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1963–The Rolling Stones have their first recording session in London, England, cutting Chuck Berry's Come On and Willie Dixon's I Wanna Be Loved. Their record label, Decca, rejects these first songs, saying they are “dreadful.”


BC 28–A sunspot is observed by Han Dynasty astronomers during the reign of Emperor Cheng of Han, one of the earliest dated sunspot observations in China.

70–Titus, son of Emperor Vespasian, opens a full-scale assault on Jerusalem, attacking the city's Third Wall to the northwest.

210–Roman Emperor, Claudius Gothicus, is born Marcus Aurelius Valerius Claudius in Sirmium, Pannonia Inferior.

238–Roman Emperor, Gaius Julius Verus Maximinus, is murdered by the Praetorian Guard during the Siege of Aquileia in the Year of the Six Emperors.

689–Prince Kusakabe of Japan dies at age 27.

874–Emperor Meng Zhixiang is born in China.

884–Ahmad ibn Tulun, ruler of Egypt and Syria, dies in Fustat, Egypt, at age 48. He left his heir 24,000 servants, 7,000 men, 7,000 horses, 3,000 camels, 1,000 mules, 350 ceremonial horses, and 200 fully equipped warships.

1265–Emperor Fushimi of Japan is born Hirohito-shinno in Japan.

1267–Vienna's church orders all Jews to wear distinctive clothing.

1291–Scottish nobles recognize the authority of Edward I of England, pending the selection of a king.

1299–Kyawswa of Pagan, deposed ruler of the Pagan Kingdom, dies in Myinsaing, Burma, at age 38.

1424–Emperor Go-Kameyama of Japan dies at age 76.

1427–Jews are expelled from Berne, Switzerland.

1497–Italian navigator, Amerigo Vespucci, leaves for his first voyage to the New World.

1503–Christopher Columbus discovers the Cayman Islands.

1534–Jacques Cartier visits Newfoundland.

1566–Botanist, Leonhard Fuchs, dies in Tübingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, at age 65. He compiled the first modern glossary of botanical terms. Both the plant and the color, fuchsia, are his namesakes.

1655–With troops under the command of Admiral William Penn and General Robert Venables, England annexes Jamaica from Spain.

1688–King Narai nominates his daughter, Sudawadi, to succeed him with Constantine Phaulkon, Mom Pi, and Phetracha acting as regents. The ensuing revolution leads to the Ayutthaya Kingdom severing all ties with Europe.

1730–Judge George Ross, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, is born.

1737–Emperor Nakamikado of Japan dies in Kyoto, Japan, at age 35.

1752–Benjamin Franklin makes his first tests of the lightning rod.

1756–Burmese King, Singu Min, is born in Ava, in Mandalay Region, Burma.

1768–John Wilkes is imprisoned for writing an article for The North Briton severely criticizing King George III. This action provokes rioting in London, England.

1773–The Parliament of Great Britain passes the Tea Act, designed to save the British East India Company by granting it a monopoly on the North American tea trade.

1774–Louis XV, King of France (1715-1774), dies of smallpox at the Palace of Versailles in Paris, France, at age 64. Louis XVI ascends to the throne and Marie Antoinette becomes queen.

1775–In the American Revolutionary War, a small Colonial militia, led by Ethan Allen and Colonel Benedict Arnold, captures Fort Ticonderoga.

1775–Representatives from the thirteen Colonies begin the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia.

1775–Caroline Matilda of Great Britain dies suddenly of scarlet fever in Celle, Holy Roman Empire, at age 23.

1788–Catherine Pavlovna of Russia is born at Catherine Palace in Tsarskoye Selo, Russian Empire.

1794–Princess Élisabeth of France dies on the guillotine at Place de la Révolution, Paris, France, at age 30. She was the youngest sibling of King Louis XVI.

1796–In the War of the First Coalition, Napoleon I of France wins a victory against Austrian forces at Lodi bridge over the Adda River in Italy. The Austrians lose 2,000 men.

1797–The first U.S. Navy ship, the “United States,” is launched.

1801–The Barbary pirates of Tripoli declare war on the United States.

