1 Today is Saturday, May 1, the 121st day of 1999. There are 244 days left in the year. - On May 1, 1960, the Soviet Union shot down an American U-2 reconnaissance plane near Sverdlovsk and captured its pilot, Francis Gary Powers. - In 1786, Mozart's opera "The Marriage of Figaro" premiered in Vienna. - In 1884, construction began on the first skyscraper, a 10-story structure in Chicago built by the Home Insurance Co. of New York. - In 1893, the World's Columbian Exposition was officially opened in Chicago by President Cleveland. - In 1898, Commodore George Dewey gave the command, "You may fire when you are ready, Gridley," as an American naval force destroyed a Spanish fleet in Manila Bay during the Spanish-American War. - In 1931, New York's 102-story Empire State Building was dedicated. - In 1931, singer Kate Smith began her long-running radio program on CBS. - In 1941, the Orson Welles motion picture "Citizen Kane" premiered in New York. - In 1948, the People's Democratic Republic of Korea (North Korea) was proclaimed. - In 1967, Anastasio Somoza Debayle became president of Nicaragua. - In 1971, Amtrak - which combined and streamlined the operations of 18 intercity passenger railroads - went into service. - Ten years ago: The Supreme Court ruled an employer has the legal burden of proving that its refusal to hire or promote someone is based on legitimate and not discriminatory reasons. - Five years ago: Israeli and PLO delegates opened a final round of talks in Cairo, Egypt, on Palestinian autonomy prior to the signing of an agreement on self-rule. - One year ago: Eldridge Cleaver, the fiery Black Panther leader who later renounced his past and became a Republican, died in Pomona, Calif., at age 62. Former Rwandan Prime Minister Jean Kambanda pleaded guilty to charges stemming from the 1994 genocide of more than 500,000 Tutsis. *Happy Birthday* - Actor Glenn Ford is 83. - TV personality Jack Paar is 81. - Actor Dan O'Herlihy is 80. - Author Joseph Heller is 76. - Former astronaut Scott Carpenter is 74. - Country singer Sonny James is 70. - Singer Judy Collins is 60. - Actor Stephen Macht is 57. - Singer Rita Coolidge is 54. - Actor-director Douglas Barr is 50. - Singer-songwriter Ray Parker Jr. is 45. - Former jockey Steve Cauthen is 39. - Country singer Wayne Hancock is 34.

2 Today is Sunday, May 2, the 122nd day of 1999. There are 243 days left in the year. - On May 2, 1863, Confederate Gen. Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson was accidentally wounded by his own men; he died eight days later. - In 1519, artist Leonardo da Vinci died at Cloux, France. - In 1670, the Hudson Bay Co. was chartered by England's King Charles II. - In 1890, the Oklahoma Territory was organized. - In 1932, Jack Benny's first radio show made its debut on the NBC Blue Network. - In 1936 "Peter and the Wolf," a symphonic tale for children by Sergei Prokofiev, had its world premiere in Moscow. - In 1945, the Soviet Union announced the fall of Berlin and the Allies announced the surrender of Nazi troops in Italy and parts of Austria. - In 1957, Sen. Joseph R. McCarthy, the controversial Republican from Wisconsin, died at Bethesda Naval Hospital in Maryland. - In 1960, convicted sex offender and best-selling author Caryl Chessman was executed at San Quentin Prison in California. - In 1965, the "Early Bird" satellite was used to transmit television pictures across the Atlantic. - In 1972, after serving 48 years as head of the FBI, J. Edgar Hoover died in Washington at age 77. - In 1974, former Vice President Spiro T. Agnew was disbarred by the Maryland Court of Appeals, effectively preventing him from practicing law anywhere in the U.S. - Ten years ago: At a Baltimore gathering, physicists said they were persuaded that claims of "cold fusion" were based on nothing more than experimental errors by scientists in Utah. - Five years ago: Nelson Mandela claimed victory in the wake of South Africa's first democratic elections; President F.W. de Klerk acknowledged defeat. - One year ago: In separate radio addresses, President Clinton and congressional Republicans lambasted the Internal Revenue Service and promised more reforms to prevent future abuses. "Real Quiet" won the Kentucky Derby. *Happy Birthday* - Actor Theodore Bikel is 75. - Actor Roscoe Lee Browne is 74. - Rock musician Link Wray is 64. - Comedy writer-voice actor Lorenzo Music is 62. - Bianca Jagger is 54. - Country singer R.C. Bannon is 54. - Singer Lesley Gore is 53. - Singer-songwriter Larry Gatlin is 51. - Rock singer Lou Gramm (Foreigner) is 49. - Actress Christine Baranski is 47. - Actress Elizabeth Berridge is 37. - Country singer Ty Herndon is 37. - Actress Jenna Von Oy is 22.

3 Today is Monday, May 3, the 123nd day of 1999. There are 242 days left in the year. - On May 3, 1802, Washington, D.C., was incorporated as a city. - In 1916, Irish nationalist Padraic Pearse and two others were executed by the British for their roles in the Easter Rising. - In 1921, West Virginia imposed the first state sales tax. - In 1944, U.S. wartime rationing of most grades of meats ended. - In 1945, Indian forces captured Rangoon, Burma, from the Japanese. - In 1948, the Supreme Court ruled covenants prohibiting the sale of real estate to blacks or members of other racial groups were legally unenforceable. - In 1971, anti-war protesters began four days of demonstrations in Washington, D.C., aimed at shutting down the nation's capital. - In 1978, "Sun Day" fell on a Wednesday as thousands of people extolling the virtues of solar energy held events across the country. - In 1979, Conservative Party leader Margaret Thatcher was chosen to become Britain's first female prime minister as the Tories ousted the incumbent Labor government in parliamentary elections. - In 1986, in NASA's first post-Challenger launch, an unmanned Delta rocket lost power in its main engine shortly after liftoff, forcing safety officers to destroy it by remote control. - Ten years ago: PLO leader Yasser Arafat, ending a two-day visit to France, said the PLO charter calling for the destruction of Israel had been "superseded" by a declaration urging peaceful coexistence of the Jewish state and a Palestinian state. - Five years ago: President Clinton presided over a televised forum from Atlanta, during which he denied suggestions he'd vacillated on foreign policy, but said global problems were more difficult than he'd imagined. - One year ago: Space shuttle Columbia and its crew returned to Earth, ending two weeks of lab work that advanced brain research. After a daylong squabble, European leaders meeting in Brussels, Belgium, agreed on Wim Duisenberg of the Netherlands as the chief of the new European Central Bank, but with the proviso that he step down in 2002 to make way for Frenchman Jean-Claude Trichet. "The Sevres Road," by landscape painter Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot, was stolen from the Louvre. *Happy Birthday* - Broadway librettist Betty Comden is 80. - Folk singer Pete Seeger is 80. - Country singer Dave Dudley is 71. - Singer James Brown is 66. - Singer Engelbert Humperdinck is 63. - Singer Frankie Valli is 62. - Sports announcer Greg Gumbel is 53. - Magician Doug Henning is 52. - Singer Christopher Cross is 48. - Country musician Cactus Moser (Highway 101) is 42. - Actress Jill Berard ("Hiller and Diller") is 9.

4 Today is Tuesday, May 4, the 124nd day of 1999. There are 241 days left in the year. - On May 4, 1942, the Battle of the Coral Sea, the first naval clash fought entirely with carrier aircraft, began during World War II. - In 1626, Dutch explorer Peter Minuit landed on present-day Manhattan Island. - In 1776, Rhode Island declared its freedom from England, two months before the Declaration of Independence was adopted. - In 1886, at Haymarket Square in Chicago, a labor demonstration for an 8-hour work day turned into a riot when a bomb exploded. - In 1916, responding to a demand from President Wilson, Germany agreed to limit its submarine warfare, thereby averting a diplomatic break with Washington. - In 1927, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences was founded. - In 1932, mobster Al Capone, convicted of income-tax evasion, entered the federal penitentiary in Atlanta. - In 1961, a group of "Freedom Riders" left Washington for New Orleans to challenge racial segregation in interstate buses and bus terminals. - In 1970, Ohio National Guardsmen opened fire on anti-war protesters at Kent State University, killing four students and wounding nine others. - In 1980, Marshal Josip Broz Tito, president of Yugoslavia, died three days before his 88th birthday. - Ten years ago: Fired White House aide Oliver North was convicted of shredding documents and two other crimes and acquitted of nine other charges stemming from the Iran-Contra affair. The three convictions were later overturned on appeal. - Five years ago: Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and PLO leader Yasser Arafat signed a historic accord on Palestinian autonomy that granted self-rule in the Gaza Strip and Jericho. - One year ago: Unabomber Theodore Kaczynski was given four life sentences plus 30 years by a federal judge in Sacramento, Calif., under a plea agreement that spared him the death penalty. In Vatican City, the commander of the Swiss Guard, Alois Estermann, and his wife were found shot to death in their apartment; a Vatican inquiry concluded that a corporal, Cedric Tornay, had shot the couple and then turned the gun on himself. *Happy Birthday* - The president of Egypt, Hosni Mubarak, is 71. - Jazz musician Maynard Ferguson is 71. - Opera singer Roberta Peters is 69. - Jazz musician Ron Carter is 62. - Rock musician Dick Dale is 62. - Singer Tyrone Davis is 61. - Singer-songwriter Nick Ashford is 57. - Actor Paul Gleason ("The Thin Red Line") is 55. - Pop singer Peggy Santiglia (The Angels) is 55. - Country singer Stella Parton is 50. - Actor-turned-clergyman Hilly Hicks is 49. - Singer Jackie Jackson (The Jacksons) is 48. - Country singer Randy Travis is 40.

