Monday, May 10th
The 130th day of 2010.
There are 235 days left in the year.
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Today's Highlights in History
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On May 10, 1869, a golden spike was driven at Promontory, Utah, marking the completion of the first transcontinental railroad in the United States. (Go to article.)
On May 10, 1902, David O. Selznick, who produced "Gone With the Wind" and other highly successful films, was born. Following his death on June 22, 1965, his obituary appeared in The Times. (Go to obit. | Other Birthdays)
Editorial Cartoon of the Day
On May 10, 1879, Harper's Weekly featured a cartoon about the sport of horse racing. (See the cartoon and read an explanation.)
On this date in:
1774 Louis XVI ascended the throne of France.
1775 Ethan Allen and his Green Mountain Boys captured the British-held fortress at Ticonderoga, N.Y.
1865 Union forces captured Confederate President Jefferson Davis in Irwinville, Ga.
1869 A golden spike was driven at Promontory, Utah, marking the completion of the first transcontinental railroad in the United States.
1899 Actor-dancer Fred Astaire was born in Omaha, Neb.
1908 The first Mother's Day observance took place during church services in Grafton, W.Va., and Philadelphia.
1924 J. Edgar Hoover was appointed director of the federal Bureau of Investigation - the forerunner of the FBI - a job he held until his death in 1972.
1940 British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain resigned, and Winston Churchill formed a new government.
1941 Adolf Hitler's deputy, Rudolf Hess, parachuted into Scotland on what he claimed was a peace mission.
1968 Preliminary Vietnam peace talks began in Paris.
1994 The state of Illinois executed convicted serial killer John Wayne Gacy for the murders of 33 young men and boys.
1997 An earthquake in northeastern Iran killed at least 2,400 people.
2002 A 39-day standoff between Israeli troops and Palestinian gunmen at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem ended with 13 suspected militants flown into European exile and 26 released into the Gaza Strip.
2003 The New York Times announced that one of its reporters, Jayson Blair, had "committed frequent acts of journalistic fraud."
2005 Germany dedicated a national Holocaust memorial.
2008 Jenna Bush, daughter of President George W. Bush, married Henry Hager at the Bush family ranch in Crawford, Texas.
Current Birthdays
Bono turns 50 years old today.
AP Photo/Evan Agostini Rock singer Bono (U2) turns 50 years old today.
80 Pat Summerall
Sportscaster
71 Gary Owens
Announcer ("Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In")
67 David Clennon
Actor
66 Jim Abrahams
Writer, director ("Airplane!")
64 Donovan
Folk, rock singer
64 Dave Mason
Rock singer (Traffic)
63 Andrew Card
Former White House chief of staff
52 Rick Santorum
Former U.S. senator, R-Pa.
47 Suzan-Lori Parks
Playwright
45 Linda Evangelista
Model
43 Young MC
Rapper
32 Kenan Thompson
Actor ("Saturday Night Live")
Historic Birthdays
David O. Selznick
5/10/1902 - 6/22/1965
American film producer
(Go to obit.)
71 William Grace
5/10/1832 - 3/21/1904
Irish-born American shipowner; founder of W. R. Grace & Company
26 John Wilkes Booth
5/10/1838 - 4/26/1865
American actor; assassinated President Abraham Lincoln
81 Sir Thomas Lipton
5/10/1850 - 10/2/1931
Scottish-born English merchant; built Lipton tea empire
82 Karl Barth
5/10/1886 - 12/9/1968
Swiss theologian
90 Einar Gerhardsen
5/10/1897 - 9/19/1987
Norwegian politician; prime minister four times between 1945 and 1965
83 Ariel Durant
5/10/1898 - 10/25/1981
Russian-born American writer; co-wrote "The Story of Civilization"
88 Fred Astaire
5/10/1899 - 6/22/1987
American dancer and actor
69 Maybelle Carter
5/10/1909 - 10/23/1978
American singer, songwriter and guitarist
61 Ella Grasso
5/10/1919 - 2/5/1981
American politician; governor of Connecticut (1975-80)
69 Nancy Walker
5/10/1922 - 3/25/1992
American movie and television actress
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