Today in History

Today is Wednesday, May 10, the 130th day of 2023. There are 235 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On May 10, 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.

On this date:

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 1941, Adolf Hitler's deputy, Rudolf Hess, parachuted into Scotland on what he claimed was a peace mission. (Hess ended up serving a life sentence at Spandau Prison until 1987, when he apparently committed suicide at age 93.)

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.

In 1995, 104 miners were killed in an elevator accident in Orkney, South Africa.

In 2002, a tense 39-day-old standoff between Israeli troops and Palestinian gunmen at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem ended with 13 suspected militants flown into European exile and 26 released into the Gaza Strip.

In 2014, Michael Sam was picked by the St. Louis Rams in the seventh round of the NFL draft, becoming the first openly gay player drafted by a pro football team. (Sam retired after an unsuccessful stint with the Rams and the Dallas Cowboys.)

Ten 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.

Five years ago: President Donald Trump announced that he would meet in Singapore with North Korea's Kim Jong Un on June 12; the announcement came hours after Trump hosted a welcome-home for three Americans who had been held by Kim's government. A federal safety agency is investigating a severe crash and fire involving a Telsa electric car that killed two teenagers in Florida. (It would later be determined that excessive speed caused their deaths, though a fire that broke out in the car's lithium ion battery contributed.)

One year ago: Russia pummeled the vital Ukrainian port of Odesa in an apparent effort to disrupt supply lines and Western weapons shipments critical to the defense of the capital, Kyiv. Elon Musk said he would reverse Twitter's permanent ban of former President Donald Trump if he followed through with his plan to buy the social media company. (Musk would complete his purchase of Twitter in October and restore Trump's account.) Authorities said they would not file criminal charges against former heavyweight champ Mike Tyson after he was recorded on video punching a fellow first-class passenger aboard a plane at San Francisco International Airport.

Today's Birthdays: Author Barbara Taylor Bradford is 90. R&B singer Henry Fambrough (The Spinners) is 85. Actor David Clennon is 80. Writer-producer-director Jim Abrahams is 79. Singer Donovan is 77. Singer-songwriter Graham Gouldman (10cc) is 77. Singer Dave Mason is 77. Sports anchor Chris Berman is 68. Actor Bruce Penhall is 66. Former Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa., is 65. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., is 64. Actor Victoria Rowell is 64. Rock singer Bono (U2) is 63. Former Sen. Dean Heller, R-Nev., is 63. Rock musician Danny Carey (Tool) is 62. Actor Darryl M. Bell is 60. Playwright Suzan-Lori Parks is 60. Model Linda Evangelista is 58. Rapper Young MC is 56. Actor Erik Palladino is 55. Rock singer Richard Patrick (Filter) is 55. Actor Lenny Venito is 54. Actor Dallas Roberts is 53. Actor Leslie Stefanson is 52. Actor-singer Todd Lowe is 51. Actor Andrea Anders is 48. Race car driver Helio Castroneves is 48. Rock musician Jesse Vest is 46. Actor Kenan Thompson is 45. Actor Odette Annable is 38. Actor Lindsey Shaw is 34. Actor Lauren Potter is 33. Olympic gold medal swimmer Missy Franklin is 28.