357 - Constantius II visited Rome for the first time. Although he had been emperor since 324 Constantius II had been busy outside Rome conducting constant warfare to protect the borders of the empire.
1282 - Villagers in Palermo led a revolt against French rule in Sicily.
1635 - Virginia Governor John Harvey was accused of treason and removed from office. This charge was the result of a political power struggle between the Governor and the Colonial Council.
1770 British Captain James Cook, aboard the HMS Endeavour, lands at Botany Bay in Australia.
1788 - Maryland became the seventh state to ratify the U.S. constitution.
1789 - A mutiny on the British ship Bounty took place when a rebel crew took the ship and set sail to Pitcairn Island. The mutineers left Captain W. Bligh and 18 sailors adrift.
1818 - U.S. President James Monroe proclaimed naval disarmament on the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain.
1914 - W.H. Carrier patented the design of his air conditioner. All hail Carrier! This means much more in August than it does right now.
1916 - The British declared martial law throughout Ireland.
1932 - The yellow fever vaccine for humans was announced.
1945 - Benito Mussolini and his mistress Clara Petacci were executed by Italian partisans. They had been captured the day before as they tried to flee the country.
1947 - Norwegian anthropologist Thor Heyerdahl and five others set out in a balsa wood craft known as Kon Tiki to prove that Peruvian Indians could have settled in Polynesia. The trip began in Peru and took 101 days to complete the crossing of the Pacific Ocean.
1952 - The U.S. occupation of Japan officially ended when a treaty with the U.S. and 47 other countries went into effect.
1962 - In the Sahara Desert of Algeria, a team led by Red Adair used explosives to put out the well fire known as the Devil's Cigarette Lighter. The fire was caused by a pipe rupture on November 6, 1961.
1967 - Muhammad Ali refused induction into the U.S. Army and was stripped of boxing title. He cited religious grounds for his refusal.
1977 - Christopher Boyce was convicted of selling U.S. secrets.
1994 - Former CIA official Aldrich Ames, who had given U.S. secrets to the Soviet Union and then Russia, pled guilty to espionage and tax evasion. He was sentenced to life in prison without parole.
1997 - A worldwide treaty to ban chemical weapons took effect. Russia and other countries such as Iraq and North Korea did not sign.
Today in History!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Re: Today in History!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
1289 - Qala'un, the Sultan of Egypt, captured Tripoli.
1429 - Joan of Arc led the forces of France to victory over the English.
1672 - King Louis XIV of France invaded the Netherlands.
1813 - The process for turning specific tree sap into rubber was patented by J.F. Hummel.
1861 - The Maryland House of Delegates voted against seceding from Union.
1861 - New Orleans fell to Union forces during the Civil War.
1879 - In Cleveland, OH, electric arc lights were used for the first time.
1916 - Irish nationalists surrendered to British authorities in Dublin.
1918 - Germany's Western Front offensive ended in World War I.
1927 - Construction of the Spirit of St. Louis was completed for Lindbergh.
1945 - The German Army in Italy surrendered unconditionally to the Allies.
1945 - In a bunker in Berlin, Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun were married. Hitler designated Admiral Karl Doenitz his successor.
1945 - The Nazi death camp, Dachau, was liberated by units of the US Army's 45TH ID.
1946 - Twenty-eight former Japanese leaders were indicted in Tokyo as war criminals.
1952 - IBM President Thomas J. Watson, Jr., informed his company's stockholders that IBM was building "the most advanced, most flexible high-speed computer in the world." The computer was unveiled April 7, 1953, as the IBM 701 Electronic Data Processing Machine.
1974 - U.S. President Nixon announced he was releasing edited transcripts of secretly made White House tape recordings related to the Watergate scandal.
1975 - The U.S. embassy in Vietnam was evacuated as North Vietnamese forces fought their way into Saigon.
1990 - The destruction of the Berlin Wall began.
1429 - Joan of Arc led the forces of France to victory over the English.
1672 - King Louis XIV of France invaded the Netherlands.
1813 - The process for turning specific tree sap into rubber was patented by J.F. Hummel.
1861 - The Maryland House of Delegates voted against seceding from Union.
1861 - New Orleans fell to Union forces during the Civil War.
1879 - In Cleveland, OH, electric arc lights were used for the first time.
1916 - Irish nationalists surrendered to British authorities in Dublin.
1918 - Germany's Western Front offensive ended in World War I.
