Today in History

Today in History

Today is Wednesday, May 2, the 122nd day of 2018. There are 243 days left in the year.

On May 2, 1908, the original version of "Take Me Out to the Ball Game," with music by Albert Von Tilzer and lyrics by Jack Norworth, was published by Von Tilzer's York Music Co.

On this date:

In 1536, Anne Boleyn, second wife of King Henry VIII, was arrested and charged with adultery; she was beheaded 17 days later.

In 1670, the Hudson's Bay Co. was chartered by England's King Charles II.

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

In 1927, the U.S. Supreme Court, in Buck v. Bell, upheld 8-1 a Virginia law allowing the forced sterilization of people to promote the "health of the patient and the welfare of society."

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

In 1946, violence erupted during a foiled escape attempt at the Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary in San Francisco Bay; the "Battle of Alcatraz" claimed the lives of three inmates and two correctional officers before it was put down two days later.

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. Sen. Joseph R. McCarthy, R-Wis., died at Bethesda Naval Hospital in Maryland.

In 1968, "The Odd Couple," the movie version of the Neil Simon comedy starring Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau, opened in New York.

In 1970, jockey Diane Crump became the first woman to ride in the Kentucky Derby; she finished in 15th place aboard Fathom. (The winning horse was Dust Commander.)

In 1982, the Weather Channel made its debut.

In 1994, Nelson Mandela claimed victory in the wake of South Africa's first democratic elections; President F.W. de Klerk acknowledged defeat.

In 2011, Osama bin Laden was killed by elite American forces at his Pakistan compound, then quickly buried at sea after a decade on the run.

Ten years ago: President George W. Bush sent lawmakers a $70 billion request to fund U.S. operations in Iraq and Afghanistan into the following spring. Tropical Cyclone Nargis struck Myanmar, leading to an eventual official death toll of 84,537, with 53,836 listed as missing. Mildred Loving, a black woman whose challenge to Virginia's ban on interracial marriage led to a landmark Supreme Court ruling striking down such laws across the United States, died in Milford, Virginia, at age 68.

Five years ago: President Barack Obama arrived in Mexico City on his first trip to Latin America since winning re-election. Dutchman Robert-Jan Derksen shot a 6-under 66 to take the first-round lead in the China Open, while 12-year-old Ye Wocheng opened with a 79 at Binhai Lake; at 12 years, 242 days, Ye became the youngest player in European Tour history, breaking Guan Tianlang's mark of 13 years, 177 days. Jeff Hanneman, 49, a founding member of heavy metal bank Slayer, died in Hemet, California.

One year ago: Michael Slager, a white former police officer whose killing of Walter Scott, an unarmed black man running from a traffic stop, was captured on cellphone video, pleaded guilty to federal civil rights charges in Charleston, South Carolina. (Slager was sentenced to 20 years in prison.) United Airlines CEO Oscar Munoz apologized on Capitol Hill for an incident in which a passenger was dragged off a flight, calling it "a mistake of epic proportions" as frustrated lawmakers warned airline executives to improve customer service or face congressional intervention. Disgraced preacher Tony Alamo, who was convicted in Arkansas of sexually abusing young girls he considered his wives, died at a prison hospital in North Carolina; he was 82.

Today's Birthdays: Singer Engelbert Humperdinck is 82. Former International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge is 76. Actress-activist Bianca Jagger is 73. Country singer R.C. Bannon is 73. Actor David Suchet is 72. Singer-songwriter Larry Gatlin is 70. Rock singer Lou Gramm (Foreigner) is 68. Actress Christine Baranski is 66. Singer Angela Bofill is 64. Fashion designer Donatella Versace is 63. Actor Brian Tochi is 59. Movie director Stephen Daldry is 58. Actress Elizabeth Berridge is 56. Country singer Ty Herndon is 56. Actress Mitzi Kapture is 56. Commentator Mika Brzezinski is 51. Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb is 50. Rock musician Todd Sucherman (Styx) is 49. Wrestler-turned-actor Dwayne Johnson (AKA The Rock) is 46. Soccer player David Beckham is 43. Rock singer Jeff Gutt (Stone Temple Pilots) is 42. Actress Jenna Von Oy is 41. Actress Ellie Kemper is 38. Actor Robert Buckley is 37. Actor Gaius Charles is 35. Pop singer Lily Rose Cooper is 33. Olympic gold medal figure skater Sarah Hughes is 33. Rock musician Jim Almgren (Carolina Liar) is 32. Actor Thomas McDonell is 32. Actress Kay Panabaker is 28. Princess Charlotte of Cambridge is three.

Thought for Today: "Like ships, men founder time and again." -- Henry Miller, American novelist (1891-1980).