1818–American patriot, Paul Revere, dies in Boston, Massachusetts, at age 83. He is known for his ride on horseback to warn colonists of the British invasion.

1824–The National Gallery opens to the public in London, England. The original collection of 38 paintings were purchased from the estate of art collector John Julius Angerstein, and housed in his former townhouse on No. 100 Pall Mall.

1837–In what is known as the “Panic of 1837,” New York City banks fail and unemployment reaches record levels.

1838–John Wilkes Booth, assassin of Abraham Lincoln, is born in Bel Air, Harford County, Maryland. He was an American stage actor who assassinated President Abraham Lincoln at Ford's Theatre, in Washington, D.C., on April 14, 1865. Booth was a member of the prominent 19th-century Booth theatrical family from Maryland and, by the 1860s, was a well-known actor. He was also a Confederate sympathizer, vehement in his denunciation of Lincoln, and was strongly opposed to the abolition of slavery in the United States.

1841–Publisher and broadcaster, James Gordon Bennett, Jr. is born in New York, New York. He was a co-founder of Commercial Cable Company. He was publisher of The New York Herald, founded by his father, James Gordon Bennett, Sr., who emigrated from Scotland.

1849–A riot breaks out at the Astor Opera House in Manhattan, New York, over a dispute between actors, Edwin Forrest and William Charles Macready, killing at least 25 people and injuring over 120 others.

1850–Thomas Johnston Lipton, grocer and tea merchant, is born in Glasgow, Scotland. He was of Ulster-Scots parentage and a self-made man and yachtsman. He engaged in extensive advertising for his chain of grocery stores and his brand of Lipton teas.

1855–Indian guru and educator, Sri Yukteswar Giri, is born Priya Nath Karar in Serampore, Bengal Province, British India. He was the guru of Satyananda Giri and Paramahansa Yogananda. Sri Yukteswar was a Kriya yogi, a Jyotisha (Vedic astrologer), a scholar of the Bhagavad Gita and the Bible, and an astronomer. He was a disciple of Lahiri Mahasaya of Varanasi and a member of the Giri branch of the swami order. Yogananda considered Sri Yukteswar as Jnanavatar, or "Incarnation of Wisdom."

1857–In India, the first War of Independence begins.

1863–Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson, Confederate General in the Civil War, dies of complications from pneumonia in Guinea Station, Virginia, at age 39. Military historians consider Jackson to be one of the most gifted tactical commanders in U.S. history.

1865–Jefferson Davis is captured by U.S. troops near Irwinville, Georgia.

1866–Karl of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen is crowned the Ruling Prince of the United Principalities of Romania.

1869–A golden spike is driven at Promontory Summit, Utah, joining the Union Pacific and Central Pacific railroads, officially completing the U.S. Transcontinental Railroad.

1872–Victoria Woodhull becomes the first woman nominated for President of the United States.

1876–The Centennial Exposition is opened in Philadelphia, Pennslyvania, by President Ulysses S. Grant and Brazilian Emperor, Dom Pedro II.

1876–Charles Elmer Hires sells his first root beer at the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

1877–Romania declares itself independent from the Ottoman Empire following the Senate adoption of Mihail Kogalniceanu's Declaration of Independence. It would be recognized on March 26, 1881, after the end of the Romanian War of Independence.

1879–A meteor falls near Estherville, Iowa.

1888–Pianist, composer, and conductor, Max Steiner, is born Maximilian Raoul Steiner in Vienna, Austria-Hungary (present-day Austria). He was a child prodigy who conducted his first operetta when he was 12, and became a full-time professional at 15. He moved to Hollywood in 1929, where he became one of the first composers to write music scores for films. His work in film includes King Kong, Little Women, Flying down to Rio, Of Human Bondage, Anne of Green Gables, A Star Is Born, Jezebel, Dark Victory, The Wizard of Oz, Gone with the Wind, Casablanca, Mildred Pierce, The Big Sleep, The Jazz Singer, The Searchers, A Summer Place, and Spencer’s Mountain.

1893–The U.S. Supreme Court rules in Nix vs. Hedden that a tomato is a vegetable, not a fruit, under the Tariff Act of 1883.