1927 - Construction of the Spirit of St. Louis was completed for Lindbergh.
1945 - The German Army in Italy surrendered unconditionally to the Allies.
1945 - In a bunker in Berlin, Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun were married. Hitler designated Admiral Karl Doenitz his successor.
1945 - The Nazi death camp, Dachau, was liberated by units of the US Army's 45TH ID.
1946 - Twenty-eight former Japanese leaders were indicted in Tokyo as war criminals.
1952 - IBM President Thomas J. Watson, Jr., informed his company's stockholders that IBM was building "the most advanced, most flexible high-speed computer in the world." The computer was unveiled April 7, 1953, as the IBM 701 Electronic Data Processing Machine.
1974 - U.S. President Nixon announced he was releasing edited transcripts of secretly made White House tape recordings related to the Watergate scandal.
1975 - The U.S. embassy in Vietnam was evacuated as North Vietnamese forces fought their way into Saigon.
1990 - The destruction of the Berlin Wall began.
Re: Today in History!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
311 - Roman Emperor Galerius issues Edict of Toleration, ending persercution of Christians in the Roman Empire.
313 - Licinius unified the whole of the eastern empire under his own rule.
711 - Islamic conquest of Iberia: Moorish troops led by Tariq ibn-Ziyad land at Gibraltar to begin their invasion of the Iberian Peninsula (Al-Andalus).
1527 - Henry VIII and King Francis of France signed the treaty of Westminster.
1562 - 1st French colonists in North America: Jean Ribault & colonists arrive in Florida.
1725 - Spain withdrew from Quadruple Alliance.
1789 - George Washington took office as first elected U.S. president.
1803 - The U.S. purchased the Louisiana Territory from France for $15 million.
1812 - Louisiana admitted as the 18th U.S. state.
1864 - Work began on the Dams along the Red River. The work would allow Union General Nathaniel Banks' troops to sail over the rapids above Alexandria, Louisiana.
1900 - Hawaii was organized as an official U.S. territory.
1930 - The Soviet Union proposed a military alliance with France and Great Britain.
1943 - The British submarine HMS Seraph dropped 'the man who never was,' a dead man the British planted with false invasion plans, into the Mediterranean off the coast of Spain.
1945 - Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun committed suicide. They had been married for one day. One week later Germany surrendered unconditionally.
1948 - The Organization of American States (OAS) held its first meeting in Bogota, Colombia. The institution's goal was to facilitate better relations between the member nations and to help prevent the spread of communism in the Western Hemisphere.
1972 - The North Vietnamese launched an invasion of the South.
1975 - Communists North Vietnamese troops entered the Independence Palace of South Vietnam in Saigon. 11 Marines lifted off of the U.S. Embassy were the last soldiers to evacuate.
313 - Licinius unified the whole of the eastern empire under his own rule.
711 - Islamic conquest of Iberia: Moorish troops led by Tariq ibn-Ziyad land at Gibraltar to begin their invasion of the Iberian Peninsula (Al-Andalus).
1527 - Henry VIII and King Francis of France signed the treaty of Westminster.
1562 - 1st French colonists in North America: Jean Ribault & colonists arrive in Florida.
1725 - Spain withdrew from Quadruple Alliance.
1789 - George Washington took office as first elected U.S. president.
1803 - The U.S. purchased the Louisiana Territory from France for $15 million.
1812 - Louisiana admitted as the 18th U.S. state.
1864 - Work began on the Dams along the Red River. The work would allow Union General Nathaniel Banks' troops to sail over the rapids above Alexandria, Louisiana.
1900 - Hawaii was organized as an official U.S. territory.
1930 - The Soviet Union proposed a military alliance with France and Great Britain.
1943 - The British submarine HMS Seraph dropped 'the man who never was,' a dead man the British planted with false invasion plans, into the Mediterranean off the coast of Spain.
1945 - Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun committed suicide. They had been married for one day. One week later Germany surrendered unconditionally.
1948 - The Organization of American States (OAS) held its first meeting in Bogota, Colombia. The institution's goal was to facilitate better relations between the member nations and to help prevent the spread of communism in the Western Hemisphere.
1972 - The North Vietnamese launched an invasion of the South.
1975 - Communists North Vietnamese troops entered the Independence Palace of South Vietnam in Saigon. 11 Marines lifted off of the U.S. Embassy were the last soldiers to evacuate.
Re: Today in History!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Just chiming in to let you know I love this thread.
