Today in History

Today is Friday, May 29, the 150th day of 2020. There are 216 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On May 29, 1988, President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail S. Gorbachev opened their historic summit in Moscow.

On this date:

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

In 1914, the Canadian ocean liner RMS Empress of Ireland sank in the St. Lawrence River in eastern Quebec after colliding with the Norwegian cargo ship SS Storstad; of the 1,477 people on board the Empress of Ireland, 1,012 died. (The Storstad sustained only minor damage.)

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

In 1943, Norman Rockwell's portrait of "Rosie the Riveter" appeared on the cover of The Saturday Evening Post.

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

In 1954, English runner Diane Leather became the first woman to run a sub-five-minute mile, finishing in 4:59.6 during the Midland Championships in Birmingham.

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 1995, Margaret Chase Smith, the first woman to serve in both the House and the Senate, died in Skowhegan, Maine, at age 97.

In 1998, Republican elder statesman Barry Goldwater died in Paradise Valley, Arizona, at age 89.

In 2008, the Vatican issued a decree stating that anyone trying to ordain a woman as a priest and any woman who attempted to receive the ordination would incur automatic excommunication. Actor-comedian Harvey Korman, Emmy winner for "The Carol Burnett Show," died in Los Angeles at age 81.

In 2009, a judge in Los Angeles sentenced music producer Phil Spector to 19 years to life in prison for the murder of actress Lana Clarkson. Jay Leno hosted "The Tonight Show" on NBC supposedly for the final time, giving up his desk to Conan O'Brien. (After a stint in prime time, Leno returned to "Tonight" in March 2010, stepping down again in February 2014.)

Ten years ago: Dennis Hopper, the high-flying Hollywood wildman whose memorable career included an early turn in "Rebel Without A Cause" and an improbable smash hit with "Easy Rider," died in Los Angeles at age 74. Philadelphia's Roy Halladay threw the 20th perfect game in major league history, beating the Florida Marlins 1-0.

Five years 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.

One year ago: In his first public remarks on the Russia investigation, special counsel Robert Mueller said charging President Donald Trump with a crime was "not an option" because of federal rules, but he emphasized that the investigation did not exonerate the president. A 2-year-old girl was struck in the head by a foul ball off the bat of Chicago Cubs outfielder Albert Almora Jr. in a game against the Astros in Houston; an attorney for the girl's family later said she had suffered a skull fracture. (The Astros and other teams extended protective netting further down the left-field and right-field lines later in the season.) A San Diego hospital revealed that a baby girl had been born in December, 23 weeks and three days into her mother's pregnancy, weighing just 8.6 ounces; the girl, believed to be the world's tiniest surviving newborn, went home months later as a healthy infant weighing 5 pounds.

Today's Birthdays: Former Baseball Commissioner Fay Vincent is 82. Motorsports Hall of Famer Al Unser is 81. Actor Helmut Berger is 76. Rock singer Gary Brooker (Procol Harum) is 75. Actor Anthony Geary is 73. Actor Cotter Smith is 71. Singer Rebbie Jackson is 70. Movie composer Danny Elfman is 67. Singer LaToya Jackson is 64. Actor Ted Levine is 63. Actress Annette Bening is 62. Actor Rupert Everett is 61. Actor Adrian Paul is 61. Singer Melissa Etheridge is 59. Actress Lisa Whelchel is 57. Actress Tracey Bregman is 57. Rock musician Noel Gallagher is 53. Singer Jayski McGowan (Quad City DJ's) is 53. Actor Anthony Azizi is 51. Rock musician Chan Kinchla (Blues Traveler) is 51. Actress Laverne Cox is 48. Rock musician Mark Lee (Third Day) is 47. Cartoonist Aaron McGruder ("The Boondocks") is 46. Singer Melanie Brown (Spice Girls) is 45. Rapper Playa Poncho is 45. Latin singer Fonseca is 41. Actor Justin Chon (TV: "Deception"; "Dr. Ken") is 39. NBA player Carmelo Anthony is 36. Actor Billy Flynn is 35. Actor Blake Foster is 35. Actress Riley Keough is 31. Actor Brandon Mychal Smith is 31. Actress Kristen Alderson is 29. Actress Lorelei Linklater is 27.

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

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