1893–The 19th Kentucky Derby: Eddie Kunze, riding Lookout, wins in 2:39.

1893–Native American artist, Tonita Peña, is born Quah Ah at San Ildefonso Pueblo, New Mexico. Peña was a renowned Pueblo artist, specializing in pen and ink on paper embellished with watercolor. She was a well-known and influential artist and art teacher of the early 1920s and 1930s.

1894–Film composer, Dimitri (Zinovievich) Tiomkin, is born in Kremenchuk, Poltava Governorate, Russian Empire (present-day Ukraine). Musically trained in Russia, he is best known for his Western scores, including Duel in the Sun, Red River, High Noon, Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, and Last Train from Gun Hill. Tiomkin received 22 Academy Award nominations and won four Oscars: three for Best Original Score for High Noon, The High and the Mighty, and The Old Man and the Sea, and one for Best Original Song for The Ballad of High Noon.

1895–Super-centenarian, Kama Chinen, is born in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. She will live to the age of 114 (and 357 days).

1899–Dancer-actor, Fred Astaire, is born Frederick Austerlitz in Omaha, Nebraska. His stage and film career spanned 76 years, in which he made 31 musical films. He is best known as the dancing partner and on-screen romantic interest of Ginger Rogers, with whom he co-starred in a series of 10 Hollywood musicals. He appeared in the films Flying Down to Rio, Top Hat, Swing Time, Holiday Inn, Easter Parade, Three Little Words, Royal Wedding, The Bandwagon, Daddy Long Legs, Funny Face, Silk Stockings, On the Beach, The Pleasure of His Company, The Notorious Landlady, The Towering Inferno, and Ghost Story.

1900–Cartoonist, V.T. Hamlin, is born Vincent Trout Hamlin in Perry, Iowa. He created the cartoon character “Alley Oop.”

1902–Movie producer, David O. Selznick, is born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. His father produced silent films in New York City, but the family lost everything in the stock market crash of 1929. Selznick moved to Hollywood and married the daughter of the head of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios. Louis B. Mayer did not approve of the marriage, but he felt better about it when Selznick began to produce hit movies for MGM, including Dinner at Eight and Gone with the Wind.

1904–The Horch & Cir. Motorwagenwerke AG is founded. It would eventually become the Audi automobile company.

1905–A deadly tornado hits the town of Snyder, Oklahoma, killing 87 people and leveling 100 homes. The large tornado kills a total of 97 people along its 40-mile-path across southwestern Oklahoma. Its roar could reportedly be heard up to 12 miles away.

1905–The 31st Kentucky Derby: Jack Martin, riding Agile, wins in 2:10.

1908–The first Mother's Day is observed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

1909–Country singer, Maybelle Carter, is born Maybelle Addington in Nickelsville, Virginia. She is best known as a member of the historic Carter Family act in the 1920s and 1930s, and also as a member of Mother Maybelle and the Carter Sisters. The Carter Family was one of the first commercial rural country music groups. Her daughter was June Carter Cash, and her son-in-law was country singer, Johnny Cash.

1910–The 36th Kentucky Derby: Fred Herbert, riding Donau, wins in 2:06.

1910–Professional golfer, Jimmy Demaret, winner of 44 golf tournaments, is born. He was so popular that he even appeared on an episode of the TV sitcom I Love Lucy.

1913–The 39th Kentucky Derby: Roscoe Goose, riding Donerail, wins in 2:04.

1919–The 45th Kentucky Derby: Johnny Loftus, riding Sir Barton, wins in 2:09.

1922–The United States annexes the Kingman Reef.

1922–Actress, Nancy Walker, is born Anna Myrtle Swoyer in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She is best known for the role of Ida Morgenstern on the TV sitcom Rhoda. She appeared in the films Best Foot Forward, Girl Crazy, Broadway Rhythm, Lucky Me, The World’s Greatest Athlete, 40 Carats, and Murder by Death.

1924–J. Edgar Hoover is named the first Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

1926–Writer, Ernest Hemingway, marries Pauline Pfeiffer, his second wife, in Paris, France. They had fallen in love on a ski trip while he was still married to his first wife, Hadley Richardson.

1930–The first planetarium in America, The Adler Planetarium, opens in Chicago, Illinois.

