This day in history

[May 25, 2010]  (AP)  Today is Tuesday, May 25, the 145th day of 2010. There are 220 days left in the year.

Today's highlight in history:

On May 25th, 1810, Argentina began its revolt against Spanish rule with the forming of the Primera Junta in Buenos Aires.

On this date:

In 1787, the Constitutional Convention began meeting in Philadelphia after enough delegates had shown up for a quorum.

In 1895, playwright Oscar Wilde was convicted of a morals charge in London; he was sentenced to two years in prison.

In 1916, the Chicago Tribune published an interview with Henry Ford in which the American industrialist was quoted as saying, "History is more or less bunk."

In 1935, Babe Ruth hit the 714th and final home run of his career, for the Boston Braves, in a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

In 1946, Transjordan (now Jordan) became a kingdom as it proclaimed its new monarch, Abdullah I.

In 1961, President John F. Kennedy, addressing Congress, called on the nation to work toward putting a man on the moon by the end of the decade.

In 1963, the Organization of African Unity was founded, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. (The OAU was disbanded in 2002 in favor of the African Union.)

In 1968, the Gateway Arch in St. Louis was dedicated by Vice President Hubert Humphrey and Interior Secretary Stewart Udall.

In 1979, 273 people died when an American Airlines DC-10 crashed on takeoff from Chicago's O'Hare airport.

In 1985, more than 11,000 people were killed as a cyclone and tidal surge devastated Bangladesh.

Ten years ago: The government proposed a five-star rating system telling consumers how prone vehicles were to rolling over. Iranian state radio announced that former President Hashemi Rafsanjani had resigned from the incoming parliament, depriving hard-liners of a leading figure in the power struggle between conservatives and reformists.

Five years ago: Texas Supreme Court Justice Priscilla Owen won Senate confirmation as a federal appeals judge after a ferocious four-year battle. The defense rested in the Michael Jackson child molestation trial without calling the pop star, who was acquitted. Carrie Underwood was crowned the winner of "American Idol." Ismail Merchant, half of the prestigious Merchant-Ivory filmmaking team, died in London at age 68.

One year ago: North Korea claimed to have carried out a powerful underground nuclear test; President Barack Obama called on the world to "stand up to" Pyongyang and demand it honor a promise to abandon its nuclear ambitions. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, long a fierce critic of Beijing, toured China's financial capital of Shanghai but stayed clear of human rights issues.

Today's birthdays: Lyricist Hal David is 89. Former White House news secretary Ron Nessen is 76. Country singer-songwriter Tom T. Hall is 74. Actor Sir Ian McKellen is 71. Country singer Jessi Colter is 67. Actress-singer Leslie Uggams is 67. Movie director and Muppeteer Frank Oz is 66. Actress Karen Valentine is 63. Rock singer Klaus Meine (The Scorpions) is 62. Actress Patti D'Arbanville is 59. Actress Connie Sellecca is 55. Rock singer-musician Paul Weller is 52. Actor-comedian Mike Myers is 47. Actor Matt Borlenghi is 43. Actor Joseph Reitman is 42. Rock musician Glen Drover is 41. Actress Anne Heche (haych) is 41. Actresses Sidney and Lindsay Greenbush ("Little House on the Prairie") are 40. Actor-comedian Jamie Kennedy is 40. Actor Justin Henry is 39. Rapper Daz Dillinger is 37. Actress Molly Sims is 37. Singer Lauryn Hill is 35. Actor Cillian Murphy is 34. Actor Ethan Suplee (soo-PLEE') is 34. Rock musician Todd Whitener is 32. Actor Corbin Allred is 31. Actress-singer Lauren Frost is 25.

Thought for today: "There is nothing final about a mistake, except its being taken as final." -- Phyllis Bottome, English author (1884-1963)

[Associated Press]

Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.