5 Today is Wednesday, May 5, the 125th day of 1999. There are 240 days left in the year. - On May 5, 1961, astronaut Alan B. Shepard Jr. became America's first space traveler as he made a 15-minute, sub-orbital flight in a capsule launched from Cape Canaveral, Fla. - In 1818, political philosopher Karl Marx was born in Prussia. - In 1821, Napoleon Bonaparte died in exile on the island of St. Helena. - In 1891, Carnegie Hall (then named "Music Hall") had its opening night in New York City. - In 1893, panic hit the New York Stock Exchange; by year's end, the country was in the throes of a severe depression. - In 1925, John T. Scopes was arrested in Tennessee for teaching Darwin's theory of evolution. - In 1942, sales of sugar resumed in the U.S. under a rationing program. - In 1945, in the only fatal attack of its kind during World War II, a Japanese balloon bomb exploded on Gearhart Mountain in Oregon, killing the pregnant wife of a minister and five children. - In 1955, West Germany became a sovereign state. - In 1981, Irish Republican Army hunger-striker Bobby Sands died at the Maze Prison in Northern Ireland in his 66th day without food. - Ten years ago: A federal judge ordered sweeping changes in the FBI's promotion system, months after the judge found the bureau had systematically discriminated against its Hispanic employees in advancements and assignments. - Five years ago: Singapore caned American teen-ager Michael Fay for vandalism, a day after the sentence was reduced from six lashes to four in response to an appeal by President Clinton, who considered the punishment too harsh. - One year ago: An exasperated Secretary of State Madeleine Albright called on Israel to hand over an additional 13% of the West Bank to the Palestinians, on top of the 27% already relinquished. Israel, however, continued to balk at the proposal. *Happy Birthday* - Actress Ann B. Davis is 73. - Actress Pat Carroll is 72. - AFL-CIO president John J. Sweeney is 65. - Saxophonist Ace Cannon is 65. - Singer Johnnie Taylor is 61. - Country singer-musician Roni Stoneman is 61. - Actor Michael Murphy is 61. - Comedian-actor Michael Palin is 56. - Actor Jean-Pierre Leaud is 55. - Actor John Rhys-Davies is 55. - Actor Roger Rees is 55. - Actor Richard E. Grant is 42. - Actress Tina Yothers is 26. - Actress Danielle Fishel ("Boy Meets World") is 18.

6 Today is Thursday, May 6, the 126th day of 1999. There are 239 days left in the year. - On May 6, 1937, the hydrogen-filled German dirigible Hindenburg burned and crashed in Lakehurst, N.J., killing 35 of the 97 people on board and a Navy crewman on the ground. - In 1861, Arkansas seceded from the Union. - In 1889, the Paris Exposition formally opened, featuring the just-completed Eiffel Tower. - In 1935, the Works Progress Administration began operating. - In 1941, dictator Josef Stalin assumed the Soviet premiership, replacing Vyacheslav M. Molotov. - 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 1960, Britain's Princess Margaret married Anthony Armstrong-Jones, a commoner, at Westminster Abbey. They divorced in 1978. - In 1987, CIA Director William J. Casey died at age 74. - In 1992, actress Marlene Dietrich died at her Paris home at age 90. - In 1996, the body of former CIA Director William E. Colby was found washed up on a riverbank in southern Maryland, eight days after he'd disappeared. - Ten years ago: Sunday Silence scored an upset victory over Easy Goer in the 115th Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. - Five years ago: Former Arkansas state worker Paula Jones filed suit against President Clinton, alleging he'd sexually harassed her in 1991. - One year ago: Rep. Dan Burton, chairman of the House fund-raising inquiry, apologized to GOP colleagues for the furor over his release of selected portions of tapes of Webster Hubbell's prison conversations; Burton's top investigator departed, ordered fired by House Speaker Newt Gingrich. Astronomers announced the detection of a gamma ray burst in a galaxy 12 billion light years away that was equal to the energy expended by the sun in a trillion years. *Happy Birthday* - Baseball Hall-of-Famer Willie Mays is 68. - U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) is 65. - Rock singer Bob Seger is 54. - Singer Jimmie Dale Gilmore is 54. - Actor Ben Masters is 52. - Actor Gregg Henry is 47. - British Prime Minister Tony Blair is 46. - Actor George Clooney is 38. - Actress Roma Downey is 36. - Rock singer-musician Tony Scalzo (Fastball) is 35. - Rock musician Mark Bryan (Hootie and the Blowfish) is 32.

7 Today is Friday, May 7, the 127th day of 1999. There are 238 days left in the year. - On May 7, 1945, Germany signed an unconditional surrender at Allied headquarters in Rheims, France, to take effect the following day, ending the European conflict of World War II. - In 1789, the first inaugural ball was held in New York in honor of President and Mrs. George Washington. - In 1847, the American Medical Association was founded in Philadelphia. - In 1915, nearly 1,200 people died when a German torpedo sank the British liner Lusitania off the Irish coast. - In 1939, Germany and Italy announced a military and political alliance known as the Rome-Berlin Axis. - In 1941, Glenn Miller and His Orchestra recorded "Chattanooga Choo Choo" for RCA Victor. - In 1954, the 55-day Battle of Dien Bien Phu in Vietnam ended with Vietnamese insurgents overrunning French forces. - In 1975, President Ford formally declared an end to the "Vietnam era." In Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon, the Viet Cong staged a rally to celebrate their takeover. - In 1984, a $180 million out-of-court settlement was announced in the "Agent Orange" class-action suit brought by Vietnam veterans who charged they'd suffered injury from exposure to the defoliant. - In 1992, the space shuttle Endeavour blasted off on its maiden voyage. - Ten years ago: Both sides claimed victory in Panama's national elections, with the opposition also charging a pattern of fraud. - Five years ago: Norway's most famous painting, "The Scream," by Edvard Munch, was recovered almost three months after it was stolen from an Oslo museum. Go For Gin won the 120th Kentucky Derby. - One year ago: The parent company of Mercedes-Benz agreed to buy Chrysler Corp. for more than $37 billion. Londoners voted overwhelmingly to elect their own mayor for the first time in history. The mayoral election will take place in May 2000. *Happy Birthday* - Actor Darren McGavin is 77. - Singer Teresa Brewer is 68. - Senate Budget chairman Pete Domenici, R-N.M., is 67. - Football Hall-of-Famer Johnny Unitas is 66. - Singer Jimmy Ruffin is 60. - Singer Johnny Maestro is 60. - Actress Robin Strasser is 54. - Singer-songwriter Bill Danoff is 53. - NBC newsman Tim Russert is 49. - Actor Robert Hegyes is 48. - Movie writer-director Amy Heckerling ("Clueless") is 45. - Actor Michael E. Knight ("All My Children") is 40. - Rock musician Phil Campbell (Motorhead) is 38. - Rock singer-musician Chris O'Connor (Primitive Radio Gods) is 34. - Actress Traci Lords is 30.