1930–Disc jockey, Scott Muni, is born Donald Allen Muñoz in Wichita, Kansas. He worked in radio during the heyday of the AM “Top 40” format, and then became a pioneer of FM progressive rock radio. Muni was close to John Lennon and his family, and after Lennon's murder he vowed to always open his show with a Lennon or Beatles record, a pledge that he kept for the balance of his career.

1932–Albert Lebrun becomes President of France.

1933–The Nazis stage public book burnings in Germany.

1933–Novelist, Barbara Taylor Bradford, is born in Leeds, Yorkshire, England. Her debut novel, A Woman of Substance, was published in 1979. and has sold over 30 million copies worldwide. It ranks as one of the top ten best-selling novels of all-time.

1933–Television film director and producer, Alan (William) Landsburg, is born in White Plains, New York. His television films include Murder in the First Person Singular, The Savage Bees, Terror Out of the Sky, Torn Between Two Lovers, And Baby Makes Six, The Jayne Mansfield Story, A Long Way Home, Bill, Adam, Too Young the Hero, and If Someone Had Known.

1934–Radio and television announcer, Gary Owens, is born Gary Bernard Altman in Mitchell, South Dakota. He is best known as the announcer on NBC’s Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In (1968-1973), with his trademark hand-over-the-ear announcing style.

1935–Singer, Larry Williams, is born Lawrence Eugene Williams in New Orleans, Louisiana. He started out as Lloyd Price's valet. His songs include Short Fat Fannie, Bony Maronie, She Said Yeah, and Dizzy Miss Lizzie. The Fab Four recorded two of his songs, Slow Down and Dizzy Miss Lizzie, both sung by John Lennon.

1936–Nahas Pasja becomes Premier of Egypt.

1940–Nazi armies invade the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg; and raids on British shipping convoys and military airfields begin.

1940–British Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain, resigns, and Winston Churchill forms a new government.

1940–The United Kingdom invades Iceland.

1940–Singer, Arthur Alexander, is born in Sheffield, Alabama. His hits include You Better Move On, Anna (Go To Him), and Everyday I Have To Cry Some. He retired from the music business in 1975, and drove a bus for the Cleveland Center for Human Services from 1981 until 1993, when he made his comeback. Arthur has the distinction of being the only rock and roll era artist to have his works recorded by The Beatles (Anna and Soldier of Love), The Rolling Stones (You Better Move On), Bob Dylan (Sally Sue Brown), and Elvis Presley (Burning Love).

1940–Actor, Taurean Blacque, is born in Newark, New Jersey. He is best known for his role on the TV drama Hill Street Blues.

1940–Psychologist, Wayne (Walter) Dyer, is born in Detroit, Michigan. He wrote the self-help books Your Erroneous Zones and The Universe Within You. Although Dyer initially resisted the spiritual tag, by the 1990s, he had altered his message to include more components of spirituality, when he wrote the book Real Magic, and discussed higher consciousness, in the book Your Sacred Self. He followed the teachings of Swami Muktananda, who he considered his guru.

1941–The House of Commons in London, England, is damaged by the Luftwaffe in an air raid.

1941–Hitler’s deputy, Rudolf Hess, parachutes into Scotland in an attempt to negotiate a peace deal between the United Kingdom and Nazi Germany.

1941–Danny Rapp, of Danny & The Juniors, is born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They had a big hits with At the Hop and Rock and Roll is Here to Stay.

1942–In World War II, the Thai Phayap Army invades the Shan States during the Burma Campaign.

1943–Actor, David Clennon, is born in Waukegan, Illinois. He appeared in the films The Paper Chase, Helter Skelter, Bound for Glory, Being There, Hide in Plain Sight, The Thing, Star 80, The Right Stuff, Falling in Love, Sweet Dreams, Legal Eagles, Grace of My Heart, and Mr. Jones.

1944–Movie director, Jim Abrahams, is born in Shorewood, Wisconsin. His films include Airplane!, Police Squad!, Top Secret!, Ruthless People, The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!, Big Business, Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael, Hot Shots!, and Hot Shots! Part Deux.

