This day in history

[May 20, 2010]  (AP)  Today is Thursday, May 20, the 140th day of 2010. There are 225 days left in the year.

Today's highlight in history:

On May 20, 1961, a white mob attacked a busload of Freedom Riders in Montgomery, Ala., prompting the federal government to send in U.S. marshals to restore order.

On this date:

In 1506, explorer Christopher Columbus died in Spain.

In 1861, North Carolina voted to secede from the Union.

In 1902, the United States ended a three-year military presence in Cuba as the Republic of Cuba was established under its first elected president, Tomas Estrada Palma.

In 1927, Charles Lindbergh took off from Roosevelt Field in Long Island, N.Y., aboard the Spirit of St. Louis on his historic solo flight to France.

In 1932, Amelia Earhart took off from Newfoundland to become the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic. (Because of weather and equipment problems, Earhart set down in Northern Ireland instead of her intended destination, France.)

In 1939, regular trans-Atlantic mail service began as a Pan American Airways plane, the Yankee Clipper, took off from Port Washington, N.Y., bound for Marseille, France.

In 1959, nearly 5,000 Japanese-Americans had their citizenship restored after renouncing it during World War II.

In 1969, U.S. and South Vietnamese forces captured Ap Bia Mountain, referred to as "Hamburger Hill" by the Americans, following one of the bloodiest battles of the Vietnam War.

In 1970, some 100,000 people demonstrated in New York's Wall Street district in support of U.S. policy in Vietnam and Cambodia.

In 1985, the FBI arrested John A. Walker Jr., who was later convicted of heading a spy ring for the Soviet Union.

Ten years ago: The five nuclear powers on the U.N. Security Council agreed to eventually eliminate their nuclear arsenals, as part of a new disarmament agenda approved by 187 countries. Red Bullet won the Preakness Stakes, outpacing Kentucky Derby winner Fusaichi Pegasus. Flutist Jean-Pierre Rampal died in Paris at age 78.

Five years ago: The U.S. military condemned the publication of photographs showing an imprisoned Saddam Hussein naked except for his white underwear, and ordered an investigation of how the pictures were leaked to a British tabloid. President George W. Bush said he would veto legislation intended to loosen restrictions on embryonic stem cell studies, and he expressed deep concern about human cloning research in South Korea, research that was later discredited.

One year ago: In a rare, bipartisan defeat for President Barack Obama, the Senate voted overwhelmingly, 90-6, to keep the prison at Guantanamo Bay open for the foreseeable future and forbid the transfer of any detainees to facilities in the United States. A commission published a damning report on decades of rapes, humiliation and beatings at Catholic Church-run reform schools in Ireland. Suspended NFL star Michael Vick was released after 19 months in prison for running a dogfighting ring to begin two months' home confinement. An Indonesian C-130 Hercules military plane carrying troops and their families crashed in East Java province, killing 99 people. Kris Allen won the eighth season of "American Idol," defeating fellow finalist Adam Lambert.

Today's birthdays: Actor-author James McEachin is 80. Actor Anthony Zerbe is 74. Actor David Proval is 68. Singer Joe Cocker is 66. Singer-actress Cher is 64. Actor-comedian Dave Thomas is 61. Rock musician Warren Cann is 58. New York Gov. David Paterson is 56. Actor Dean Butler is 54. TV-radio personality Ron Reagan is 52. Rock musician Jane Wiedlin (The Go-Go's) is 52. Actor Bronson Pinchot is 51. Singer Susan Cowsill is 51. Actor John Billingsley is 50. Actor Tony Goldwyn is 50. Singer Nick Heyward is 49. TV personality Ted Allen is 45. Actress Mindy Cohn is 44. Rock musician Tom Gorman (Belly) is 44. Actress Gina Ravera is 44. Actor Timothy Olyphant is 42. Rapper Busta Rhymes is 38. Rock musician Ryan Martinie is 35. Actor Matt Czuchry is 33. Actress Angela Goethals is 33. Actress-singer Naturi Naughton is 26.

Thought for today: "One person with a belief is equal to a force of 99 who have only interests." -- John Stuart Mill, English philosopher (1806-1873)

[Associated Press]

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