8 Today is Saturday, May 8, the 128th day of 1999. There are 237 days left in the year. - On this day in history in 1987, Gary Hart, dogged by questions about his personal life, including his relationship with Miami model Donna Rice, withdrew from the race for the Democratic presidential nomination. - In 1541, Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto discovered the Mississippi River. - In 1794, Antoine-Laurent Lavoisier, the French chemist who identified oxygen, was guillotined in Paris by the Revolutionary Convention. - In 1846, the Battle of Palo Alto, the first major battle of the Mexican War, was won by Gen. Zachary Taylor and his American troops. - In 1884, Harry S. Truman, 33rd president of the United States (1945-53), was born. - In 1886, Dr. John Styth Pemberton unveiled the flavor syrup for Coca Cola. - In 1903, French post-impressionist painter Paul Gauguin died in Tahiti. - In 1921, Sweden abolished capital punishment. - In 1942, the Battle of the Coral Sea ended when a U.S. fleet turned back a Japanese invasion force heading for Port Moresby in New Guinea. - In 1945, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill told Britain as part of VE (Victory in Europe) Day celebrations that World War II had ended. President Truman broadcast the same to the American people. - In 1973, the siege of Wounded Knee in South Dakota ended peacefully as militant Indians who had occupied the tiny prairie settlement for almost 10 weeks began to file out and surrender to the authorities. - In 1978, "Son of Sam" killer David Berkowitz pleaded guilty in New York to murdering six people. - In 1985, the first cans of New Coke rolled out of bottling and canning plants. - In 1988, sci-fi writer Robert Heinlein ("Stranger in a Strange Land") died in Carmel, Calif., at age 80. *** Happy Birthday - TV producer/host Sir David Attenborough is 73. - Singer Philip Bailey (Earth, Wind and Fire) is 48. - Novelist Peter Benchley ("Jaws") is 59. - Jockey Angel Cordero Jr. is 57. - Actor Stephen Furst is 45. - Actress Melissa Gilbert is 35. - Actor David Keith is 45. - Comedian Don Rickles is 73. - Singer Toni Tennille is 56. - Rock drummer Alex Van Halen is 44.

9 Today is Mother's Day, May 9, the 129th day of 1999. There are 236 days left in the year. - On this day in history in 1962, The Beatles inked their first recording contract. George Martin was hired to be the group's producer and the band would record for EMI Parlophone. - In 1502, Christopher Columbus set out from Cadiz, Spain, on his fourth and last voyage to the Western Hemisphere. - In 1754, the first American newspaper cartoon was published. - In 1926, Americans Richard Byrd and Floyd Bennett became the first men to fly over the North Pole. - In 1936, Ethiopia was formally annexed by Italy. - In 1937, Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy started their own radio show on NBC. - In 1961, Jim Gentile of the Baltimore Orioles set a major-league baseball record by hitting grand slam home runs in two consecutive innings. - In 1974, the House Judiciary Committee opened hearings on whether to recommend the impeachment of President Nixon. - In 1980, a Liberian freighter rammed the Sunshine Skyway Bridge over Tampa Bay in Florida killing 35 motorists when a 1,400-foot section of the bridge collapsed. - In 1994, South Africa's newly elected parliament chose Nelson Mandela to be the country's first black president. *Happy Birthday* ---------------- - Actress Candice Bergen is 53. - Producer/director James L. Brooks is 59. - Actor Albert Finney is 63. - Singer Dave Gahan (Depeche Mode) is 34. - Actress/politician Glenda Jackson is 63. - Pianist Billy Joel is 50. - Actress Alley Mills is 48. - Mike Wallace, 81, CBS news correspondent.

10 Today is Monday, May 10, the 130th day of 1999. There are 235 days left in the year. - One hundred years ago, on May 10, 1899, movie musical star Fred Astaire was born in Omaha, Neb. - On this date in 1774, Louis the 16th ascended the throne of France. - In 1775, Ethan Allen and his Green Mountain Boys captured the British-held fortress at Ticonderoga, N.Y. - In 1818, American patriot Paul Revere died in Boston. - In 1865, Union forces captured Confederate President Jefferson Davis in Irwinville, Ga. - In 1869, a golden spike was driven at Promontory, Utah, marking the completion of the first transcontinental railroad in the United States. - In 1924, J. Edgar Hoover was given the job of FBI director. - In 1933, the Nazis staged massive public book burnings in Germany. - In 1941, Adolf Hitler's deputy, Rudolf Hess, parachuted into Scotland on what he claimed was a peace mission. (Hess ended up serving a life sentence at Spandau prison until 1987, when he apparently committed suicide.) - In 1968, preliminary Vietnam peace talks began in Paris. - In 1978, Britain's Princess Margaret and the Earl of Snowdon announced they were divorcing after 18 years of marriage. - Ten years ago: In Panama, the government of Gen. Manuel Antonio Noriega announced it had nullified the country's elections, which independent observers said the opposition had won by a 3-1 margin. - Five years ago: The state of Illinois executed convicted serial killer John Wayne Gacy for the murders of 33 young men and boys. Nelson Mandela took the oath of office to become South Africa's first black president. An annular, or "ring" eclipse, cast a moving shadow across the United States. - One year ago: The FAA grounded older models of the Boeing 737 after mandatory inspections of some aircraft found extensive wear in power lines through wing fuel tanks. Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams won full backing for the Northern Ireland peace accord in a fundamental reversal of decades-old policy. *** Today's Birthdays - Former House Speaker Carl Albert is 91. - Sportscaster Pat Summerall is 69. - TV and radio personality Gary Owens is 63. - Rhythm-and-blues singer Henry Fambrough (The Spinners) is 61. - Writer-producer-director Jim Abrahams is 55. - Singer Donovan Leitch is 53. - Singer Dave Mason is 53. - Rhythm-and-blues singer Ron Banks (The Dramatics) is 48. - Rock singer Bono (U2) is 39. - Rock musician Krist Novoselic (Nirvana) is 34. - Rapper Young MC is 32. - Rhythm-and-blues singer Jason Dalyrimple (Soul For Real) is 19.

11 On May 11, 1946, the first packages from the relief agency CARE (Cooperative for American Remittances to Europe) arrived in Europe, at Le Havre, France. - In 1647, Peter Stuyvesant arrived in New Amsterdam to become governor. - In 1858, Minnesota became the 32nd state of the Union. - In 1910, Glacier National Park in Montana was established. - In 1944, Allied forces launched a major offensive in central Italy. - In 1949, Israel was admitted to the United Nations as the world body's 59th member. - In 1949, Siam changed its named to Thailand. - In 1973, charges against Daniel Ellsberg for his role in the "Pentagon Papers" case were dismissed by Judge William M. Byrne, who cited government misconduct. - In 1985, more than 50 people died when a flash fire swept a jam-packed soccer stadium in Bradford, England. - In 1996, an Atlanta-bound ValuJet DC-9 caught fire shortly after takeoff from Miami and crashed into the Florida Everglades, killing all 110 people on board. - In 1997, the Deep Blue IBM computer demolished an overwhelmed Garry Kasparov and won the six-game chess match between man and machine in New York. - Ten years ago: Kenya announced it would seek a worldwide ban on the trade of ivory - a move intended to preserve its fast-dwindling elephant herds. - Five years ago: Arkansas put to death two convicted murderers; it was the first time a state executed two people on the same day since the U.S. Supreme Court allowed states to restore the death penalty in 1976. - One year ago: India set off three underground atomic blasts, its first nuclear tests in 24 years. Attorney General Janet Reno requested an independent counsel to investigate Labor Secretary Alexis Herman for alleged influence-peddling and solicitation of illegal campaign contributions. A French mint produced the first coins of Europe's single currency, the euro. *Happy Birthday* - Actor-comedian Foster Brooks is 87. - Comedian Mort Sahl is 72. - Rock singer Eric Burdon (The Animals; War) is 58. - Actress Frances Fisher is 47. - Actor Boyd Gaines is 46. - Country musician Mark Herndon (Alabama) is 44. - VJ Martha Quinn is 40. - Actress Natasha Richardson is 36. - Country singer-musician Tim Raybon (The Raybon Brothers) is 36. - Actor Austin O'Brien ("Promised Land") is 19. - Actor Jonathan Jackson is 17.

