May 9, 2009 - Today In History

Today is Saturday, May 9, the 129th day of 2009. There are 236 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On May 9, 1754, a cartoon in Benjamin Franklin's Pennsylvania Gazette showed a snake cut into sections, each part representing an American colony; the caption read,

"JOIN, or DIE."

On this date:

In 1883, Spanish philosopher Jose Ortega y Gasset was born in Madrid.

In 1936, Italy annexed Ethiopia.

In 1945, U.S. officials announced that a midnight entertainment curfew was being lifted immediately.

In 1961, FCC chairman Newton N. Minow deplored the majority of television programming as a "vast wasteland" in a speech to the National Association of Broadcasters.

In 1974, the House Judiciary Committee opened public hearings on whether to recommend the impeachment of President Richard M. Nixon.

In 1978, the bullet-riddled body of former Italian prime minister Aldo Moro, who'd been abducted by the Red Brigades, was found in an automobile in Rome.

In 1980, 35 people were killed when a freighter rammed the Sunshine Skyway Bridge over Tampa Bay in Florida, causing a 1,400-foot section to collapse.

In 1982, the musical "Nine," inspired by the Federico Fellini film "8 1/2," opened on Broadway.

In 1987, 183 people were killed when a New York-bound Polish jetliner crashed while attempting an emergency return to Warsaw.

In 1994, South Africa's newly elected parliament chose Nelson Mandela to be the country's first black president.

Ten years ago:

A chartered bus carrying members of a casino club on a Mother's Day gambling
excursion ran off a highway in New Orleans, killing 22 people.

Furious Chinese demonstrators hurled rocks and debris into the U.S. Embassy
in a second day of protests against NATO's bombing of the Chinese Embassy
in Yugoslavia.

Five years ago:

A bomb destroyed the VIP section at a stadium during a Victory Day celebration
in the Chechen capital of Grozny, killing some two dozen people, including the
province's president, Akhmad Kadyrov.

Canada rallied to beat Sweden for the second straight year in the gold-medal
game at the world hockey championships, 5-3. Comedian Alan King died in New
York at age 76.

One year ago:

Jury selection began in the Chicago trial of R&B superstar R. Kelly, accused of
videotaping himself having sex with a girl as young as 13. (Kelly was later
acquitted on all counts.)

Journalist-feminist Nuala O'Faolain, who'd gained international fame with her out-
spoken memoir "Are You Somebody?" in 1966, died in Dublin at age 68.

Today's Birthdays:

CBS News correspondent Mike Wallace is 91.

Actress Geraldine McEwan is 77.

Actor-writer Alan Bennett is 75.

Rock musician Nokie Edwards (The Ventures) is 74.

Actor Albert Finney is 73.

Actress-turned-politician Glenda Jackson is 73.

Musician Sonny Curtis (Buddy Holly and the Crickets) is 72.

Producer-director James L. Brooks is 69.

Singer Tommy Roe is 67.

Singer-musician Richie Furay (Buffalo Springfield and Poco) is 65.

Actress Candice Bergen is 63.

Pop singer Clint Holmes is 63.

Actor Anthony Higgins is 62.

Singer Billy Joel is 60.

Blues singer-musician Bob Margolin is 60.

Rock singer-musician Tom Petersson (Cheap Trick) is 59.

Actress Alley Mills is 58.

Actress Wendy Crewson is 53.

Actor John Corbett is 48.

Singer Dave Gahan (Depeche Mode) is 47.

Country musician Mike Myerson (Heartland) is 38.

R&B singer Tamia is 34.

Rock musician Dan Regan (Reel Big Fish) is 32.

Rock singer Pierre Bouvier (Simple Plan) is 30.

Actress Rosario Dawson is 30.

Diamondbacks pitcher Brandon Webb is 30.

Actress Rachel Boston is 27.

Brewers first baseman Prince Fielder is 25.

TV personality Audrina Patridge is 24.

Thought for Today:

"There is nothing to fear except the persistent refusal to find out the truth,
the persistent refusal to analyze the causes of happenings."

— Dorothy Thompson,
American journalist and author
(1894-1961).