Today in History

Today in History

Today is Sunday, May 29, the 150th day of 2016. There are 216 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On May 29, 1953, Mount Everest was conquered as Edmund Hillary of New Zealand and Tensing Norgay of Nepal became the first climbers to reach the summit.

On this date:

In 1765, Patrick Henry denounced the Stamp Act before Virginia's House of Burgesses.

In 1790, Rhode Island became the 13th original colony to ratify the United States Constitution.

In 1848, Wisconsin became the 30th state of the union.

In 1912, the ballet "L'Apres-midi d'un Faune" (The Afternoon of a Faun), with music by Claude Debussy, premiered in Paris with Vaslav Nijinsky dancing the title role.

In 1913, the ballet "Le Sacre du printemps" (The Rite of Spring), with music by Igor Stravinsky and choreography by Vaslav Nijinsky, had its chaotic world premiere in Paris. The D.H. Lawrence novel "Sons and Lovers" was first published by Duckworth & Co. of London, albeit in an expurgated version.

In 1917, the 35th president of the United States, John F. Kennedy, was born in Brookline, Massachusetts.

In 1932, World War I veterans began arriving in Washington to demand cash bonuses they weren't scheduled to receive until 1945.

In 1943, Norman Rockwell's portrait of "Rosie the Riveter" appeared on the cover of The Saturday Evening Post. (The model for Rockwell's Rosie, Mary Doyle Keefe, died in April 2015 at age 92.)

In 1961, a couple in Paynesville, West Virginia, became the first recipients of food stamps under a pilot program created by President John F. Kennedy.

In 1973, Tom Bradley was elected the first black mayor of Los Angeles, defeating incumbent Sam Yorty.

In 1985, 39 people were killed at the European Cup Final in Brussels, Belgium, when rioting broke out and a wall separating British and Italian soccer fans collapsed.

In 1999, Discovery became the first space shuttle to dock with the International Space Station. Olusegun Obasanjo became Nigeria's first civilian president in 15 years, ending a string of military regimes.

Ten years ago: President George W. Bush, delivering a Memorial Day message at Arlington National Cemetery, said the United States needed to continue fighting the war on terror in the name of those had already given their life in the cause. A car bomb exploded in Baghdad, killing U.S. Army Capt. James Alex Funkhouser Jr., two British members of a CBS News crew, Paul Douglas and James Brolan, plus an Iraqi interpreter, and also seriously injuring CBS correspondent Kimberly Dozier. A U.S. military truck crashed into traffic in Kabul, Afghanistan, killing five people and sparking violent protests across the country that claimed some 20 lives.

Five years ago: A week after Joplin, Missouri, was nearly leveled by the deadliest tornado to strike the U.S in decades, President Barack Obama visited the city to offer hope to survivors and promises of help. JR Hildebrand was one turn away from winning the Indianapolis 500 when he skidded high into the wall on the final turn and Dan Wheldon drove past to claim an improbable second Indy 500 win in his first race of the year.

One year ago: The Obama administration formally removed Cuba from the U.S. terrorism blacklist. Nigeria's new president, Muhammadu Buhari, was sworn in with a pledge to tackle the Islamic extremist group Boko Haram "head on." Veteran character actress Betsy Palmer, 88, died in Danbury, Connecticut.

Today's Birthdays: Former Baseball Commissioner Fay Vincent is 78. Motorsports Hall of Famer Al Unser is 77. Actor Kevin Conway is 74. Actor Helmut Berger is 72. Rock singer Gary Brooker (Procol Harum) is 71. Actor Anthony Geary is 69. Actor Cotter Smith is 67. Singer Rebbie Jackson is 66. Movie composer Danny Elfman is 63. Singer LaToya Jackson is 60. Actor Ted Levine is 59. Actress Annette Bening is 58. Actor Rupert Everett is 57. Actor Adrian Paul is 57. Singer Melissa Etheridge is 55. Actress Lisa Whelchel is 53. Actress Tracey Bregman is 53. Rock musician Noel Gallagher is 49. Singer Jayski McGowan (Quad City DJ's) is 49. Actor Anthony Azizi is 47. Rock musician Chan Kinchla (Blues Traveler) is 47. Rock musician Mark Lee (Third Day) is 43. Cartoonist Aaron McGruder ("The Boondocks") is 42. Singer Melanie Brown (Spice Girls) is 41. Rapper Playa Poncho is 41. Latin singer Fonseca is 37. Actor Blake Foster is 31. Actor Brandon Mychal Smith is 27. Actress Kristen Alderson is 25. Actress Lorelei Linklater is 23.

Thought for Today: "What makes us discontented with our condition is the absurdly exaggerated idea we have of the happiness of others." -- French saying.