12 On May 12th, 1949, the Soviet Union announced an end to the Berlin Blockade. - In 1820, the founder of modern nursing, Florence Nightingale, was born in Florence, Italy. - In 1870, Manitoba entered Confederation as a Canadian province. - In 1932, the body of the kidnapped son of Charles and Anne Lindbergh was found in a wooded area of Hopewell, N.J. - In 1937, Britain's King George VI was crowned at Westminster Abbey. - In 1943, during World War II, Axis forces in North Africa surrendered. - In 1965, West Germany and Israel exchanged letters establishing diplomatic relations. - In 1970, the Senate voted unanimously to confirm Harry A. Blackmun as a Supreme Court justice. - In 1975, the White House announced the new Cambodian government had seized an American merchant ship, the "Mayaguez," in international waters. - In 1978, the Commerce Department said hurricanes would no longer be given only female names. - In 1982, in Fatima, Portugal, security guards overpowered a Spanish priest armed with a bayonet and trying to reach Pope John Paul II. - Ten years ago: The nation's largest airline computer reservation system, the American Airlines Sabre system, shut down for nearly 12 hours, disrupting the operations of thousands of travel agencies nationwide. - Five years ago: The Senate joined the House in passing a bill banning blockades, violence and threats against clinics where abortions were being performed. British Labor Party leader John Smith died unexpectedly at age 55. - One year ago: A day after India's first atomic test blasts in 24 years, neighboring Pakistan said it was ready to test a nuclear device itself. Indonesian President Suharto's security forces killed at least six student demonstrators. *Happy Birthday* - Actress Katharine Hepburn is 92. - Journalist Howard K. Smith is 85. - Critic John Simon is 74. - Baseball Hall-of-Famer Yogi Berra is 74. - Composer Burt Bacharach is 70. - Former talk show host Tom Snyder is 63. - Comedian George Carlin is 62. - Actress Millie Perkins is 61. - Former White House press secretary Ronald L. Ziegler is 60. - Rock singer-composer Ian Dury is 57. - Country singer Billy Swan is 57. - Actress Linda Dano is 56. - Musician Ian McLagan (Small Faces; The Faces) is 54. - Actress Lindsay Crouse is 51. - Singer-musician Steve Winwood is 51. - Actor Gabriel Byrne is 49. - Actor Bruce Boxleitner is 49. - Singer Billy Squier is 49. - Country singer Kix Brooks (Brooks and Dunn) is 44. - Actress Kim Greist is 41. - Actor Ving Rhames is 38. - Rock musician Billy Duffy (The Cult) is 38. - Actor Emilio Estevez is 37. - Actress Vanessa Williams ("Melrose Place") is 36. - Country musician Eddie Kilgallon (Ricochet) is 34. - Actor Stephen Baldwin is 33. - Actress Kim Fields Freeman is 30. - Actress Samantha Mathis is 29. - Actress Jamie Luner is 28. - Actor Mackenzie Astin is 26. - Singer Melanie "Sporty Spice" Chisholm (Spice Girls) is 23.

13 - On May 13th, 1607, the English colony at Jamestown, Va., was settled. - In 1842, composer Sir Arthur Sullivan, who collaborated with Sir William Gilbert in writing 14 comic operas, was born in London. - In 1846, the U.S. declared a state of war already existed against Mexico. - In 1917, three peasant children near Fatima, Portugal, reported seeing a vision of the Virgin Mary. - In 1918, the first U.S. airmail stamps, featuring a picture of an airplane, were introduced. (The airplane was printed upside-down on some stamps, making them collector's items.) - In 1940, in his first speech as prime minister of Britain, Winston Churchill told the House of Commons, "I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat." - In 1954, President Eisenhower signed into law the St. Lawrence Seaway Development Act. - In 1954, the musical play "The Pajama Game" opened on Broadway. - In 1958, Vice President Nixon's limousine was battered by rocks thrown by anti-U.S. demonstrators in Caracas, Venezuela. - In 1981, Pope John Paul II was shot and seriously wounded in St. Peter's Square by Turkish assailant Mehmet Ali Agca. - In 1985, a confrontation between Philadelphia authorities and the radical group "MOVE" ended as police dropped an explosive onto the group's headquarters; 11 people died in the resulting fire. - Ten years ago: In unusually strong language, President Bush called on the people of Panama and the country's defense forces to overthrow their military leader, Gen. Manuel Antonio Noriega. - Five years ago: President Clinton nominated federal appeals Judge Stephen G. Breyer to the U.S. Supreme Court to replace retiring Justice Harry A. Blackmun. - One year ago: President Clinton ordered harsh sanctions against an unapologetic India, which undertook a second round of nuclear tests despite global criticism. *Happy Birthday* - Actress Beatrice Arthur is 73. - Critic Clive Barnes is 72. - Director-choreographer Herbert Ross is 72. - Actor Harvey Keitel is 60. - Actor Franklin Ajaye is 50. - Singer Stevie Wonder is 49. - Basketball player Dennis Rodman is 38. - Actress Julianne Phillips is 37. - Country singer Lari White is 34. - Singer Darius Rucker (Hootie and the Blowfish) is 33.

14 - On May 14, 1948, the independent state of Israel was proclaimed in Tel Aviv as British rule in Palestine came to an end. - In 1643, Louis the 14th became King of France at age 4 upon the death of his father, Louis the 13th. - In 1796, English physician Edward Jenner administered the first vaccination against smallpox to an 8-year-old boy. - In 1804, the Lewis and Clark expedition to explore the Louisiana Territory left St. Louis. - In 1904, the first Olympic games to be held in the U.S. opened in St. Louis. - In 1942, Aaron Copland's "Lincoln Portrait" was first performed by the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. - In 1942, the Women's Auxiliary Army Corps was established. - In 1955, representatives from eight Communist bloc countries, including the Soviet Union, signed the Warsaw Pact in Poland. - In 1973, the U.S. launched Skylab I, its first manned space station. - In 1975, U.S. forces raided the Cambodian island of Koh Tang and recaptured the American merchant ship Mayaguez. All 40 crew members were released safely by Cambodia, but some 40 U.S. servicemen were killed in the military operation. - In 1980, President Carter inaugurated the Department of Health and Human Services. - Ten years ago: Peronist candidate Carlos Saul Menem won Argentina's presidential election. - Five years ago: The West Bank town of Jericho saw its first full day of Palestinian self-rule following the withdrawal of Israeli troops, an event celebrated by Palestinians. - One year ago: 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. The Associated Press commemorated its 150th anniversary. *Happy Birthday* - Opera singer Patrice Munsel is 74. - Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., is 57. - Rock singer-musician Jack Bruce (Cream) is 56. - Movie producer George Lucas ("Star Wars") is 55. - Actress Meg Foster is 51. - Actress Season Hubley is 48. - Rock singer David Byrne is 47. - Movie director Robert Zemeckis is 47. - Actor Tim Roth is 38. - Rock singer Ian Astbury (The Cult) is 37. - Rock musician C.C. DeVille is 37. - Rock musician Mike Inez (Alice In Chains) is 33. - Fabrice Morvan of Milli Vanilli is 33. - Actress Cate Blanchett ("Elizabeth") is 30. - Singer Danny Wood (New Kids on the Block) is 30. - Singer Natalie Appleton (All Saints) is 26. - Singer Shanice is 26.

15 On this day in 1948, just hours after gaining its independence, Israel was attacked by Jordan, Egypt, Syria, Iraq and Lebanon. - In 1602, Cape Cod was discovered by English navigator Bartholomew Gosnold. - In 1718, James Puckle, a London lawyer, patented the world's first machine gun. - In 1856, author Frank L. Baum was born; he was best known for the "Wonderful Wizard of Oz." - In 1859, chemist/physicist Pierre Curie was born. - In 1862, the U.S. Department Of Agriculture was formed. - In 1886, poet Emily Dickinson died in Amherst, Mass. She wrote at least 800 poems, all but five of which remained unpublished until after her death. - In 1911, the Supreme Court ordered Standard Oil Co. to dissolve because it was in violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act. - In 1918, the world's first airmail postal service began between New York, Philadelphia and Washington, using planes supplied by the U.S. War Department. - In 1926, the New York Rangers joined the National Hockey League. - In 1930, Ellen Church became the first airline flight attendant, flying on a United Airlines flight between San Francisco and Cheyenne, Wyo. - In 1940, nylon stockings went on sale for the first time in the United States. - In 1941, Joe DiMaggio began his historic Major League hitting streak which ended 56 games later. - In 1957, Britain dropped its first hydrogen bomb on Christmas Island in the Pacific. - In 1970, two black students at Jackson State University in Mississippi were killed when police opened fire during student protests. - In 1972, Alabama Gov. George C. Wallace was shot by Arthur Bremer and left paralyzed while campaigning in Maryland for the Democratic presidential nomination. - In 1988, Moscow began withdrawing its 115,000 troops in Afghanistan. *Happy Birthday* ---------------- - Secretary of State Madeleine Albright is 62. - Country singer/musician Eddy Arnold is 81. - Hall of fame baseball player George Brett is 46. - Actor David Charvet is 27. - Musician Brian Eno is 51. - Actor Lee Horsley ("Matt Houston") is 44. - Actress/singer Lainie Kazan is 57. - Singer/musician Trini Lopez is 62. - Actor Chazz Palminteri is 48. - Musician Ahmet Zappa is 25.