1944–Musician, Jackie Lomax, is born John Richard Lomax in Wallasey, Cheshire, England. He was a guitarist and singer-songwriter, best known for his association with George Harrison, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Leon Russell, and Nicky Hopkins.

1946–The first successful launch of an American V-2 rocket takes place at White Sands Proving Ground.

1946–Folksinger, Donovan, is born Donovan Phillip Leitch in Glasgow, Scotland. He moved to London when he was 10 years old. His hits include Sunshine Superman, Mellow Yellow, Hurdy Gurdy Man, Season of the Witch, and Atlantis. Donovan went to India at the same time as The Beatles, to study transcendental meditation with the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. While there, he taught John Lennon the finger picking guitar technique that he would later use on the songs Julia and Look At Me. His children are actor, Donovan Leitch, and actress, Ione Skye.

1946–Singer, Graham Gouldman, of 10cc, is born in Manchester, England. The group’s biggest hit was I'm Not in Love. He also wrote The Yardbirds' big hit For Your Love.

1946–Musician, Dave (Thomas) Mason, is born in Worcester, England. He is best known for his hit album Alone Together. Over the course of his career, Mason has played and recorded with many notable pop and rock musicians, including Paul McCartney, George Harrison, The Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Michael Jackson, David Crosby, Graham Nash, Steve Winwood, Traffic, Fleetwood Mac, Delaney Bramlett, and Cass Elliot.

1947–Jay Ferguson, keyboardist for Spirit, is born John Arden Ferguson in Burbank, California.

1947–Actress, Meg Foster, is born Margaret Foster in Reading, Pennsylvania. She appeared in the films Carny, Ticket to Heaven, The Osterman Weekend, Masters of the Universe, They Live, Leviathan, Relentless, and The Minus Man.

1948–The Republic of China implements "temporary provisions," granting President Chiang Kai-shek extended powers to deal with the Communist uprising. They will remain in effect until 1991.

1949–Fashion designer, Miuccia Prada, is born Maria Bianchi in Milan, Italy. The youngest granddaughter of Mario Prada, she took over the family-owned luxury goods manufacturer in 1978. As of 2014, she has an estimated net worth of $11.1 billion.

1954–Bill Haley & His Comets release Rock Around the Clock, the first rock and roll record to reach number one on the Billboard charts.

1955–Mark David Chapman is born in Forth Worth, Texas. He was the assassin who killed John Lennon.

1957–Sid Vicious, of The Sex Pistols, is born John Simon Ritchie in London, England.

1958–Politician, Rick Santorum, is born Richard John Santorum in Winchester, Virginia. He served as a U.S. Senator representing Pennsylvania (1995-2007) and was the Senate's third-ranking Republican (2001-2007). He ran as a candidate for the 2012 Republican Party presidential nomination, finishing second to the eventual nominee, Mitt Romney.

1960–The nuclear submarine, USS Triton, completes Operation Sandblast, the first underwater circumnavigation of the Earth.

1960–The Silver Beetles (John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Stuart Sutcliffe, and Tommy Moore) and other groups audition for promoter Larry Parnes and singer Billy Fury in hopes of being selected as Fury's backing group. Parnes is actually looking for backing groups for his lesser-known singers, and The Silver Beetles are selected as backing group for singer Johnny Gentle's upcoming small-scale tour of Scotland. Parnes suggests they use the name “Long John and the Silver Beetles,” but John Lennon refused to be referred to as “Long John.”

1960–Bono, lead singer of U2, is born Paul Hewson in Dublin, Ireland. Bono writes almost all U2 lyrics, frequently using religious, social, and political themes. During U2's early years, his lyrics contributed to their rebellious and spiritual tone. Together with Bill and Melinda Gates, Bono was named Time magazine's "Person of the Year" in 2005, among his other awards and nominations.

1961–"Beyond the Fringe," a comic review starring Peter Cook and Dudley Moore, premieres in London, England.

1961–Actress, Teri Copley, is born in Arcadia, California. She appeared in the films Transylvania Twist, Down the Drain, Masters of Menace, and Brain Donors.

1962–Marvel Comics publishes the first issue of "The Incredible Hulk."

