 Today's highlight in history:
On May 21, 1932, Amelia Earhart became the first woman to fly solo
across the Atlantic Ocean as she landed in Northern Ireland, about
15 hours after leaving Newfoundland; Earhart's achievement came on
the fifth anniversary of Charles Lindbergh's solo flight to France.
On this date:
In 1471, King Henry VI of England died in the Tower of London at age
49.
In 1542, Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto died while searching for
gold along the Mississippi River.
In 1881, Clara Barton founded the American Red Cross.
In 1892, the opera "Pagliacci," by Ruggero Leoncavallo, premiered in
Milan, Italy. In 1911, during the Mexican Revolution, the Treaty of Ciudad Juarez
was signed by President Porfirio Diaz and revolutionary leader
Francisco I. Madero; under the agreement, Diaz resigned his office
and went into exile.
In 1927, Charles A. Lindbergh landed his Spirit of St. Louis near
Paris, completing the first solo airplane flight across the Atlantic
Ocean in 33 1/2 hours.
In 1941, a German U-boat sank the American merchant steamship SS
Robin Moor in the South Atlantic after allowing the ship's
passengers and crew to board lifeboats.
In 1956, the United States exploded the first airborne hydrogen bomb
over Bikini Atoll in the Pacific.
In 1959, the musical "Gypsy," inspired by the life of stripper Gypsy
Rose Lee, opened on Broadway with Ethel Merman starring as Mama
Rose.
In 1972, Michelangelo's Pieta, on display at the Vatican, was
damaged by a hammer-wielding man who shouted he was Jesus Christ.
In 1982, during the Falklands War, British amphibious forces landed
on the beach at San Carlos Bay.
In 1991, former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated
during national elections by a suicide bomber.
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Ten years ago: The State Department named seven states as
sponsors of terror, with Iran at the top of the list; the report
said that Sudan and Libya had taken some steps -- but not enough -- to
"get out of the business." (The other countries named were Iraq,
North Korea, Cuba and Syria.)
Five years ago: The Supreme Court ruled that parents didn't
need to hire a lawyer to sue public school districts over their
children's special education needs. The Food and Drug Administration
issued a safety alert for the diabetes drug Avandia, marketed by
GlaxoSmithKline, which disputed a report saying it was linked to a
greater risk of heart attack.
One year ago: The apocalypse did not arrive, despite the
prophecy of 89-year-old Christian broadcast group operator Harold
Camping, who had been predicting the rolling global destruction of
Judgment Day for years. Shackleford won the Preakness, holding off a
late charge from Kentucky Derby-winner Animal Kingdom to win as a
12-1 underdog.
Today's birthdays: Rhythm-and-blues singer Ron Isley (The
Isley Brothers) is 71. Rock musician Hilton Valentine (The Animals)
is 69. Actor Richard Hatch ("Battlestar Galactica") is 67. Musician
Bill Champlin is 65. Singer Leo Sayer is 64. Actress Carol Potter is
64. Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., is 61. Actor Mr. T is 60. Music
producer Stan Lynch is 57. Actor Judge Reinhold is 55.
Actor-director Nick Cassavetes is 53. Actor Brent Briscoe is 51.
Actress Lisa Edelstein is 46. Actress Fairuza Balk is 38. Rock
singer-musician Mikel Jollett (Airborne Toxic Event) is 38. Rapper
Havoc (Mobb Deep) is 38. Actress Ashlie Brillault is 25. Actor Scott
Leavenworth is 22. Actress Sarah Ramos is 21.
Thought for today: "Being frustrated is disagreeable, but the
real disasters of life begin when you get what you want." -- Irving
Kristol, American writer (1920-2009)
[Associated Press]
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