16 On this day in 1988, Surgeon General C. Everett Koop released a report saying nicotine was addictive in ways similar to heroin and cocaine. - In 1770, 14-year-old Marie Antoinette married 15-year-old future King Louis XVI of France. - In 1817, Mississippi River steamboat service began. - In 1862, Jean Joseph Etienne Lenoir built the first automobile. - In 1866, Charles Elmer Hires invented root beer. - In 1866, Congress authorized the 5-cent piece called a nickel. - In 1868, by one vote, the Senate failed to impeach President Andrew Johnson. - In 1869, baseball's first all-pro team, the Cincinnati Reds, played their first baseball game. - In 1891, Geo. A. Hormel & Co. introduced Spam. - In 1929, the first Academy Awards were given. - In 1920, Joan of Arc was canonized in Rome. - In 1927, the Supreme Court ruled bootleggers must pay income tax. - In 1938, the first animal breeding society was organized in New Jersey. - In 1939, food stamps were first issued. - In 1941, the Germans made their last major air attack on Britain. - In 1943, Jewish resistance in the Warsaw ghetto ended after 30 days of fighting. - In 1960, a Big Four summit in Paris collapsed when the Soviet Union charged the U.S. with spying. - In 1963, Astronaut Gordon Cooper completed 22 orbits in Faith 7, ending Project Mercury. - In 1965, Spaghetti-O's were first sold. - In 1969, the U.S. nuclear submarine "Guitarro" sank in San Francisco Bay. Venera 5 landed on Venus and returned information on its atmosphere. - In 1975, Japanese climber Junko Tabei became the first woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest. - In 1983, Lebanon's Parliament and the Israeli Knesset approved a U.S.-sponsored accord for the withdrawal of foreign troops, including Israeli soldiers, from Lebanon. - In 1985, Michael Jordan was named Rookie of the Year in the National Basketball Association. - In 1987, the "Bobro 400," a barge carrying 3,200 tons of garbage, set sail from New York, beginning an 8-week search for a dumping site. The search was unsuccessful. - In 1988, Surgeon General C. Everett Koop released a report saying nicotine was addictive in ways similar to heroin and cocaine. - In 1989, Soviet president Mikhail S. Gorbachev and Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping ended a 30-year rift when they formally met in Beijing. - In 1991, Queen Elizabeth II addressed the U.S. Congress, the first British monarch to do so. - In 1992, the space shuttle "Endeavour" completed its maiden voyage. - In 1995, Japanese police arrested cult leader Shoko Asahara and charged him with the nerve-gas attack on Tokyo's subways two months earlier. *Happy Birthday* ---------------- - Actor Pierce Brosnan is 47. - Actress Tracey Gold is 30. - singer Janet Jackson is 33. - Olympic gymnastics gold medalist Olga Korbut is 44. - Tennis player Gabriella Sabatini is 29. - Actress Tori Spelling is 26. - Author/journalist Studs Terkel is 87.

17 On May 17, 1954, the Supreme Court issued its landmark "Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka" ruling, which held that racially segregated public schools were inherently unequal. - In 1792, the New York Stock Exchange was founded by brokers meeting under a tree located on what is now Wall Street. - In 1814, Norway's constitution was signed, providing for a limited monarchy. - In 1849, a fire in St. Louis, Mo., destroyed more than 400 buildings and two dozen steamships. - In 1938, Congress passed the Vinson Naval Act, providing for a two-ocean navy. - In 1939, Britain's King George VI and Queen Elizabeth arrived in Quebec on the first visit to Canada by reigning British sovereigns. - In 1940, the Nazis occupied Brussels, Belgium, during World War II. - In 1946, President Truman seized control of the nation's railroads, delaying a threatened strike by engineers and trainmen. - In 1948, the Soviet Union recognized the new state of Israel. - In 1973, the Senate opened its hearings into the Watergate scandal. - In 1987, 37 American sailors were killed when an Iraqi warplane attacked the U.S. Navy frigate Stark in the Persian Gulf. Iraq and the U.S. called the attack a mistake. - Ten years ago: More than 1 million people swarmed into central Beijing to express support for Chinese students fasting for democracy. A court in Frankfurt, West Germany, sentenced Mohammed Ali Hamadi to life in prison for his role in the 1985 TWA hijacking. - Five years ago: The U.N. Security Council approved a peacekeeping force and an arms embargo for violence-racked Rwanda. - One year ago: Leaders of the Group of Eight nations ended their summit in Birmingham, England, with a plea to Pakistan not to respond in kind to India's five nuclear explosions. New York Yankees pitcher David Wells became the 13th player in modern major league baseball history to throw a perfect game as he retired all 27 batters he faced in a 4-0 victory over the Minnesota Twins. *** Today's Birthdays - Former Watergate special prosecutor Archibald Cox is 87. - Opera singer Birgit Nilsson is 81. - Actor-director Dennis Hopper is 63. - Rhythm-and-blues singer Pervis Jackson (The Spinners) is 61. - Singer Taj Mahal is 57. - Singer-songwriter Jesse Winchester is 55. - Actor Bill Paxton is 44. - Boxing Hall-of-Famer Sugar Ray Leonard is 43. - Actor-comedian Bob Saget is 43. - Singer Enya is 38. - Singer-musician Trent Reznor (Nine Inch Nails) is 34. - Rhythm-and-blues musician O'Dell (Mint Condition) is 34. - Singer Jordan Knight (New Kids on the Block) is 29. - Rhythm-and-blues singer Darnell Van Rensalier (Shai) is 29. - Rhythm-and-blues singer Kandi Burruss (Xscape) is 23. - Actor Tahj Mowry ("Smart Guy") is 13.

18 On May 18, 1896, the Supreme Court endorsed the concept of "separate but equal" racial segregation with its "Plessy v. Ferguson" decision, a ruling that was overturned 58 years later in the case of "Brown v. Board of Education." - In 1642, the Canadian city of Montreal was founded. - In 1804, the French Senate proclaimed Napoleon Bonaparte emperor. - In 1897, a public reading of Bram Stoker's new novel, "Dracula, or, The Un-dead," was staged in London. - In 1899, the First Hague Peace Conference opened in the Netherlands. - In 1926, evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson vanished while visiting a beach in Venice, Calif.; she reappeared a month later, claiming to have been kidnapped. - In 1933, the Tennessee Valley Authority was created. - In 1951, the United Nations moved out of its temporary headquarters in Lake Success, N.Y., for its permanent home in Manhattan. - In 1953, Jacqueline Cochran became the first woman to break the sound barrier as she piloted a North American F-86 Canadair over Rogers Dry Lake, Calif. - In 1969, astronauts Eugene A. Cernan, Thomas P. Stafford and John W. Young blasted off aboard Apollo X. - In 1980, the Mount St. Helens volcano in Washington state exploded, leaving 57 people dead or missing. -Ten years ago: Soviet President Mikhail S. Gorbachev concluded his historic visit to China, which officially marked the end of a 30-year Sino-Soviet rift. - Five years ago: Israel's three decades of occupation in the Gaza Strip ended as Israeli troops completed their withdrawal and Palestinian authorities took over. - One year ago: The government filed an antitrust case against Microsoft Corp. The Supreme Court, in a sweeping endorsement of broadcasters' free-speech rights and journalistic discretion, ruled that even public stations owned and run by states need not invite marginal candidates to political debates they sponsor. *Happy Birthday* - Singer Perry Como is 87. - Pope John Paul II is 79. - Actor Bill Macy is 77. - Sportscaster Jack Whitaker is 75. - Actor Pernell Roberts is 69. - Actor Robert Morse is 68. - Actor and television executive Dwayne Hickman is 65. - Baseball Hall-of-Famer Brooks Robinson is 62. - Bluegrass singer-musician Rodney Dillard (The Dillards) is 57. - Baseball Hall-of-Famer Reggie Jackson is 53. - Country singer Joe Bonsall (The Oak Ridge Boys) is 51. - Actress Candice Azzara ("Caroline in the City") is 50. - Rock musician Rick Wakeman (Yes) is 50. - Actor James Stephens is 48. - Country singer George Strait is 47. - Rhythm-and-blues singer Butch Tavares (Tavares) is 46. - Rock singer-musician Page Hamilton (Helmet) is 39. - Rapper Special Ed is 25. - Rhythm-and-blues singer Darryl Allen (Mista) is 19. - Actor Spencer Breslin ("Soul Man") is 7.

