

Today's birthdays: Opera singer Patrice Munsel is 85. Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) is 68. Rock singer-musician Jack Bruce (Cream) is 67. Movie producer George Lucas is 66. Actress Meg Foster is 62. Rock singer David Byrne is 58. Movie director Robert Zemeckis is 58. Actor Tim Roth is 49. Rock singer Ian Astbury (The Cult) is 48. Rock musician C.C. (aka Cecil) DeVille is 48. Actor Danny Huston is 48. Rock musician Mike Inez (Alice In Chains) is 44. Fabrice Morvan (ex-Milli Vanilli) is 44. Rhythm-and-blues singer Raphael Saadiq is 44. Actress Cate Blanchett is 41. Singer Danny Wood (New Kids on the Block) is 41. Movie writer-director Sofia Coppola (KOH'-pah-lah) is 39. Singer Natalie Appleton (All Saints) is 37. Singer Shanice is 37. Rock musician Henry Garza (Los Lonely Boys) is 32. Rock musician Mike Retondo (Plain White T's) is 29. Actress Amber Tamblyn is 27. Actress Miranda Cosgrove is 17.

Thought for today: "The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity." -- Dorothy Parker, American author, humorist, poet (1893-1967)

[Associated Press]

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