Today in History

Today is Sunday, May 26, the 146th day of 2013. There are 219 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On May 26, 1913, Actors' Equity Association was organized by a group of actors at the Pabst Grand Circle Hotel in New York; the union's first president was Francis Wilson.

On this date:

In 1521, Martin Luther was banned by the Edict of Worms because of his religious beliefs and writings.

In 1868, the impeachment trial of President Andrew Johnson ended with his acquittal on the remaining charges.

In 1938, the House Un-American Activities Committee was established by Congress.

In 1940, the evacuation of more than 338,000 Allied troops from Dunkirk, France, began during World War II.

In 1941, the American Flag House, where Betsy Ross once lived, was donated to the city of Philadelphia.

In 1942, the U.S. War Department formally established the Armed Forces Radio Service (AFRS). The Tule Lake Segregation Center for Japanese-American wartime internees opened in northern California.

In 1952, representatives of the United States, Britain, France and West Germany signed the Bonn Convention granting conditional sovereignty to, and ending the Allied occupation of, West Germany.

In 1960, U.N. Ambassador Henry Cabot Lodge accused the Soviets of hiding a microphone inside a wood carving of the Great Seal of the United States that had been presented to the U.S. Embassy in Moscow.

In 1969, the Apollo 10 astronauts returned to Earth after a successful eight-day dress rehearsal for the first manned moon landing.

In 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev signed the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty in Moscow. (The U.S. withdrew from the treaty in 2002.)

In 1981, 14 people were killed when a Marine jet crashed onto the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz off Florida.

In 1998, the U.S. Supreme Court made it far more difficult for police to be sued by people hurt during high-speed chases. The Supreme Court ruled that Ellis Island -- historic gateway for millions of immigrants -- is mainly in New Jersey, not New York.

Ten years ago: Angering hard-liners, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon declared in a speech to his Likud Party that he was determined to reach a peace deal and end 36 years of rule over the Palestinians. An airplane carrying Spanish peacekeepers returning from Afghanistan crashed in Turkey, killing all 75 people aboard.

Five years ago: President George W. Bush paid a Memorial Day tribute to America's fighting men and women who died in battle, saying national leaders must have "the courage and character to follow their lead" in preserving peace and freedom. Chinese officials said they would waive their one-child policy for families with a child who was killed, severely injured or disabled in the country's devastating earthquake. Oscar-winning movie director Sydney Pollack died in Los Angeles at age 73. Composer Earle H. Hagen, who wrote the themes for "The Andy Griffith Show," "I Spy," "The Mod Squad" and other TV shows, died in Rancho Mirage, Calif., at age 88.

One year ago: Gruesome video showed rows of dead Syrian children lying in a mosque in Houla, haunting images of what activists called one of the deadliest regime attacks yet in Syria's 14-month-old uprising. International space station astronauts floated into the Dragon, a day after its heralded arrival as the world's first commercial supply ship.

Today's Birthdays: Actor Alec McCowen is 88. Sportscaster Brent Musberger is 74. Country musician Gates Nichols (Confederate Railroad) is 69. Rock musician Garry Peterson (Guess Who) is 68. Singer Stevie Nicks is 65. Actress Pam Grier is 64. Actor Philip Michael Thomas is 64. Country singer Hank Williams Jr. is 64. Actress Margaret Colin is 56. Country singer-songwriter Dave Robbins is 54. Actor Doug Hutchison is 53. Actress Genie Francis is 51. Comedian Bobcat Goldthwait is 51. Singer Lenny Kravitz is 49. Actress Helena Bonham Carter is 47. Rock musician Phillip Rhodes is 45. Actor Joseph Fiennes is 43. Singer Joey Kibble (Take 6) is 42. Actor-producer-writer Matt Stone is 42. Contemporary Christian musician Nathan Cochran is 35. Actress Elisabeth Harnois is 34. Actor Hrach Titizian is 34.

Thought for Today: "Life is a tragedy full of joy." -- Bernard Malamud, American author (1914-1986).

Copyright 2013, The Associated Press. All rights reserved.