Today in History

Today is Monday, May 19, the 139th day of 2014. There are 226 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On May 19, 1864, American author Nathaniel Hawthorne, 59, died in Plymouth, New Hampshire.

On this date:

In 1536, Anne Boleyn, the second wife of England's King Henry VIII, was beheaded after being convicted of adultery.

In 1780, a mysterious darkness enveloped much of New England and part of Canada in the early afternoon.

In 1913, California Gov. Hiram Johnson signed the Webb-Hartley Law prohibiting "aliens ineligible to citizenship" from owning farm land, a measure targeting Asian immigrants, particularly Japanese.

In 1921, Congress passed, and President Warren G. Harding signed, the Emergency Quota Act, which established national quotas for immigrants.

In 1935, T.E. Lawrence, also known as "Lawrence of Arabia," died in Dorset, England, six days after being injured in a motorcycle crash.

In 1943, in his second wartime address to the U.S. Congress, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill pledged his country's full support in the fight against Japan. That same day, top U.S. and British officials meeting in Washington reached agreement on May 1, 1944 as the date for the D-Day invasion of France (the operation ended up being launched more than a month later).

In 1954, American composer Charles Ives, 79, died in New York.

In 1962, actress Marilyn Monroe sang "Happy Birthday to You" to President John F. Kennedy during a Democratic fundraiser at New York's Madison Square Garden.

In 1964, the State Department disclosed that 40 hidden microphones had been found in the U.S. Embassy in Moscow.

In 1973, Secretariat won the Preakness Stakes, the second of its Triple Crown victories.

In 1981, five British soldiers were killed by an Irish Republican Army landmine in County Armagh, Northern Ireland.

In 1994, former first lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis died in New York at age 64.

Ten years ago: Army Reserve Spc. Jeremy C. Sivits wept and apologized after receiving a year in prison and a bad conduct discharge in the first court-martial stemming from abuse of Iraqis at the Abu Ghraib prison. Frustrated relatives of World Trade Center victims heckled former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani during his appearance before the September 11 commission. Two men hurled purple cornstarch at British Prime Minister Tony Blair in the House of Commons. Manmohan Singh was named India's new prime minister. Millionaire philanthropist Jack Eckerd, founder of the drugstore chain that bore his name, died in Clearwater, Florida, at age 91.

Five years ago: President Barack Obama asked consumers to back his plan for higher efficiency standards for cars and trucks, saying drivers would make up the higher cost of cleaner vehicles at the gas pump.

One year ago: President Barack Obama, in a soaring commencement address on work, sacrifice and opportunity, told graduates of historically black Morehouse College in Atlanta to seize the power of their example as black men graduating from college and use it to improve people's lives.

Today's Birthdays: PBS newscaster Jim Lehrer is 80. TV personality David Hartman is 79. Actor James Fox is 75. Actress Nancy Kwan is 75. Actor Peter Mayhew is 70. Rock singer-composer Pete Townshend (The Who) is 69. Concert pianist David Helfgott is 67. Rock singer-musician Dusty Hill (ZZ Top) is 65. Singer-actress Grace Jones is 62. Rock musician Phil Rudd (AC-DC) is 60. Actor Steven Ford is 58. Rock musician Iain Harvie (Del Amitri) is 52. Actress Polly Walker is 48. Actor Jason Gray-Stanford is 44. Gospel singer Israel Houghton is 43. Rock singer Jenny Berggren (Ace of Base) is 42. Country/rock singer Shooter Jennings is 35. Actor Drew Fuller is 34. Christian rock musician Tim McTague is 31. Rock musician James Richardson (MGMT) is 31. Actor Eric Lloyd is 28.

Thought for Today: "How slowly I have made my way in life! How much is still to be done!" -- Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864).

Copyright 2014, The Associated Press. All rights reserved.