1963–The Rolling Stones have their first recording session in London, England, cutting Chuck Berry's Come On and Willie Dixon's I Wanna Be Loved. Their record label, Decca, rejects these first songs, saying they are “dreadful.”

1965–Supermodel, Jean Shrimpton, appears on the cover of Newsweek.

1965–Supermodel, Linda Evangelista, is born in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada. She has been featured on over 700 magazine covers, including Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, Cosmopolitan, Glamour, Mademoiselle, Elle, W, Marie Claire, Allure, Time, Interview, Newsweek, and Rolling Stone.

1967–The U.S. conducts a nuclear test at Nevada Test Site.

1967–Mick Jagger and Keith Richards appear in court on charges of drug possession in Chichester, England. They plead not guilty and elect to go to trial. Later that day, fellow Rolling Stone, Brian Jones, is arrested on charges of unlawful possession of drugs.

1967–Rapper, Young MC, is born Marvin Young in South Wimbledon, London, England. He is best known for his 1989 hit Bust a Move.

1969–Apollo 10 transmits the first color pictures of Earth from outer space.

1969–The Battle of Dong Ap Bia begins with an assault on Hill 937. It will ultimately become known as Hamburger Hill.

1969–Pop group, The Turtles, play the White House. Singer, Mark Volman, falls off the stage five times.

1970–The Stanley Cup: The Boston Bruins beat the St. Louis Blues, in 4 games.

1971–The South African government opposes the idea of a nude statue of John Lennon (as he was immortalized on the cover of the Two Virgins LP) being erected in one of its townships.

1972–The U.S. conducts a nuclear test at Nevada Test Site.

1973–The 27th NBA Championship: The New York Knicks beat the Los Angeles Lakers, 4 games to 1.

1973–The Stanley Cup: The Montreal Canadiens beat the Chicago Blackhawks, 4 games to 2.

1975–Sony introduces the Betamax videocassette recorder in Japan.

1977–Actress, Joan Crawford, dies of pancreatic cancer in New York, New York, at age 72. She won the Oscar for her performance in the film Mildred Pierce. She appeared in the films Grand Hotel, Rain, Dancing Lady, Chained, The Gorgeous Hussy, The Women, Susan and God, A Woman’s Face, Above Suspicion, Hollywood Canteen, Humoresque, Daisy Kenyon, Flamingo Road, The Damned Don’t Cry, Harriet Craig, Goodbye, My Fancy, This Woman is Dangerous, Sudden Fear, Torch Song, Johnny Guitar, Female on the Beach, Queen Bee, Autumn Leaves, The Story of Esther, The Best of Everything, What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?, The Caretakers, Straight Jacket, I Saw What You Did, Berserk!, and Trog.

1979–The Federated States of Micronesia become self-governing.

1979–Vivekananda completes a non-stop cycle ride of 187 hours and 28 minutes, around Vihara Maha Devi Park in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

1981–Franois Mitterrand takes office as the first Socialist President of France in the French Fifth Republic.

1986–Rocker, Tommy Lee, marries actress, Heather Locklear.

1988–Michel Rocard becomes Prime Minister of France.

1989–General Manuel Noriega's government nullifies the country's elections, which the opposition had won by a 3-1 margin.

1989–Jazz musician, Woody Shaw, dies of kidney failure in Manhattan, New York, at age 44. He was a virtuoso trumpeter, flugelhornist, cornetist, composer, and band leader, described by NPR Music as "the last great trumpet innovator."

1990–Actress, Susan Oliver, dies of lung cancer in Woodland Hills, California, at age 58. She appeared on many TV shows, including The Twilight Zone, Route 66, Dr. Kildare, The Naked City, The Andy Griffith Show, The Fugitive, Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., Peyton Place, Star Trek, I Spy, and The Virginian.

1992–Singer, Sylvia Syms, dies of a heart attack on stage at the Oak Room in the Algonquin Hotel in New York, at age 74. As a teenager, she went to jazz-oriented nightclubs on New York's 52nd Street, and received informal training from Billie Holiday. In 1941, she made her debut at Kelly's Stable. She was signed to a recording contract by Decca Records, having her major success with a recording of I Could Have Danced All Night in 1956, which sold over one million copies.

