Today in History

Today in History

Today is Thursday, May 10, the 130th day of 2018. There are 235 days left in the year.

Today's Highlights in History:

On May 10, 1968, the "Night of the Barricades" began in Paris' Latin Quarter as tens of thousands of student protesters erected obstacles against riot police; in the pre-dawn hours of May 11, the police moved in, resulting in violent clashes that left hundreds of people injured. Preliminary peace talks between the United States and North Vietnam began in the French capital.

On this date:

In 1611, Sir Thomas Dale arrived in the Virginia Colony, where, as deputy governor, he instituted harsh measures to restore order.

In 1775, Ethan Allen and his Green Mountain Boys, along with Col. Benedict Arnold, captured the British-held fortress at Ticonderoga, New York.

In 1818, American patriot Paul Revere, 83, died in Boston.

In 1865, Confederate President Jefferson Davis was captured by Union forces in Irwinville, Georgia.

In 1869, a golden spike was driven in Promontory, Utah, marking the completion of the first transcontinental railroad in the United States.

In 1924, J. Edgar Hoover was named acting director of the Bureau of Investigation (later known as the Federal Bureau of Investigation, or FBI).

In 1933, the Nazis staged massive public book burnings in Germany.

In 1940, during World War II, German forces began invading the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Belgium and France. The same day, British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain resigned, and Winston Churchill formed a new government.

In 1960, the nuclear-powered submarine USS Triton completed its submerged navigation of the globe.

In 1978, Buckingham Palace announced that Princess Margaret and the Earl of Snowdon were divorcing after 18 years of marriage.

In 1984, the International Court of Justice said the United States should halt any actions to blockade Nicaragua's ports (the U.S. had already said it would not recognize World Court jurisdiction on this issue).

In 1994, Nelson Mandela took the oath of office in Pretoria to become South Africa's first black president. The state of Illinois executed serial killer John Wayne Gacy, 52, for the murders of 33 young men and boys.

Ten years ago: Presidential candidate Barack Obama erased Hillary Rodham Clinton's once-imposing lead among Democratic superdelegates as he added endorsements from Utah, Ohio, Arizona and the Virgin Islands. A tornado in Picher, Oklahoma, killed eight people. Jenna Bush married Henry Hager, the son of a Virginia Republican party official, at the Bush family ranch in Crawford, Texas.

Five years ago: The Internal Revenue Service apologized for what it acknowledged was "inappropriate" targeting of conservative political groups during the 2012 election to see if they were violating their tax-exempt status. U.S government scientists said worldwide levels of carbon dioxide, the chief greenhouse gas blamed for global warming, had hit a milestone, reaching an amount never before encountered by humans.

One year ago: All but ignoring the unfurling drama over Russia and the U.S. election, President Donald Trump sought to advance prospects for cooperation between the former Cold War foes in Syria and elsewhere in a rare Oval Office meeting with Vladimir Putin's top diplomat, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

Today's Birthdays: Author Barbara Taylor Bradford is 85. Rhythm-and-blues singer Henry Fambrough (The Spinners) is 80. Actor David Clennon is 75. Writer-producer-director Jim Abrahams is 74. Singer Donovan is 72. Singer-songwriter Graham Gouldman (10cc) is 72. Singer Dave Mason is 72. Actor Mike Hagerty is 64. Sports anchor Chris Berman is 63. Actor Bruce Penhall is 61. Former Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa., is 60. Actress Victoria Rowell is 59. Rock singer Bono (U2) is 58. Sen. Dean Heller, R-Nev., is 58. Rock musician Danny Carey (Tool) is 57. Actor Darryl M. Bell is 55. Playwright Suzan-Lori Parks is 55. Model Linda Evangelista is 53. Rapper Young MC is 51. Actor Erik Palladino is 50. Rock singer Richard Patrick (Filter) is 50. Actor Lenny Venito is 49. Actor Dallas Roberts is 48. Actress Leslie Stefanson is 47. Actor-singer Todd Lowe is 46. Country musician David Wallace (Cole Deggs and the Lonesome) is 46. Actress Andrea Anders is 43. Race car driver Helio Castroneves is 43. Rock musician Jesse Vest is 41. Actor Kenan Thompson is 40. Rhythm-and-blues singer Jason Dalyrimple (Soul For Real) is 38. Rock musician Joey Zehr (The Click Five) is 35. Singer Ashley Poole (Dream) is 33. Actress Odette Annable is 33. Actress Lindsey Shaw is 29. Actress Lauren Potter is 28. Olympic gold medal swimmer Missy Franklin is 23.

Thought for Today: "Creative minds always have been known to survive any kind of bad training." -- Anna Freud, Austrian-born psychoanalyst (1895-1982).