Re: Today in History!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
408 - Theodosius II succeeded to the throne of Constantinople.
1308 - King Albert was murdered by his nephew John, because he refused his share of the Habsburg lands.
1707 - England, Wales and Scotland were united to form Great Britain. The "Acts of Unification".
1805 - The state of Virginia passed a law requiring all freed slaves to leave the state, or risk either imprisonment or deportation. Not on of Virginia's finer moments.
1863 - In Virginia, the Battle of Chancellorsville began. General Robert E. Lee's forces began fighting with Union troops under General Joseph Hooker. Confederate General Stonewall Jackson was mortally wounded by his own soldiers in this battle. (May 1-4)
1867 - Reconstruction in the South began with black voter registration.
1877 - U.S. President Rutherford B. Hayes withdrew all Federal troops from the South, ending Reconstruction.
1889 - Asa Candler published a full-page advertisement in The Atlanta Journal, proclaiming his wholesale and retail drug business as "sole proprietors of Coca-Cola ... Delicious. Refreshing. Exhilarating. Invigorating." Mr. Candler did not actually achieve sole ownership until 1891 at a cost of $2,300.
1898 - The U.S. Navy under Dewey defeated the Spanish fleet at Manila Bay in the Philippines.
1915 - A German submarine torpedoed the U.S. ship Gulflight but did not manage to sink her. The attack on the neutral ship resulted in three deaths. Two deck hands jumped overboard when the torpedoes hit and were lost at sea, the captain died of a heat attack.
1927 - Adolf Hitler held his first Nazi meeting in Berlin.
1931 - The Empire State Building in New York was dedicated and opened. It was 102 stories tall and was the tallest building in the world at the time.
1934 - The Philippine legislature accepted a U.S. proposal for independence.
1937 - U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt signed an act of neutrality, keeping the United States out of the coming World War II.
1944 - The Messerschmitt Me 262, the first combat jet, made its first flight.
1948 - The People's Democratic Republic of Korea (North Korea) was proclaimed.
1958 - James Van Allen reported that two radiation belts encircled Earth.
1960 - Francis Gary Powers' U-2 spy plane was shot down over the Soviet Union. Powers was taken prisoner.
1961 - Fidel Castro announced there would be no more elections in Cuba. Cue Captain Renault: "I'm shocked, shocked!"
1968 - In the second day of battle, U.S. Marines, with the support of naval fire, continue their attack on a North Vietnamese Division at Dai Do.
1970 - Students at Kent State University riot in downtown Kent, OH, in protest of the American invasion of Cambodia.
1999 - On Mount Everest, a group of U.S. mountain climbers discovered the body of George Mallory. Mallory had died in June of 1924 while trying to become the first person to reach the summit of Everest. At the time of the discovery it was unclear whether or not Mallory had actually reached the summit.
1308 - King Albert was murdered by his nephew John, because he refused his share of the Habsburg lands.
1707 - England, Wales and Scotland were united to form Great Britain. The "Acts of Unification".
1805 - The state of Virginia passed a law requiring all freed slaves to leave the state, or risk either imprisonment or deportation. Not on of Virginia's finer moments.
1863 - In Virginia, the Battle of Chancellorsville began. General Robert E. Lee's forces began fighting with Union troops under General Joseph Hooker. Confederate General Stonewall Jackson was mortally wounded by his own soldiers in this battle. (May 1-4)
1867 - Reconstruction in the South began with black voter registration.
1877 - U.S. President Rutherford B. Hayes withdrew all Federal troops from the South, ending Reconstruction.
1889 - Asa Candler published a full-page advertisement in The Atlanta Journal, proclaiming his wholesale and retail drug business as "sole proprietors of Coca-Cola ... Delicious. Refreshing. Exhilarating. Invigorating." Mr. Candler did not actually achieve sole ownership until 1891 at a cost of $2,300.
1898 - The U.S. Navy under Dewey defeated the Spanish fleet at Manila Bay in the Philippines.
1915 - A German submarine torpedoed the U.S. ship Gulflight but did not manage to sink her. The attack on the neutral ship resulted in three deaths. Two deck hands jumped overboard when the torpedoes hit and were lost at sea, the captain died of a heat attack.
1927 - Adolf Hitler held his first Nazi meeting in Berlin.
1931 - The Empire State Building in New York was dedicated and opened. It was 102 stories tall and was the tallest building in the world at the time.