19 On May 19, 1536, Anne Boleyn, the second wife of England's King Henry VIII, was beheaded after she was convicted of adultery. - In 1588, the Spanish Armada set sail for England; it was soundly defeated by the English fleet the following August. - In 1643, delegates from four New England colonies met in Boston to form a confederation. - In 1906, the Federated Boys' Clubs, forerunner of the Boys' Clubs of America, were organized. - In 1921, Congress passed the Emergency Quota Act, which established national quotas for immigrants. - In 1935, T.E. Lawrence, also known as Lawrence of Arabia, died in England from injuries sustained in a motorcycle crash. - In 1943, in an address to the U.S. Congress, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill pledged his country's full support in the war against Japan. - In 1958, the U.S. and Canada formally established the North American Air Defense Command. - In 1964, the State Department disclosed that 40 hidden microphones had been found in the U.S. embassy in Moscow. - In 1967, the Soviet Union ratified a treaty with the U.S. and Britain banning nuclear weapons from outer space. - In 1992, the 27th Amendment to the Constitution, which prohibits Congress from giving itself mid-term pay raises, went into effect. - Ten years ago: The NCAA announced sanctions against the University of Kentucky's basketball program for recruiting and academic violations. On Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial Average passed the 2500 mark, ending the day at 2,501.10. - Five years ago: Former first lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis died in New York at age 64. President Clinton held a news conference in which he defended his foreign policy against suggestions he improvises it from crisis to crisis, saying, "I continue to look for new solutions." - One year ago: Millions of pagers nationwide stopped working when a communications satellite, the Galaxy IV, suddenly lost track of Earth. Bandits stole three of Rome's most important paintings, two by van Gogh and one by Cezanne, from the National Gallery of Modern Art. *Happy Birthday* - PBS newscaster Jim Lehrer is 65. - TV personality David Hartman is 64. - Actor James Fox is 60. - Actress Nancy Kwan is 60. - Singer-songwriter Mickey Newbury is 59. - Author-director Nora Ephron is 58. - Rock singer-composer Pete Townshend (The Who) is 54. - Rock musician Phil Rudd (AC-DC) is 53. - Concert pianist David Helfgott is 52. - Rock singer-musician Dusty Hill (ZZ Top) is 50. - Singer-actress Grace Jones is 47. - Rock singer Joey Ramone (The Ramones) is 47. - Baseball catcher Rick Cerone is 45. - Actor Steven Ford is 43. - Rock musician Iain Harvie (Del Amitri) is 37. - Rock singer Jenny Berggren (Ace of Base) is 27. - Actor Eric Lloyd ("Jesse") is 13.

20 In 1861, the capital of the Confederacy was moved from Montgomery, Ala., to Richmond, Va. - In 1902, the U.S. ended its occupation of Cuba. - In 1932, Amelia Earhart took off from Newfoundland for Ireland to become the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic. - In 1939, regular transatlantic air service began as a Pan American Airways plane, the Yankee Clipper, took off from Port Washington, N.Y., bound for Europe. - In 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. - In 1969, U.S. and South Vietnamese forces captured Apbia 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. - Ten years ago: During China's pro-democracy protests, Beijing officials ordered CBS and CNN to end their live on-scene reports. Comedian Gilda Radner died in Los Angeles at age 42. - Five years ago: Tributes poured in following the death of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. President Clinton said of the former first lady, "She captivated our nation and the world with her intelligence, her elegance and her grace." - One year ago: The House voted overwhelmingly to block future satellite exports to China. The government unveiled the design for the new $20 bill, featuring a larger and slightly off-center portrait of Andrew Jackson. In Beverly Hills, Calif., Hollywood royalty bid farewell to Frank Sinatra, who had died almost a week earlier at age 82, in a private, invitation-only funeral. *Happy Birthday* - Actor James McEachin is 69. - Actor Anthony Zerbe is 63. - Singer Joe Cocker is 55. - Singer-actress Cher is 53. - Actor-comedian Dave Thomas is 50. - Musician Warren Cann is 47. - Actor Dean Butler is 43. - Ron Reagan is 41. - Rock musician Jane Wiedlin (The Go-Go's) is 41. - Actor Bronson Pinchot is 40. - Actor Tony Goldwyn is 39. - Singer Susan Cowsill (The Cowsills) is 39. - Singer Nick Heyward is 38. - Actress Mindy Cohn is 33. - Rock musician Tom Gorman (Belly) is 33. - Rapper Buster Rhymes is 27.

21 On May 21, 1927, Charles A. Lindbergh landed his Spirit of St. Louis near Paris, completing the first solo airplane flight across the Atlantic Ocean. - In 1542, Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto died while searching for gold along the Mississippi River. - In 1832, the first Democratic National Convention got under way in Baltimore. - In 1840, New Zealand was declared a British colony. - In 1881, Clara Barton founded the American Red Cross. - In 1924, 14-year-old Bobby Franks was murdered in a "thrill killing" committed by Nathan Leopold Jr. and Richard Loeb, two students at the University of Chicago. - In 1956, the U.S. 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. - In 1968, the nuclear-powered U.S. submarine Scorpion, with 99 men aboard, was last heard from. The remains were later found on the ocean floor 400 miles southwest of the Azores. - In 1979, former San Francisco City Supervisor Dan White was convicted of voluntary manslaughter in the slayings of Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk. - In 1991, former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated during national elections by a suicide bomber. - Ten years ago: Thousands of native Chinese marched in Hong Kong, Paris, Tokyo and scores of other cities in a worldwide show of support for the pro-democracy demonstrators in Beijing. - Five years ago: Israeli commandos swept into Lebanon's eastern mountains and abducted Mustafa Dirani, a Shiite Muslim guerrilla leader. - One year ago: A gunman opened fire inside Thurston High School in Springfield, Ore., killing two students; the suspect, Kip Kinkel, is also accused of killing his parents a day earlier. In the wake of deadly anti-government protests, Indonesia President Suharto stepped down after 32 years in power and was succeeded by Vice President B.J. Habibie. Frank and Shirley Capaci of Streamwood, Ill., announced they were holding a winning Powerball ticket worth $195 million. *Happy Birthday* - Actor Anthony Steel is 79. - Actor Rick Jason is 73. - Actor David Groh is 60. - Rhythm-and-blues singer Ron Isley (The Isley Brothers) is 58. - Musician Bill Champlin (Chicago) is 52. - Singer Leo Sayer is 51. - Actress Carol Potter is 51. - Actor Mr. T is 47. - Music producer Stan Lynch is 44. - Actor Judge Reinhold is 42. - Jazz musician Christian McBride is 27.

22 On May 22, 1819, the first steam-propelled vessel to attempt a transatlantic crossing, the Savannah, departed from Savannah, Ga. It arrived June 20 in Liverpool, England. - In 1761, the first life insurance policy in the U.S. was issued in Philadelphia. - In 1813, composer Richard Wagner was born in Leipzig, Germany. - In 1868, the Great Train Robbery took place near Marshfield, Ind., as seven members of the Reno gang made off with $96,000 in loot. - In 1939, Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini signed a "Pact of Steel" committing Germany and Italy to a military alliance. - In 1947, the Truman Doctrine was enacted as Congress appropriated military and economic aid for Greece and Turkey. - In 1969, the lunar module of Apollo X flew to within nine miles of the moon's surface in a dress rehearsal for the first lunar landing. - In 1972, the island nation of Ceylon became the Republic of Sri Lanka. - In 1979, Canadians voted in parliamentary elections that put the Progressive Conservatives in power, ending the 11-year tenure of Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau. - In 1990, pro-Western North Yemen and pro-Soviet South Yemen merged to form a single nation, the Republic of Yemen. - In 1992, after a reign lasting nearly 30 years, Johnny Carson hosted NBC's "Tonight Show" for the last time. - Ten years ago: More than 100 top Chinese military leaders vowed to refrain from entering Beijing to suppress pro-democracy demonstrations. - Five years ago: A worldwide trade embargo against Haiti went into effect to punish Haiti's military rulers for not reinstating the country's ousted elected leader, Jean-Bertrand Aristide. - One year ago: Federal Judge Norma Holloway Johnson ruled that Secret Service agents could be compelled to testify before the grand jury in the Monica Lewinsky investigation. Voters in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland turned out in force to cast ballots giving resounding approval to a Northern Ireland peace accord. *Happy Birthday* - Movie reviewer Judith Crist is 77. - Singer Charles Aznavour is 75. - Actor Michael Constantine is 72. - Conductor Peter Nero is 65. - Actor-director Richard Benjamin is 61. - Actor Frank Converse is 61. - Actor Michael Sarrazin is 59. - Actor Paul Winfield is 58. - Actress Barbara Parkins is 57. - Songwriter Bernie Taupin is 49. - Actor Al Corley ("Dynasty") is 43. - Singer Morrissey is 40. - Country musician Dana Williams (Diamond Rio) is 38. - Rock musician Jesse Valenzuela is 37. - Rhythm-and-blues singer Johnny Gill (New Edition) is 33. - Rock musician Dan Roberts (Crash Test Dummies) is 32. - Model Naomi Campbell is 29. - Actress Alison Eastwood is 27. - Singer Donell Jones is 26. - Actress A.J. Langer is 25.

