Today In History
May 17

Events

• 1792 - 24 merchants form New York Stock Exchange at 70 Wall Street


• 1804 - Lewis & Clark begin exploration of Louisiana Purchase


• 1845 - Rubber band patents


• 1846 - Saxophone is patents by Antoine Joseph Sax


• 1877 - Edwin T Holmes installs 1st telephone switchboard burglar alarm


• 1881 - Frederick Douglass appointed recorder of deeds for Washington DC


• 1884 - Alaska becomes a US territory


• 1909 - White firemen on Georgia RR strike to protest hiring blacks


• 1915 - National Baptist Convention chartered


• 1921 - President Harding opens (via telephone) 1st Valencia Orange Show


• 1923 - Fire during closing day ceremonies at Grover Cleveland School (SC)


• 1932 - Congress changes name "Porto Rico" to "Puerto Rico"


• 1938 - Congress approves Vinson Naval Act, which funds a two-ocean navy


• 1954 - Supreme Court unanimously rules on Brown v Topeka Board of Education reversed 1896 "separate but equal" Plessy Vs Ferguson decision


• 1957 - Prayer Pilgrimage, biggest civil rights demonstration to date (DC)


• 1960 - 1st atomic reactor system patents, J W Flora of Canoga Park California


• 1961 - Castro offers to exchange Bay of Pigs prisoners for 500 bulldozers


• 1962 - Marin County withdraws from BART district


• 1963 - US performs nuclear Test at Nevada Test Site


• 1968 - US performs nuclear Test at Nevada Test Site


• 1970 - Thor Heyerdahl crosses Atlantic on reed raft Ra


• 1973 - Senate Watergate Committee begins its hearings


• 1973 - US performs 3 nuclear tests at Rifle Colorado


• 1980 - Major race riot in Miami Florida - 16 killed, 300 injured


• 1984 - Mai Shanley, 21, (New Mexico), crowned 33rd Miss USA


• 1985 - Les Anderson, catches record 97 lb 4 oz Chinook Salmon, off Alaska


• 1987 - USS Stark hit by Iraqi missiles, 37 sailors die


• 1990 - Dow Jones avg hits a record 2,831.71


• 1990 - WIBC Bowling Queens won by Patty Ann


• 1991 - Lupita Jones, 23, of Mexico, crowned 40th Miss Universe


• 1993 - Intel's new Pentium processor is unveiled


• 1997 - WIBC Bowling Queens won by Sandra Jo Shiery-Odom

Baseball

• 1903 - Cleveland Indians beat New York Highlanders 9-2 in Columbus Ohio


• 1905 - Waseda U of Tokyo defeats Louisiana High School 5-3 in baseball


• 1915 - Cubs George "Zip" Zabel relieves with 2 outs in 1st & winds up with 4-3 19-inning win over Brooklyn in longest relief job ever


• 1925 - Cleveland Indian Tris Speaker gets his 3,000th hit


• 1927 - Chicago Cubs beat Boston Braves, 4-3, in 22 innings


• 1939 - 1st sports telecast-Columbia vs Princeton-college baseball


• 1941 - Pennsylvania declares legal holiday to honor A's manager Connie Mack


• 1953 - Yankees & Browns use record 41 players in a game


• 1963 - Houston Colt .45's Don Notterbart no-hits Phillies, 4-1


• 1964 - Phillies triple play Houston Colt .45s


• 1968 - Frank Howard belts record 8th HR in 5th straight game


• 1970 - Hank Aaron becomes 9th player to get 3,000 hits


• 1973 - Joe Ferguson, hits the 6,000th Dodger home run


• 1973 - Angels outfielder Bobby Valentine breaks his leg trying to scale wall to prevent a Dick Green home run during a 5-4 loss to the A's


• 1978 - Lee Lacy hits record 3rd consecutive pinch-hit home run


• 1979 - Phillies beat Cubs, 23-22, on 50 hits with 11 HRs


• 1984 - Cincinnati Reds Mario Soto throws 4 strikeouts in one inning


• 1992 - Expos Gary Carter is 3rd to catch 2,000 games (joins Boone & Fisk)