1934 - The Philippine legislature accepted a U.S. proposal for independence.
1937 - U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt signed an act of neutrality, keeping the United States out of the coming World War II.
1944 - The Messerschmitt Me 262, the first combat jet, made its first flight.
1948 - The People's Democratic Republic of Korea (North Korea) was proclaimed.
1958 - James Van Allen reported that two radiation belts encircled Earth.
1960 - Francis Gary Powers' U-2 spy plane was shot down over the Soviet Union. Powers was taken prisoner.
1961 - Fidel Castro announced there would be no more elections in Cuba. Cue Captain Renault: "I'm shocked, shocked!"
1968 - In the second day of battle, U.S. Marines, with the support of naval fire, continue their attack on a North Vietnamese Division at Dai Do.
1970 - Students at Kent State University riot in downtown Kent, OH, in protest of the American invasion of Cambodia.
1999 - On Mount Everest, a group of U.S. mountain climbers discovered the body of George Mallory. Mallory had died in June of 1924 while trying to become the first person to reach the summit of Everest. At the time of the discovery it was unclear whether or not Mallory had actually reached the summit.
Re: Today in History!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
1670 - The Hudson Bay Company was founded by England's King Charles II.
1776 - France and Spain agreed to provide weapons, ammunition, and supplies to American rebels fighting the British.
1797 - A mutiny in the British navy that began in Spithead spread to other ships of the fleet.
1808 - The citizens of Madrid rose up against Napoleon.
1863 - Confederate Gen. Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson was wounded by his own men in the battle of Chancellorsville, VA. He died 8 days later.
1865 - U.S. President Andrew Johnson offered $100,000 reward for the capture of Confederate President Jefferson Davis.
1887 - Hannibal W. Goodwin applied for a patent on celluloid photographic film. Eventually this type of film would be used in movie making.
1890 - The Oklahoma Territory was organized.
1926 - U.S. Marines landed in Nicaragua to put down a revolt and to protect U.S. interests. They did not depart until 1933.
1933 - Hitler banned trade unions in Germany, except the one union operated by the NAZI Party.
1941 - The Federal Communications Commission agreed to let regular scheduling of TV broadcasts by commercial TV stations begin on July 1, 1941. This was the start of network television.
1945 - World War II: Battle of Berlin ends as Soviet army takes Berlin and General Weidling surrenders.
1945 - Around 1 million NAZI troops surrender to the Allies in Italy and Austria.
1965 - The "Early Bird" satellite was used to transmit television pictures across the Atlantic.
1974 - Former U.S. Vice President Spiro T. Agnew was disbarred by the Maryland Court of Appeals.
2011 - Osama bin Laden, the mastermind behind the September 11 attacks and the FBI's most wanted man is killed by US special forces in Abbottabad, Pakistan. Fish food. Caution, may contain some lead.
1776 - France and Spain agreed to provide weapons, ammunition, and supplies to American rebels fighting the British.
1797 - A mutiny in the British navy that began in Spithead spread to other ships of the fleet.
1808 - The citizens of Madrid rose up against Napoleon.
1863 - Confederate Gen. Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson was wounded by his own men in the battle of Chancellorsville, VA. He died 8 days later.
1865 - U.S. President Andrew Johnson offered $100,000 reward for the capture of Confederate President Jefferson Davis.
1887 - Hannibal W. Goodwin applied for a patent on celluloid photographic film. Eventually this type of film would be used in movie making.
1890 - The Oklahoma Territory was organized.
1926 - U.S. Marines landed in Nicaragua to put down a revolt and to protect U.S. interests. They did not depart until 1933.
1933 - Hitler banned trade unions in Germany, except the one union operated by the NAZI Party.
1941 - The Federal Communications Commission agreed to let regular scheduling of TV broadcasts by commercial TV stations begin on July 1, 1941. This was the start of network television.
1945 - World War II: Battle of Berlin ends as Soviet army takes Berlin and General Weidling surrenders.
1945 - Around 1 million NAZI troops surrender to the Allies in Italy and Austria.
1965 - The "Early Bird" satellite was used to transmit television pictures across the Atlantic.
1974 - Former U.S. Vice President Spiro T. Agnew was disbarred by the Maryland Court of Appeals.
2011 - Osama bin Laden, the mastermind behind the September 11 attacks and the FBI's most wanted man is killed by US special forces in Abbottabad, Pakistan. Fish food. Caution, may contain some lead.
