Today's Highlight in History:

On May 20, 1861, the capital of the Confederacy was moved from Montgomery, Ala., to Richmond, Va.

On this date:

In 1506, Christopher Columbus died in poverty in Spain.

In 1861, North Carolina voted to secede from the Union.

In 1902, the United States ended its three-year military presence in Cuba as the Republic of Cuba was established under its first elected president, Tomas Estrada Palma.

In 1927, Charles Lindbergh took off from Roosevelt Field in Long Island, N.Y., aboard the Spirit of St. Louis on his historic solo flight to France.

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 1942, Glenn Miller and His Orchestra recorded " Kalamazoo" at Victor Studios in Hollywood.

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 1989, comedian Gilda Radner died in Los Angeles at age 42.

Years ago...

Ten 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."

Five years ago: An armed 15-year-old boy opened fire at Heritage High School in Conyers, Ga., wounding six students. NATO warplanes hammered Belgrade and its suburbs, leaving a hospital in smoldering ruins, three patients dead and the nearby homes of three European ambassadors damaged.

One year ago: The Bush administration, concerned that a wave of attacks overseas could spread to the United States, raised the terrorism alert level to orange. The United States banned all beef imports from Canada after a lone case of mad cow disease was discovered in the heart of Canada's cattle country.

Today's Birthdays: Actor James McEachin is 74. Actor Anthony Zerbe is 68. Actor David Proval is 62. Singer Joe Cocker is 60. Singer-actress Cher is 58. Actor-comedian Dave Thomas is 55. Musician Warren Cann is 52. Actor Dean Butler is 48. Ron Reagan is 46. Rock musician Jane Wiedlin (The Go-Go's) is 46. Actor Bronson Pinchot is 45. Actor John Billingsley ("Enterprise") is 44. Actor Tony Goldwyn is 44. Singer Susan Cowsill (The Cowsills) is 44. Singer Nick Heyward is 43. Actress Mindy Cohn is 38. Rock musician Tom Gorman (Belly) is 38. Rapper Busta Rhymes is 32. Actress Angela Goethals is 27. Rhythm and blues singer Naturi Naughton is 20.


- posted by Bill @ 3:07 PM