by jmbrown12 on Thu May 06, 2004 1:43 pm
A few of today's highlights in history:
1863: Confederate forces commanded by Gen. Robert E. Lee routed Union troops under Gen. Joseph Hooker at the battle of Chancellorsville in Virginia.
In 1882, Congress passed, over President Arthur's veto, the Chinese Exclusion Act, which barred Chinese immigrants from the U.S. for 10 years.
In 1889, the Paris Exposition formally opened
In 1915, Babe Ruth hit his first major-league home run.
In 1919, the Paris Peace Conference disposed of Germany's colonies; German East Africa was assigned as a League of Nations mandate to Britain and France, German South-West Africa as a mandate to South Africa.
In 1937, the 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 1942, some 15,000 Americans and Filipinos on Corregidor surrendered to the Japanese.
In 1954, Roger Bannister broke the four-minute mile during a track meet in Oxford, England, in 3 minutes, 59.4 seconds.
In 1994, former Arkansas state worker Paula Jones filed suit against President Clinton, alleging he'd sexually harassed her in 1991.
In 1999, Russia and the major Western powers set aside their differences over NATO airstrikes and drafted a joint plan to end the Kosovo conflict.
In 2003, Kmart Corporation emerged from bankruptcy protection.
Some May 6th birthdays:
1758: Maximilien Robspierre; 1856: Sigmund Freud; 1895: Rudolph Valentino; 1915: Orson Welles.
Still kicking: Baseball great Willie Mays is 73. Rock singer Bob Seger is 59. Singer Jimmie Dale Gilmore is 59. Actor Ben Masters is 57. Actor Gregg Henry is 52. British Prime Minister Tony Blair is 51. TV game show host Tom Bergeron is 49. Rock singer John Flansburgh is 44. Actor George Clooney is 43. Actor Clay O'Brien is 43. Actress Roma Downey is 41. Rock singer-musician Tony Scalzo (Fastball) is 40. Rock musician Mark Bryan (Hootie and the Blowfish) is 37. Rock musician Chris Shiflett (Foo Fighters) is 33.
Also, I was born on May 6 - somewhere between the surrender in Corregidor and Roger Bannister breaking the 4 minute mile (much, much closer to the Corregidor date).
Time for a cold one to celebrate May 6th.