Football

• 1969 - Baltimore, Cleveland & Pittsburgh agree to go from NFC to AFC in NFL

Golf

• 1953 - Patty Berg wins LPGA Reno Golf Open


• 1959 - Sam Snead sets PGA record for 36 holes at 122


• 1964 - Mickey Wright wins LPGA Muskogee Civitan Golf Open Invitational


• 1970 - Shirley Englehorn wins LPGA Johnny Londoff Chevrolet Golf Tournament


• 1981 - Kathy Whitworth wins LPGA Coca-Cola Golf Classic


• 1987 - Ayako Okamoto wins LPGA Chrysler-Plymouth Golf Classic


• 1992 - 38th Mazda LPGA Championship won by Betsy King


• 1998 - 44th McDonald's LPGA Championship

Hockey

• 1981 - Islanders score 5 power play goals against Flyers in a playoff


• 1983 - Stanley Cup: New York Islanders sweep Edmonton Oilers in 4 games

Horse Racing

• 1875 - 1st Kentucky Derby: Oliver Lewis aboard Aristides wins in 2:37.75


• 1881 - 7th Kentucky Derby: Jim McLaughlin aboard Hindoo wins in 2:40


• 1894 - 19th Preakness: Fred Taral aboard Assignee


• 1911 - 36th Preakness: Eddie Dugan aboard Watervale wins in 1:51


• 1915 - 40th Preakness: Douglas Hoffman aboard Rhine Maiden wins in 1:58


• 1924 - 50th Kentucky Derby: John Mooney aboard Black Gold wins in 2:05.2


• 1930 - 56th Kentucky Derby: Earl Sande aboard Gallant Fox wins in 2:07.6


• 1952 - 78th Preakness: Conn McCreary aboard Blue Man wins in 1:57.4


• 1958 - 84th Preakness: Ismael Valenzuela aboard Tim Tam wins in 1:57.2


• 1969 - 95th Preakness: Bill Hartack aboard Majestic Prince wins in 1:55.6


• 1975 - 101st Preakness: Darrel McHargue aboard Master Derby wins in 1:56.4


• 1980 - 106th Preakness: Angel Cordero Jr aboard Codex wins in 1:54.2


• 1986 - 112th Preakness: Alex Solis aboard Snow Chief wins in 1:54.8


• 1997 - 123rd Preakness: Gary Stevens aboard Silver Charm wins in 1:54

Entertainment

• 1938 - Radio quiz show "Information Please!" debuts on NBC Blue Network


• 1939 - 1st sports telecast-Columbia vs Princeton-college baseball


• 1963 - Bruno Sammartino beats Buddy Rogers in New York, to become WWF champ


• 1966 - KFDO (now KVIJ) TV channel 8 in Sayre, Oklahoma (ABC) begins broadcasting


• 1967 - Dylan's 1965 UK Tour is released as film "Don't Look Back"


• 1969 - "My Wife, My Dog, My Cat," by Maskman & The Agents hits #92


• 1973 - Stevie Wondereases "You are the Sunshine of my Love"


• 1975 - "Funky Gibbon" by The Goodies hits #79


• 1975 - 10cc releases "I'm Not in Love"


• 1975 - Mick Jagger punches a restaurant window, gets 20 stitches


• 1975 - NBC paid $5M for rights to show "Gone with the Wind" one time


• 1976 - 28th Emmy Awards: Mary Tyler Moore, Jack Albertson & M Learned


• 1979 - Emmy 6th Daytime Award presentation


• 1980 - Paul & Linda McCartney appear on Saturday Night Live


• 1990 - Cheers' star Kelsey Grammer sentenced to jail for 30 days for DWI


• 1997 - Sylvester Stallone weds Jennifer Flavin in London

Trains Planes and Automobiles

• 1946 - President Truman seizes control of nation's railroads to delay a strike


• 1989 - Longest Cab Ride Ever: 14,000 miles cost $16,000!

Weather

• 1794 - Hard frost in southern New England


• 1979 - -12 deg F (-11 deg C), on top of Mauna Kea, Hawaii (state record)

Disasters

• 1849 - Fire destroy Centrum in St Louis Missouri


• 1976 - Earthquake in Uzbekistan: 1000's killed

Weddings

• 1997 - Sylvester Stallone weds Jennifer Flavin in London

World War II

• 1940 - Germany occupies Brussels, Belgium & begins invasion of France


• 1940 - Nazi's bombs Middelburg/B IJzerdrat begins illegal defiance


• 1942 - Dutch SS vows loyalty to Hitler


• 1944 - -18] Allied air raid on Surabaja, Java


• 1944 - Chinese/US arm forces take Myitkyina Airport, Burma


• 1944 - General Eisenhower sets D-Day for June 5th


• 1944 - Operation Straightline: Allies land in Neth New-Guinea


• 1945 - 2 US P-47 Thunderbolts bomb Kiushu

Cival War

• 1862 - Battle of Princeton WV, ends, about 128 casualities


• 1863 - Battle of Big Black River Bridge, MS


• 1864 - Battle of Adairsville Georgia, Union forces Confederates to retreat

Wild West

• 1876 - 7th US Cavalry under Custer leaves Ft Lincoln


• 1883 - Buffalo Bill Cody's 1st wild west show premieres in Omaha

Crime and Criminals

• 1971 - Washington State bans sex discrimination


• 1990 - Cheers' star Kelsey Grammer sentenced to jail for 30 days for DWI

Birthdays

• 1444 - Sandro Botticelli, Italian painter (Birth of Venus)