23 On May 23, 1934, bank robbers Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow were shot to death in a police ambush as they drove a stolen Ford Deluxe along a road in Louisiana. - In 1430, Joan of Arc was captured by the Burgundians, who sold her to the English. - In 1533, the marriage of England's King Henry VIII to Catherine of Aragon was declared null and void. - In 1701, Capt. William Kidd was hanged in London after he was convicted of piracy and murder. - In 1788, South Carolina became the eighth state to ratify the Constitution. - In 1873, Canada's North West Mounted Police force was established. - In 1915, Italy declared war on Austria-Hungary in World War I. - In 1937 industrialist John D. Rockefeller died in Ormond Beach, Fla. - In 1944, during World War II, Allied forces bogged down in Anzio began a major breakout offensive. - In 1945, Nazi official Heinrich Himmler committed suicide while imprisoned in Luneburg, Germany. - In 1960, Israel announced it had captured former Nazi official Adolf Eichmann in Argentina. - Ten years ago: An estimated 1 million people in Beijing and tens of thousands in other Chinese cities marched to demand that Premier Li Peng resign. - Five years ago: Funeral services were held at Arlington National Cemetery for Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. "Pulp Fiction" by American director Quentin Tarantino won the Golden Palm for best film at the 47th Cannes Film Festival. - One year ago: Official returns showed two convincing "yes" votes for the Northern Ireland peace accord: a surprisingly strong 71.1% in British-linked Northern Ireland, and 94.4% in the Republic of Ireland. *Happy Birthday* - Bandleader Artie Shaw is 89. - Actress Betty Garrett is 80. - Pianist Alicia de Larrocha is 76. - Bluegrass singer Mac Wiseman is 74. - Singer Rosemary Clooney is 71. - Actor Nigel Davenport is 71. - Actress Barbara Barrie is 68. - Actress Joan Collins is 66. - Actor Charles Kimbrough is 63. - Rhythm-and-blues singer General Johnson is 56. - Actress Lauren Chapin is 54. - Country singer Judy Rodman is 48. - Boxer Marvelous Marvin Hagler is 47. - Actor-comedian Drew Carey is 41. - Country singer Shelley West is 41. - Actor Linden Ashby ("Melrose Place") is 39. - Rock musician Phil Selway (Radiohead) is 32. - Singer Lorenzo is 27. - Singer Maxwell is 26. - Singer Jewel is 25.

24 On May 24, 1844 Samuel F.B. Morse transmitted the message, "What hath God wrought?" from Washington to Baltimore as he formally opened America's first telegraph line. - In 1819 Queen Victoria was born in London. - In 1830 the first passenger railroad in the U.S. began service between Baltimore and Elliott's Mills, Md. - In 1881 some 200 people died when the Canadian ferry "Princess Victoria" sank near London, Ontario. - In 1883 the Brooklyn Bridge, linking Brooklyn and Manhattan, was opened to traffic. - In 1941 the German battleship "Bismarck" sank the British dreadnought "Hood" in the North Atlantic. - In 1958 United Press International was formed through a merger of the United Press and the International News Service. - In 1976 Britain and France opened transatlantic Concorde service to Washington. - In 1977 in a surprise move, the Kremlin ousted Soviet President Nikolai Podgorny from the Communist Party's ruling Politburo. - In 1980 Iran rejected a call by the World Court in The Hague to release the American hostages. - Ten years ago China's top army command published a letter strongly supporting hardline Premier Li Peng, who was reportedly locked in a power struggle with rival factions who opposed his strong stance against student protesters. - Five years ago four men convicted of bombing New York's World Trade Center were each sentenced to 240 years in prison. The U.S. and Japan agreed to revive efforts to pry open Japanese markets to U.S. goods. - One year ago a Greek film, "Eternity and a Day," won the Golden Palm at the 51st Cannes Film Festival, while the runner-up Grand Prize went to "Life is Beautiful" directed by and starring Italy's Roberto Benigni. *Happy Birthday* - Comedian Tommy Chong is 61. - Singer Bob Dylan is 58. - Actor Gary Burghoff is 56. - Singer Patti LaBelle is 55. - Actress Priscilla Presley is 54. - Country singer Mike Reid is 52. - Actor Alfred Molina is 46. - Singer Rosanne Cash is 44. - Actress Kristin Scott Thomas is 39. - Actor-dancer Gene Anthony Ray is 36. - Rock musician Vivian Trimble is 36. - Rapper-recording executive Heavy D is 32. - Rock musician Rich Robinson (The Black Crowes) is 30. - Actor Billy L. Sullivan ("Something So Right") is 19.

25 On May 25, 1979 275 people died in America's worst domestic air disaster when an American Airlines DC-10 crashed during takeoff at Chicago's O'Hare airport. - In 1787 the Constitutional Convention was convened in Philadelphia after enough delegates had shown up for a quorum. - In 1810 Argentina began its revolt against Spain. - In 1844 the first telegraphed news dispatch, sent from Washington to Baltimore, appeared in the Baltimore Patriot. - In 1895 playwright Oscar Wilde was convicted of a morals charge in London and sentenced to prison. - 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, King Abdullah Ibn Ul-Hussein. - In 1961 President Kennedy asked 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. - In 1968 the Gateway Arch, part of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial in St. Louis, was dedicated. - In 1992 Jay Leno made his debut as full-time host of NBC's "Tonight Show," succeeding Johnny Carson. - Ten years ago the Calgary Flames won their first Stanley Cup by defeating the Montreal Canadiens in game six of their championship series. - Five years ago the UN Security Council lifted a 10-year-old ban on weapons exports from South Africa, scrapping the last of its apartheid-era embargoes. - One year ago Indonesia's new president, B.J. Habibie, promised to hold elections. Leaders in the former Soviet republic of Georgia and its breakaway province of Abkhazia agreed to a cease-fire after a week of fighting. *Happy Birthday* - Lyricist Hal David is 78. - Actress Jeanne Crain is 74. - Author Robert Ludlum is 72. - Former opera singer Beverly Sills is 70. - Former White House news secretary Ron Nessen is 65. - Country singer-songwriter Tom T. Hall is 63. - Actor Sir Ian McKellen is 60. - Actress Dixie Carter is 60. - Country singer Jessi Colter is 56. - Actress-singer Leslie Uggams is 56. - Movie director and Muppeteer Frank Oz is 55. - Actress Karen Valentine is 52. - Rock singer Klaus Meine (The Scorpions) is 51. - Actress Patti D'Arbanville is 48. - Actress Connie Sellecca is 44. - Rock singer-musician Paul Weller is 41. - Actor-comedian Mike Myers is 36. - Actress Anne Heche is 30. - Actor Jamie Kennedy is 29. - Singer Lauryn Hill is 24.

26 On May 26, 1868 the impeachment trial of President Andrew Johnson ended with his acquittal on all remaining charges as the Senate again fell one vote short of the two-thirds majority required for conviction. - In 1521 Martin Luther was banned by the Edict of Worms because of his religious beliefs and writings. - In 1805 Napoleon Bonaparte was crowned king of Italy. - In 1865 arrangements were made in New Orleans for the surrender of Confederate forces west of the Mississippi. - In 1913 Actors' Equity Association was organized. - In 1940 the evacuation of Allied troops from Dunkirk, France, began during World War II. - In 1960 U.N. Ambassador Henry Cabot Lodge accused the Soviets of hiding a microphone inside a wood carving of the Great Seal of the United States they presented to the U.S. embassy in Moscow. - In 1969 the Apollo 10 astronauts returned to Earth after a successful eight-day dress rehearsal for the first manned moon landing. - In 1978 the first legal casino in the eastern U.S. opened in Atlantic City, N.J. - In 1981 14 people were killed when a Marine jet crashed onto the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz off Florida. - In 1991 a Lauda Air Boeing 767 crashed in Thailand, killing all 223 people aboard. - Ten years ago reports began circulating that House Majority Whip Tony Coelho would resign to spare himself and the Democratic Party the ordeal of an investigation into his ethics. - Five years ago President Clinton renewed trade privileges for China, and announced his administration would no longer link China's trade status with its human rights record. Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie Presley were married in the Dominican Republic. (The marriage, however, did not last.) - One year ago the Supreme Court made it far more difficult for police to be sued by people hurt during high-speed chases. The Supreme Court ruled that Ellis Island - historic gateway for millions of immigrants - is mainly in New Jersey, not New York.*Happy Birthday* - Singer Peggy Lee is 79.- Actor James Arness is 76.- Actor Alec McCowen is 74. - Opera singer Teresa Stratas is 60.- Sportscaster Brent Musberger is 60. - Rock singer-musician Levon Helm (The Band) is 57.- Singer Stevie Nicks is 51. - Actor Philip Michael Thomas is 50.- Actress Pam Grier is 50. - Country singer Hank Williams Jr. is 50.- Former astronaut Sally K. Ride is 48. - Actress Margaret Colin is 42. - Country singer-songwriter Dave Robbins (BlackHawk) is 40. - Actress Genie Francis is 37.