Re: Today in History!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
1568 -Spanish forces in Florida slaughtered hundreds of French Huguenot settlers. The conflict was not only political with the French being in a Spanish colony but also religious.
1791 - Constitution of May 3 is proclaimed by the Great Sejm (Parliament) of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, becoming the 1st modern constitution in Europe.
1802 - Washington, DC, was incorporated as a city.
1855 - Macon B. Allen became the first African American to be admitted to the Bar in Massachusetts.
1888 - Thomas Edison organized the Edison Phonograph Works.
1916 - Irish nationalist Padraic Pearse and two others were executed by the British for their roles in the Easter Rising.
1921 - West Virginia imposed the first state sales tax.
1933 - The U.S. Mint was under the direction of a woman for the first time when Nellie Ross took the position.
1937 - Margaret Mitchell won a Pulitzer Prize for "Gone With The Wind."
1945 - Indian forces captured Rangoon, Burma, from the Japanese.
1945 - World War II: German ship "Cap Arcona" laden with concentration camp prisoners sunk by Royal Air Force in East Sea, 5,800 killed - one of largest maritime losses of life.
1948 - The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that covenants prohibiting the sale of real estate to blacks and other minorities were legally unenforceable.
1968 - After three days of battle, the U.S. Marines retook Dai Do complex in Vietnam. They found that the North Vietnamese had evacuated the area.
1986 - In NASA's first post-Challenger launch, an unmanned Delta rocket lost power in its main engine shortly after liftoff. Safety officers destroyed it by remote control.
1791 - Constitution of May 3 is proclaimed by the Great Sejm (Parliament) of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, becoming the 1st modern constitution in Europe.
1802 - Washington, DC, was incorporated as a city.
1855 - Macon B. Allen became the first African American to be admitted to the Bar in Massachusetts.
1888 - Thomas Edison organized the Edison Phonograph Works.
1916 - Irish nationalist Padraic Pearse and two others were executed by the British for their roles in the Easter Rising.
1921 - West Virginia imposed the first state sales tax.
1933 - The U.S. Mint was under the direction of a woman for the first time when Nellie Ross took the position.
1937 - Margaret Mitchell won a Pulitzer Prize for "Gone With The Wind."
1945 - Indian forces captured Rangoon, Burma, from the Japanese.
1945 - World War II: German ship "Cap Arcona" laden with concentration camp prisoners sunk by Royal Air Force in East Sea, 5,800 killed - one of largest maritime losses of life.
1948 - The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that covenants prohibiting the sale of real estate to blacks and other minorities were legally unenforceable.
1968 - After three days of battle, the U.S. Marines retook Dai Do complex in Vietnam. They found that the North Vietnamese had evacuated the area.
1986 - In NASA's first post-Challenger launch, an unmanned Delta rocket lost power in its main engine shortly after liftoff. Safety officers destroyed it by remote control.
Re: Today in History!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
1471 - Battle of Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, final battle between the Houses of Lancaster and York in the "War of the Roses". The Prince of Wales, Edward of Westminster killed and King Edward IV restored to his throne establishing political stability to England until his death in 1483.
1626 - Dutch explorer Peter Minuit landed on Manhattan Island. Native Americans later sold the island (20,000 acres) for $24 in cloth and buttons. There is some debate on both sides as to the actual local value of the cloth and buttons and as to what exactly the Dutch were buying. Some historians contend that while the cloth and buttons were inexpensive in Europe where plentiful, they were of much higher value in the Americas due to scarcity. Other historians contend that the Indians were not selling the land but rather hunting rights.
1776 - Rhode Island declared its freedom from England two months before the Declaration of Independence was adopted.
1814 - Napoleon Bonaparte disembarked at Portoferraio on the island of Elba in the Mediterranean.
1863 - The Battle of Chancellorsville ended when the Union Army retreated.
1886 - A bomb exploded on the fourth day of a workers' strike in Chicago, IL. Eight people died in the violence that day.
1904 - The U.S. formally took control of the property for construction of the Panama Canal.
1916 - Germany agreed to limit its submarine warfare after a demand from U.S. President Wilson.
1942 - The Battle of the Coral Sea commenced as American and Japanese carriers launched their attacks at each other.
1942 - The United States began food rationing.
1961 - Thirteen civil rights activists, dubbed "Freedom Riders," began a bus trip through the South.
1979 - Margaret Thatcher became Britain's first woman prime minister.