• 1451 - Engelbert II, earl of Nassau-Dillenburg-Dietz/viceroy of Luxembourg


• 1490 - Albrecht von Hohenzollern, 1st duke of Prussia


• 1551 - Martinus A del Rio, Spanish/South Neth lawyer/historian/theologist


• 1568 - Christoph Thomas Walliser, composer


• 1576 - Ferdinand van Apshoven, the Older, Flemish painter, baptized


• 1691 - Antoine Court, French reformed theologist


• 1732 - Francesco Pasquale Ricci, composer


• 1741 - John Penn, US attorney (signed Declaration of Independence) [OS=May 6]


• 1749 - Edward Jenner, England, physician, discovered vaccination


• 1768 - Caroline, Brunswick, Queen Consort of King George IV


• 1794 - Anna Brownell Jameson, Dublin, writer


• 1800 - Carl Friedrich Zollner, composer


• 1803 - Robert Smith Surtees, novelist


• 1804 - Ottho G Heldring, Dutch vicar/reformer (Heldring Institutions)


• 1808 - Charles-Louis-Adolphe Vogel, composer


• 1812 - Joseph Warren Revere, Brig General (Union volunteers), died in 1880


• 1819 - Johann Nepomuk Kafka, composer


• 1823 - Charlotte Helen Sainton-Dolby, contralto/composer


• 1836 - Joseph Norman Lockyer, discoverer (Helium)/founder (Nature magazine)


• 1846 - Edmund Bishop, English secretary of Thomas Carlyle


• 1850 - Antonio Scontrino, composer


• 1867 - Gerrit Mannoury, Dutch mathematician/philosopher


• 1871 - Henricus P Bremmer, art historian (Modern Kunstwerken)


• 1873 - Dorothy Miller Richardson, Abingdon Berkshire, novelist


• 1873 - Henri Barbusse, Asnieres France, novelist (Le Feu)


• 1876 - Alban Collignon, Belgian sport journalist


• 1878 - Conway Tearle, US actor (Klondike Annie, Should Ladies Behave?)


• 1888 - A P "Tich" Freeman, cricket leg-spinner (legend for Kent & England)


• 1888 - Selmer Jackson, Iowa, actor (Life & Legend of Wyatt Earp)


• 1889 - Alfonso Reyes, Mexican poet/historian/diplomat (Higenia Cruel)


• 1890 - Philip James, composer


• 1896 - Brazilio da Cunha Luz Itibere, composer


• 1896 - Hannah Tillich, writer


• 1899 - Ralf Harolde, Pittsburgh PA, actor (Framed, Smart Money, Tip-off)


• 1900 - Nicolai Berezowsky, composer


• 1900 - Ruhollah Khomeini, Iran's ayatollah (1979-89)


• 1901 - Werner Egk, Auchsesheim Germany, composer (Die Zaubergeige)


• 1902 - John Vincent, composer


• 1903 - Douglas Packard, British Lt General


• 1905 - John Patrick, screenwriter


• 1906 - Eric Mensforth, president (Westland Aircraft)


• 1907 - Charles Cawley, British chief scientist/minister of power


• 1907 - Horace McMahon, South Norwalk Ct, actor (Martin Kane Private Eye)


• 1907 - Ilona Schacherer Elek, Budapest Hung, fencer (Olympic-gold-1936, 48)


• 1908 - Sigismund Toduta, composer


• 1908 - Zinka Milanov, Zagreb Yugoslavia, soprano (Ljublama Opera 1927)


• 1909 - Edward Playfair, British senior civil servant


• 1909 - Magda Schneider, actress (Eva, Going Gay, Be Mine Tonight)


• 1911 - Knut Anders Haukfield, SOE Operative


• 1911 - Maureen O'Sullivan, Boyle Ireland, actress (Tarzan, Pride & Prejudice)