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28 - On May 28, 1934 the Dionne quintuplets - Annette, Cecile, Emilie, Marie and Yvonne - were born to Elzire Dionne at the family farm in Ontario, Canada. - In 1533 England's Archbishop declared the marriage of King Henry VIII to Anne Boleyn valid. - In 1863 the first black regiment from the North left Boston to fight in the Civil War.- In 1892 the Sierra Club was organized in San Francisco. - In 1929 the first all-color talking picture, "On with the Show," opened in New York. - In 1937 President Roosevelt pushed a button in Washington signaling that vehicular traffic could cross the just-opened Golden Gate Bridge in California. - In 1937 Neville Chamberlain became prime minister of Britain. - In 1940 during World War II, the Belgian army surrendered to invading German forces. - In 1972 the Duke of Windsor, who had abdicated the English throne to marry Wallis Warfield Simpson, died in Paris at age 77. - In 1984 President Reagan led a state funeral at Arlington National Cemetery for an unidentified American soldier killed in the Vietnam War. (The remains were later positively identified as those of Air Force Lt. Michael J. Blassie.) - In 1987 Mathias Rust, a 19-year-old West German pilot, landed a private plane in Moscow's Red Square after evading Soviet air defenses. - Ten years ago Emerson Fittipaldi of Brazil won the Indianapolis 500 auto race. - Five years ago Palestine Liberation Organization officials announced Yasser Arafat had named himself interior minister of the autonomous zones as part of an interim government; 14 other prominent Palestinians, mostly Arafat allies, were appointed to other positions. - One year ago Pakistan matched India with five nuclear test blasts of its own, raising fears of a nuclear arms race. Comic actor Phil Hartman of "Saturday Night Live" and "NewsRadio" fame was shot to death at his home in Encino, Calif., by his wife, Brynn, who then killed herself. California astronomer Susan Terebey announced she had photographed what may be a planet some 450 light years from Earth. *Happy Birthday*- Actress Carroll Baker is 68. - Actor John Karlen ("Cagney and Lacey") is 66. - Basketball executive Jerry West is 61.- Singer Gladys Knight is 55. - Singer Billy Vera is 55.- Singer John Fogerty is 54. - Country singer Gary Stewart is 54.- Actress-director Sondra Locke is 52. - Singer Roland Gift is 37. - Actor Brandon Cruz ("The Courtship of Eddie's Father") is 37. - Rapper Chubb Rock is 31.- Singer Kylie Minogue is 31. - Actor Joseph Cross ("Jack Frost") is 13.

29 On May 29, 1953 Mount Everest was conquered by Edmund Hillary of New Zealand and Sherpa guide Tenzing Norgay of Nepal. - In 1765 Patrick Henry denounced the Stamp Act before Virginia's House of Burgesses, saying, "If this be treason, make the most of it!" - In 1790 Rhode Island became the 13th original colony to ratify the Constitution.- In 1848 Wisconsin became the 30th state of the union. - In 1917 the 35th president of the U.S., John F. Kennedy, was born in Brookline, Mass. - In 1932 World War I veterans began arriving in Washington to demand cash bonuses they weren't scheduled to receive for another 13 years. - In 1942 the movie "Yankee Doodle Dandy" starring James Cagney premiered at a war-bonds benefit in New York. - In 1942 Bing Crosby, the Ken Darby Singers and the John Scott Trotter Orchestra recorded Irving Berlin's "White Christmas" in Los Angeles for Decca Records. - Ten years ago, bowing to public demand, the Supreme Soviet allowed Boris N. Yeltsin to take a seat in the standing legislature. - Five years ago Khallid Abdul Muhammad, a former spokesman for the Nation of Islam, was shot and wounded after delivering a speech at the University of California, Riverside; a defrocked Nation of Islam minister, James Edward Bess, was charged. Former East German leader Erich Honecker died in Chile at age 81. - One year ago Republican elder statesman Barry Goldwater died in Paradise Valley, Ariz., at age 89.*Happy Birthday*- Comedian Bob Hope is 96. - Former Baseball Commissioner Fay Vincent is 61. - Race car driver Al Unser Sr. is 60.- Actor Kevin Conway is 57. - Actor Helmut Berger is 55.- Rock singer Gary Brooker (Procol Harum) is 54. - Actor Anthony Geary is 52.- Singer Rebbie Jackson is 49. - Movie composer Danny Elfman is 46.- Singer LaToya Jackson is 43. - Actress Annette Bening is 41.- Actor Rupert Everett is 40. - Rock musician Mel Gaynor is 40. - Actor Adrian Paul (TV series "Highlander") is 40. - Singer Melissa Etheridge is 38.- Actress Lisa Whelchel is 36. - Actress Tracey Bregman is 36. - Singer Melanie "Scary Spice" Brown (Spice Girls) is 24. - Rapper Playa Poncho is 24.

30 On May 30, 1431 Joan of Arc, condemned as a heretic, was burned at the stake in Rouen, France. - In 1539 Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto landed in Florida. - In 1854 the territories of Nebraska and Kansas were established. - In 1883 12 people were trampled to death when a rumor that the recently opened Brooklyn Bridge was in imminent danger of collapsing triggered a stampede. - In 1899 legendary MGM production executive Irving G. Thalberg was born in Brooklyn, N.Y. - In 1922 the Lincoln Memorial was dedicated in Washington by Chief Justice William Howard Taft. - In 1943 American forces secured the Aleutian island of Attu from the Japanese during World War II. - In 1958 unidentified soldiers killed in World War II and the Korean conflict were buried at Arlington National Cemetery. - In 1982 Spain became NATO's 16th member. - In 1996 Britain's Prince Andrew and the former Sarah Ferguson were granted an uncontested decree ending their 10-year marriage. - Ten years ago U.S. Rep. Claude Pepper, D-Fla., a champion of the nation's elderly, died in Washington at age 88. Student demonstrators at Tiananmen Square in Beijing erected a 33-foot statue they called the "Goddess of Democracy." - Five years ago the U.N. Security Council warned North Korea to stop refueling a nuclear reactor and allow U.N. monitors to perform full inspections. Mormon Church president Ezra Taft Benson died in Salt Lake City at age 94. - One year ago northern Afghanistan was rocked by a powerful earthquake believed to have killed up to 5,000 people. A tornado tore through Spencer, S.D., killing six people. Pakistan set off another nuclear blast.*Happy Birthday*- Country musician Johnny Gimble is 73. - Actor Clint Walker is 72.- Actress Ruta Lee is 63. - Actor Michael J. Pollard is 60.- Actor Stephen Tobolowsky is 48. - Actor Ted McGinley is 41.- Actor Ralph Carter is 38. - Country singer Wynonna is 35. - Rock musician Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine) is 35. - Rock musician Patrick Dahlheimer (Live) is 28.- Actor Trey Parker is 27. - Rapper Cee-Lo (Goodie Mob) is 25.- Actor Blake Bashoff is 18.

31 On May 31, 1889 more than 2,000 people perished when a dam break sent water rushing through Johnstown, Pa. - In 1809 composer Franz Joseph Haydn died in Vienna, Austria. - In 1819 poet Walt Whitman was born in West Hill, N.Y. - In 1910 the Union of South Africa was founded.' - In 1916 during World War I, British and German fleets fought the Battle of Jutland off Denmark. - In 1961 South Africa became an independent republic. - In 1962 World War II Gestapo official Adolf Eichmann was hanged in Israel for his role in the Nazi Holocaust. - In 1970 tens of thousands of people died in an earthquake in Peru. - In 1976 Martha Mitchell, the estranged wife of former Attorney General John N. Mitchell, died in New York. - In 1977 the trans-Alaska oil pipeline, three years in the making, was completed. - Ten years ago House Speaker Jim Wright, dogged by questions about his ethics, announced he would resign. Thomas Foley succeeded him. - Five years ago U.S. Rep. Dan Rostenkowski, D-Ill., maintaining his innocence, was indicted on 17 felony counts alleging he had plundered nearly $700,000 from the government. (He later pleaded guilty to two counts of misusing federal funds and spent 451 days in federal custody.) The U.S. announced it was no longer aiming long-range nuclear missiles at targets in the former Soviet Union. - One year ago storms tore from Pennsylvania through New England, killing several people and knocking out power for nearly 1 million customers. Singer Geri Halliwell, also known as "Ginger Spice" of the Spice Girls, confirmed she was leaving the group.*Happy Birthday* - Prince Rainier of Monaco is 76.- Actress Elaine Stewart is 70. - Actor-director Clint Eastwood is 69.- Opera singer Shirley Verrett is 66. - Actor Keir Dullea is 63.- Singer Peter Yarrow is 61. - Singer Johnny Paycheck is 61.- Former Anglican Church envoy Terry Waite is 60. - Singer-musician Augie Myers is 59.- Actress Sharon Gless is 56. - Football Hall-of-Famer Joe Namath is 56.- Actor Tom Berenger is 49. - Actor Gregory Harrison is 49.- Actor Colm Meaney is 46. - Comedian Chris Elliott is 39.- Actor Kyle Secor is 39. - Actress Lea Thompson is 38.- Singer Corey Hart is 37. - Actress Tonya Pinkins is 37.- Rapper DMC is 35.- Rapper Kid Frost is 35. - Actress Brooke Shields is 34.