(Following Advance for Use Friday, May 2nd)


Today in History

Today is Friday, May 2nd, the 123rd day of 2008. There are 243 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History: One hundred years ago, on May 2nd, 1908, the original version of the song "Take Me Out to the Ball Game," with music by Albert Von Tilzer and lyrics by Jack Norworth, was copyrighted by Von Tilzer's York Music Company.

On this date: In 1670, the Hudson Bay Company was chartered by England's King Charles II.

In 1863, Confederate General Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson was accidentally wounded by his own men at Chancellorsville, Virginia; he died eight days later.

In 1890, the Oklahoma Territory was organized.

In 1936, "Peter and the Wolf," a symphonic tale for children by Sergei Prokofiev, had its world premiere in Moscow.

In 1945, the Soviet Union announced the fall of Berlin, and the Allies announced the surrender of Nazi troops in Italy and parts of Austria.

In 1957, Senator Joseph R. McCarthy, the controversial Republican senator from Wisconsin, died at Bethesda Naval Hospital in Maryland.

In 1957, crime boss Frank Costello narrowly survived an attempt on his life in New York; the alleged gunman, Vincent "The Chin" Gigante, was acquitted at trial after Costello refused to identify him as the shooter.

In 1960, Caryl Chessman, who became a best-selling author while on death row for kidnapping, robbery and sexual offenses, was executed at San Quentin Prison in California.

In 1965, Intelsat 1, also known as the Early Bird satellite, was first used to transmit television pictures across the Atlantic.

In 1972, after serving 48 years as head of the FBI, J. Edgar Hoover died in Washington at age 77.

Ten years ago: In separate radio addresses, President CLinton and congressional Republicans lambasted the Internal Revenue Service and promised more reforms to prevent abuses by the tax-collecting agency in the future. "Real Quiet" won the Kentucky Derby.

Five years ago: A federal court struck down most of the new campaign finance law's ban on the use of large corporate and union contributions by political parties. (However, the Supreme Court later ruled that rooting out corruption, or even the appearance of it, justified limitations on the free speech and free spending of contributors, candidates and political parties.) India and Pakistan agreed to hold talks on settling a-half century of disputes that had drawn them into three wars.

One year ago: In a defeat for anti-war Democrats, Congress failed to override President Bush's veto of legislation requiring the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq. President Bush declared al-Qaida "public enemy Number 1 in Iraq," placing increasing emphasis on the terror network responsible for the 9-11 attack.

Today's Birthdays: Actor Theodore Bikel is 84. Singer Engelbert Humperdinck is 72. Actress and political activist Bianca Jagger is 63. Country singer R.C. Bannon is 63. Singer Lesley Gore is 62.

Actor David Suchet (SOO'-shay) is 62. Singer-songwriter Larry Gatlin is 60. Rock singer Lou Gramm (Foreigner) is 58. Actress Christine Baranski is 56. Singer Angela Bofill is 54. Actress Elizabeth Berridge is 46. Country singer Ty Herndon is 46. Rock musician Todd Sucherman (Styx) is 39. Wrestler-actor Dwayne Johnson (aka "The Rock") is 36. Actress Jenna Von Oy is 31. Actor Gaius (GEYE'-ehs) Charles ("Friday Night Lights") is 25. Pop singer Lily Allen is 23. Olympic gold medal figure skater Sarah Hughes is 23. Actress Kay Panabaker is 18.

Thought for Today: "What experience and history teach is this: that people and governments have never learned anything from history." Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (HAY'-guhl), German philosopher (1770-1831).

(Above Advance for Use Friday, May 2nd)


Copyright 2008, The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) APNP 04-20-08 0827CDT | save this article / add to your favorites list