• 1912 - Archibald Cox, special prosecutor (Watergate)


• 1912 - Clarence "Ace" Parker, NFL QB (Brooklyn, Boston Yanks)


• 1912 - Sandor Vegh, violinist teacher conductor


• 1913 - Alec Ogilvie, CEO (Powell Duffryn)


• 1913 - Lord Hirshfield, chartered accountant


• 1914 - Guido Masanetz, composer


• 1915 - Joseph D Craggs, electrical engineer


• 1916 - Cornelis A Eman, Aruban politician


• 1916 - John Hinde, photographer/circus promoter


• 1918 - Birgit Nilsson, Karup Sweden, operatic soprano (Elektra, Salome)


• 1920 - Harriet Van Horne, Syracuse NY, columnist/panelist (Leave it to Girls)


• 1920 - Lydia Wideman, Finland, 10K cross country skier (Olympic-gold-1952)


• 1921 - Dennis Brain, London England, french-hornist (Serenade)


• 1921 - John Garlick, British senior civil servant


• 1923 - Michael Beetham, Marshal (RAF)


• 1923 - Miles Wingate, deputy master (Trinity House)


• 1923 - Peter Mennin[i], Erie Pennsylvania, composer (Moby Dick)


• 1924 - Frantisek Kovaricek, composer


• 1924 - Lord Tombs, CEO (Rolls Royce)


• 1924 - Thomas Baird, vice-admiral


• 1926 - Cicely Berry, voice director (Royal Shakespeare Company)


• 1926 - David Young, Lt-Gen/CEO (Cairn Tech)


• 1926 - Earl of Airlie, KT


• 1926 - Geoffrey Caston, vice chancellor (U of South Pacific)


• 1926 - Lord Chamberlain, Earl of Airilet


• 1926 - Tenniel Evans, rev/actor (10 Rillington Place, My Brother's Keeper)


• 1927 - Ronald Halstead, deputy CEO (British Steel)


• 1928 - Donald Cameron Watt, historian


• 1928 - Ian Griggs, bishop (Ludlow)


• 1928 - Vivian Moses, biotechnologist


• 1929 - Raymond Hide, geophysicist


• 1931 - Dewey Redman, jazz musician


• 1932 - Arthur Jones, principal (Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester)


• 1932 - Colin Hope, CEO (T/N)


• 1932 - Peter Burge, cricketer (dashing Australian batsman of 50's & 60's)


• 1932 - Rodric Braithwaite, British ambassador to USSR


• 1934 - Earl Morrall, NFL QB (Lions, Giants, Colts)


• 1935 - Dennis Christopher George Potter, playwright (Karaoke, Midnight Movie)


• 1935 - Ivan Slone, world-famous watchmaker


• 1936 - Dennis Hopper, KS, actor (True Grit, Blue Velvet, Easy Rider)


• 1936 - Lars Gustafsson, writer


• 1936 - Philippe Boesmans, composer


• 1938 - Don Dolan, Staten Island NY, actor (Guy Lewis- General Hospital)


• 1938 - Jason Bernard, actor (Judge-Liar Liar)


• 1938 - Pervis Jackson, rocker (Spinners)


• 1938 - Trinus Riemersma, Dutch-Frisian writer (Conquest of Leeuwarden)


• 1939 - Hugh Dykes, MP


• 1939 - Wim de Bie, CEO (Simplistic Covenant)


• 1941 - David Howell Cope, composer


• 1941 - Malcom Hale, rocker


• 1941 - Miriam Margolyes, actress (Will Be)


• 1942 - Caroline Charles, fashion designer


• 1942 - Taj Mahal, NYC, singer/songwriter (Real Thing)


• 1944 - Arif Butt, cricketer (pace bowler for Pakistan in three Tests 1964-65)


• 1944 - Canon P B Price, general secretary, USPG


• 1944 - Jesse Winchester, Shreveport La, singer/songwriter (Learn to Love it)


• 1944 - Paul Crossley, concert pianist


• 1945 - D A S Pennefather, Maj-General/Commandant (General Royal Marines)


• 1945 - George Miller, (Rep-D-CA, 1975- )


• 1946 - Sinaida Turchina, USSR, team handball (Olympic-gold-1976)


• 1947 - John Traicos, cricketer (in Egypt South Africa 1970, Zimbabwe 1992-93)


• 1948 - Bill Bruford, English pop drummer (Yes, King Crimson-Red, Genesis)


• 1949 - Timothy Cordy, British director (Town/Country Planning Assn)


