Today's Highlight in History:

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.

On this date:

In 1861, Arkansas seceded from the Union.

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, featuring the just-completed Eiffel Tower.

In 1910, Britain's King Edward VII died.

In 1935, the Works Progress Administration began operating.

In 1942, during World War II, some 15,000 Americans and Filipinos on Corregidor surrendered to the Japanese.

In 1954, 50 years ago, medical student Roger Bannister broke the four-minute mile during a track meet in Oxford, England, in 3 minutes, 59.4 seconds.

In 1981, Yale architecture student Maya Ying Lin was named winner of a competition to design the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

In 1987, CIA Director William J. Casey died at age 74.

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.

Years ago...

Ten years ago: Former Arkansas state worker Paula Jones filed suit against President Clinton, alleging he'd sexually harassed her in 1991. Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and French President Francois Mitterrand formally opened the Channel Tunnel between their countries.

Five years ago: Russia and the major Western powers set aside their differences over NATO airstrikes and drafted a joint plan to end the Kosovo conflict. President Clinton met with Kosovo refugees in Germany, listening to chilling stories of murder, rape and terror and promising them, "You will go home again in safety and in freedom." Reversing decades of overwhelming loyalty to Britain's governing Labor Party, Scottish and Welsh voters elected strong nationalist oppositions to their first separate assemblies of modern times.

One year ago: Florida Senator Bob Graham launched his campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination by accusing President Bush of retreating from the war on terrorism to "settle old scores" between the Bush family and Iraq's Saddam Hussein. White House budget chief Mitchell Daniels announced his resignation. Kmart Corporation emerged from bankruptcy after more than 15 months of Chapter 11 protection.

Today's Birthdays: Baseball Hall-of-Famer Willie Mays is 73. Senate Banking Chairman Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) is 70. 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 (They Might Be Giants) 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.


- posted by Bill @ 1:51 PM