1626 - Dutch explorer Peter Minuit landed on Manhattan Island. Native Americans later sold the island (20,000 acres) for $24 in cloth and buttons. There is some debate on both sides as to the actual local value of the cloth and buttons and as to what exactly the Dutch were buying. Some historians contend that while the cloth and buttons were inexpensive in Europe where plentiful, they were of much higher value in the Americas due to scarcity. Other historians contend that the Indians were not selling the land but rather hunting rights.
1776 - Rhode Island declared its freedom from England two months before the Declaration of Independence was adopted.
1814 - Napoleon Bonaparte disembarked at Portoferraio on the island of Elba in the Mediterranean.
1863 - The Battle of Chancellorsville ended when the Union Army retreated.
1886 - A bomb exploded on the fourth day of a workers' strike in Chicago, IL. Eight people died in the violence that day.
1904 - The U.S. formally took control of the property for construction of the Panama Canal.
1916 - Germany agreed to limit its submarine warfare after a demand from U.S. President Wilson.
1942 - The Battle of the Coral Sea commenced as American and Japanese carriers launched their attacks at each other.
1942 - The United States began food rationing.
1961 - Thirteen civil rights activists, dubbed "Freedom Riders," began a bus trip through the South.
1979 - Margaret Thatcher became Britain's first woman prime minister.
Re: Today in History!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
1260 - Kublai Khan, grandson of Genghis Khan, becomes ruler of the Mongol Empire.
1494 - Christopher Columbus sighted Jamaica on his second trip to the Western Hemisphere. He named the island Santa Gloria.
1798 - U.S. Secretary of War William McHenry ordered that the USS Constitution be made ready for sea. The frigate was launched on October 21, 1797, but had never been put to sea.
1814 - The British attacked the American forces at Ft. Ontario, Oswego, NY.
1862 - The Battle of Puebla took place. It is celebrated as Cinco de Mayo Day.
1865 - The Thirteenth Amendment was ratified, abolishing slavery in the U.S.
1892 - The U.S. Congress extended the Geary Chinese Exclusion Act for 10 more years. The act required Chinese in the U.S. to be registered or face deportation.
1912 - Soviet Communist Party newspaper Pravda began publishing.
1917 - Eugene Jacques Bullard becomes the first African-American aviator when he earned his flying certificate with the French Air Service.
1925 - John T. Scopes, a biology teacher in Dayton, TN, was arrested for teaching Darwin's theory of evolution.
1926 - Eisenstein's film "Battleship Potemkin" was shown in Germany for the first time.
1945 - The Netherlands and Denmark were liberated from Nazi control.
1945 - A Japanese balloon bomb exploded on Gearhart Mountain in Oregon. A pregnant woman and five children were killed.
1955 - West Germany is granted full sovereignty by its three occupying powers.
1961 - Alan Shepard became the first American in space when he made a 15 minute suborbital flight.
1987 - The U.S. congressional Iran-Contra hearings opened.
1494 - Christopher Columbus sighted Jamaica on his second trip to the Western Hemisphere. He named the island Santa Gloria.
1798 - U.S. Secretary of War William McHenry ordered that the USS Constitution be made ready for sea. The frigate was launched on October 21, 1797, but had never been put to sea.
1814 - The British attacked the American forces at Ft. Ontario, Oswego, NY.
1862 - The Battle of Puebla took place. It is celebrated as Cinco de Mayo Day.
1865 - The Thirteenth Amendment was ratified, abolishing slavery in the U.S.
1892 - The U.S. Congress extended the Geary Chinese Exclusion Act for 10 more years. The act required Chinese in the U.S. to be registered or face deportation.
1912 - Soviet Communist Party newspaper Pravda began publishing.
1917 - Eugene Jacques Bullard becomes the first African-American aviator when he earned his flying certificate with the French Air Service.
1925 - John T. Scopes, a biology teacher in Dayton, TN, was arrested for teaching Darwin's theory of evolution.
1926 - Eisenstein's film "Battleship Potemkin" was shown in Germany for the first time.
1945 - The Netherlands and Denmark were liberated from Nazi control.
1945 - A Japanese balloon bomb exploded on Gearhart Mountain in Oregon. A pregnant woman and five children were killed.
1955 - West Germany is granted full sovereignty by its three occupying powers.
1961 - Alan Shepard became the first American in space when he made a 15 minute suborbital flight.
1987 - The U.S. congressional Iran-Contra hearings opened.