1993–A Paul Cézanne still life painting sells for $28,600,000 in New York City.

1993–In Thailand, a fire at the Kader Toy Factory kills 156 workers.

1994–Nelson Mandela is sworn in as South Africa's first black President.

1994–Barbra Streisand begins her first concert tour in 30 years.

1994–Mass murderer, John Wayne Gacy, Jr., is executed in Crest Hill, Illinois, at age 52. He was convicted of the sexual assault and murder of a minimum of 33 teenage boys and young men in a series of killings committed between 1972 and 1978 in his Norwood Park Township home.

1996–A storm hits Mt. Everest, causing one of the worst disasters since the mountain was first conquered in 1953. Eight climbers are killed.

1997–The Maeslantkering, a storm surge barrier in the Netherlands that is one of the world's largest moving structures, is opened by Queen Beatrix.

1997–A 7.5 earthquake hits northern Iran, killing 1,567 people, injuring 2,300 others, and leaving 50,000 homeless (10,533 houses are destroyed and 5,474 houses are damaged).

1999–A Volkswagen Beetle once owned by John Lennon sells for £11,000 ($15,400) at a German auction.

2001–Actress, Deborah Walley, dies of esophageal cancer in Sedona, Arizona, at age 59. She played the character of Gidget in the franchise’s follow-up films, among them, Gidget Goes to Hawaii. She also appeared in the films Bon Voyage, Summer Magic, The Young Lovers, Beach Blanket Bingo, Ski Party, Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine, The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini, Spinout, and Benji.

2002–F.B.I. agent, Robert Hanssen, is sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole for selling United States secrets to Moscow for $1.4 million in cash and diamonds.

2005–A hand grenade thrown by Vladimir Arutyunian lands about 65 feet from President George W. Bush while he is giving a speech to a crowd in Tbilisi, Georgia. It malfunctions and does not detonate.

2005–Model, Heidi Klum, marries singer, Seal, in Costa Careyes, Mexico.

2008–A tornado strikes near the Oklahoma-Kansas state line, killing 21 people and injuring over 100 others.

2012–The Red Cross suspends all humanitarian work in Pakistan, after a worker is kidnapped and killed.

2012–Two bombings in Damascus, Syria, kill 55 people and injure 370 others.

2012–Chef, Robert Irvine, marries pro wrestler, Gail Kim, in California.

2013–One World Trade Center becomes the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere. The current building was dubbed the "Freedom Tower" during initial basework on the main building of the new World Trade Center complex in Lower Manhattan, New York City. The 104-story structure shares a numeric name with the northern Twin Tower of the original World Trade Center, which was destroyed in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. When the final component of the skyscraper's spire was installed, it made the building, including its spire, reach a total height of 1,776 feet: its height in feet is a deliberate reference to the year when the United States Declaration of Independence was signed.

2016–NASA confirms that 1,284 objects discovered by its Kepler spacecraft are in fact exoplanets.

2016–A U.S. federal District Judge blocks the $6.3 billion merger of major office supply companies Staples and Office Depot, finding it would result in reduced competition and higher prices. The companies announce they are abandoning the deal.

2017–According to the Global Peace Index, Mexico is reported to be the second deadliest country after Syria.

2017–Actor, Michael Parks, dies in Los Angeles, California, at age 77. He is best known for his starring role in the TV series Then Came Bronson. He appeared in the films Wild Seed, Bus Riley’s Back in Town, The Idol, The Happening, Stranger on the Run, Between Friends, Hard Country, Savannah Smiles, From Dusk till Dawn, Kill Bill Vol. 1 & 2, Grindhouse, Argo, and Django Unchained.


PHOTOS TOP TO BOTTOM: Roman Emperor, Gaius Julius Maximinus; testing a lightning rod; Paul Revere; a mug of root beer; Fred Astaire; Mother's Day; J. Edgar Hoover; Arthur Alexander; Danny & The Juniors; Donovan; Sid Vicious; Jean Shrimpton on the cover of Newsweek; Two Virgins album cover wrapped in brown paper; Nelson Mandela; Deborah Walley; and One World Trade Center.
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