• 1950 - A A Johnson, MP


• 1950 - Christian Lacroix, French couturier (Chic Frills)


• 1950 - Keith Bradley, MP


• 1951 - I R Evans, CEO (Hyder, Welsh Water)


• 1951 - Simon Hughes, MP


• 1952 - Jody Pijper, Dutch (background) singer


• 1953 - George Johnson, LA Calif, rocker (Brothers Johnson)


• 1953 - Kathleen Sullivan, Pasadena Ca, newscaster (ABC-TV, CBS Morning Show)


• 1953 - Nicholas Bacon, premier baronet of England


• 1953 - Yoko Shimada, Kumamota Japan, author (Kir Royal)/actress (Shogun)


• 1954 - John Iles, dolby supervisor (Elephant Man, Richard III)


• 1954 - Michael Roberts, jockey


• 1955 - Bill Paxton, actor (Brain Dead, Next of Kin, Indian Summer, True Lies)


• 1956 - Bob Saget, Phila, comedian (Full House, America's Funniest Home Video)


• 1956 - Sue Carpenter, TV presenter/journalist


• 1956 - Sugar Ray [Charles] Leonard, Willington SC, boxer (Olympics-gold-76)


• 1958 - Vincent Henar, Surinam, bassist (Fra Fra Sound)


• 1959 - Paul Di'anno, rocker (Iron Maiden Chingford, London V Early Vocalist


• 1960 - Fiona Hutchison, Miami Fla, actress (One Life to Live, Guiding Light)


• 1961 - Enya, Gweedore Ireland, vocalist (Watermark)


• 1962 - Scott Case, NFL safety (Dallas Cowboys)


• 1962 - Tracey Bryn, rocker (Voice of Beehive-Let it Bee)


• 1963 - Jon Koncak, NBA center (Orlando Magic)


• 1965 - Trent Reznor, musician (9 Inch Nails)


• 1966 - Danny Manning, NBA forward/center (Phoenix Suns)


• 1966 - Mark Kratzmann, Australia, tennis star


• 1966 - Mark Schmocker, Interlaken Switz, US team handball goalie (Oly-96)


• 1967 - Cameron Bancroft, actor (Beverly Hills 90210)


• 1967 - Debbie Dutch, Titusville NJ, actress (Hell's Paradox)


• 1968 - Tim Grunhard, NFL center (KC Chiefs)


• 1969 - Aaron Ruffin, CFL defensive back (Hamilton Tiger Cats)


• 1969 - Craig Erickson, NFL quarterback (Indianapolis Colts, Miami Dolphins)


• 1969 - Paige Turco, Boston MA, actress (Melanie-Guiding Light)


• 1969 - Ujesh Ranchod, cricketer (Zimbabwe off-spinner 1993)


• 1970 - Alan Wetmore, CFL fullback (Montreal Alouettes)


• 1970 - Derrick Deese, NFL guard (SF 49ers)


• 1970 - Hubert Davis, NBA guard (Dallas Mavericks, NY Knicks)


• 1970 - Jim Cummins, Dearborn, NHL right wing (Chicago Blackhawks)


• 1970 - Jodie Rogers, Melbourne Victoria Australia, diver (Olympics-96)


• 1970 - John Karelse, soccer player (NAC)


• 1970 - Jordan Nathaniel M Knight, Mass, rocker (New Kids-Hangin' Tough)


• 1970 - Renzo Furlan, Italy, tennis star


• 1970 - Stefania Croce, Bergamo Italy, golfer (95 State Farm Rail Classic-11)


• 1970 - Todd Mundt, NBA center (Atlanta Hawks)


• 1971 - Bill Lindsay, Big Fork, NHL left wing (Florida Panthers)


• 1971 - Mark Williams, NFL linebacker (Jacksonville Jaguars)


• 1972 - Elena Wagner, Sofia Bulgaria, tennis star (1996 ITF/Redbridge-GBR)


• 1972 - John Burrough, NFL defensive tackle (Atlanta Falcons)


• 1973 - Jay Riemersma, tight end (Buffalo Bills)


• 1974 - Marcia Turner, Cambridge Mass, Miss America (Mass-Top 10-1996)


• 1976 - Anna Windsor, Sydney NSW Australia, swimmer (Olympics-96)


• 1976 - Daniel Komen, Nyaru Kenya, 5k runner


• 1976 - Peter Devine, NYC, fencer-foil (Olympics-96)


• 1977 - Jere Michael, Aspen Colo, figure skater (1994 National Jr champ)

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