1410: POPE ALEXANDER V DIES.
The first pope to be named after a department store.
1481: THE LARGEST OF THREE EARTHQUAKES STRIKES THE ISLAND OF RHODES AND CAUSES AN ESTIMATED 30,000 CASUALTIES.
Not a lot of Rhodes scholars.
1491: KONGO MONARCH NKUWU NZINGA IS BAPTIZED BY PORTUGUESE MISSIONARIES.
Kongo like candy.
1715: A TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE WAS VISIBLE ACROSS NORTHERN EUROPE AND NORTHERN ASIA, AS PREDICTED BY EDMOND HALLEY TO WITHIN FOUR MINUTES ACCURACY.
Get it down to two minutes and you've got a job.
1758: POPE BENEDICT XIV DIES.
First pope to be named after an eggs breakfast.
1802: WASHINGTON DC IS INCORPORATED AS A CITY.
And later a mental institution.
1830: THE CANTERBURY AND WHITSTABLE RAILWAY IS OPENED. IT IS THE FIRST STEAM-HAULED PASSENGER RAILWAY TO ISSUE SEASON TICKETS AND INCLUDE A TUNNEL.
Wow. A tunnel.
1837: THE UNIVERSITY OF ATHENS IS FOUNDED IN ATHENS, GREECE.
Clever.
1867: THE HUDSON'S BAY COMPANY GIVES UP ALL CLAIMS TO VANCOUVER ISLAND.
And also to a lot of hockey tickets.
1903: SINGER BING CROSBY IS BORN.
Going his way?
1913: RAJA HARISHCHANDRA, THE FIRST FULL-LENGTH INDIAN FEATURE FILM, IS RELEASED.
And so begins Bollywood.
1917: SONGWRITER BETTY COMDEN IS BORN.
Her partnership with Adolph Green produced film magic.
1921: WEST VIRGINIA BECOMES THE FIRST STATE TO LEGISLATE A BROAD SALES TAX, BUT DOES NOT IMPLEMENT IT UNTIL YEARS LATER.
And the point of that was??
1932: FILM HISTORIAN ROBERT OSBORNE IS BORN.
And just died.
1933: SINGER JAMES BROWN IS BORN.
Wonder how much hair he had at birth.
1934: SINGER FRANKIE VALLI IS BORN.
Oh, what a night.
1937: GONE WITH THE WIND, A NOVEL BY MARGARET MITCHELL, WINS THE PULITZER PRIZE FOR FICTION.
Hey, this would make a great movie.
1947: NEW POST-WAR JAPANESE CONSTITUTION GOES INTO EFFECT.
Might as well since it all got blown up and shit.
1948: THE US SUPREME COURT RULES IN SHELLEY V. KRAEMER THAT COVENANTS PROHIBITING THE SALE OF REAL ESTATE TO BLACKS AND OTHER MINORITIES ARE LEGALLY UNENFORCEABLE.
Unaffordable mortgages notwithstanding.
1951: THE US SENATE COMMITTEE ON ARMED SERVICES AND US SENATE COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS BEGIN THEIR CLOSED DOOR HEARINGS INTO THE DISMISSAL OF GENERAL DOUGLAS MACARTHUR BY US PRESIDENT HARRY TRUMAN.
Plus there was no exit interview.
1952: THE KENTUCKY DERBY IS TELEVISED NATIONALLY FOR THE FIRST TIME ON CBS.
These days, a three minute race winds up with about six hours of pre-coverage.
1957: WALTER O'MALLEY, THE OWNER OF THE BROOKLY DODGERS, AGREES TO MOVE THE TEAM TO LOS ANGELES.
I'm looking at you, Robert Moses.
1960: THE OFF-BROADWAY MUSICAL, THE FANTASTICKS, OPENS IN NY AND EVENTUALLY BECOMES THE LONGEST-RUNNING MUSICAL OF ALL TIME.
I saw it once and fell asleep.
1960: THE ANNE FRANK HOUSE MUSEUM OPENS IN AMSTERDAM.
They hid who where???
1972: ACTOR BRUCE CABOT DIES.
Kong!!!
1973: THE 108-STORY SEARS TOWER IN CHICAGO IS TOPPED OUT AT 1,451 FEET AS THE WORLD'S TALLEST BUILDING.
Little known fact....it's really known as the Willis Tower.
1978: THE FIRST UNSOLICIATED BULK COMMERCIAL EMAIL...NOW CALLED SPAM...IS SENT BY A DIGITAL EQUIPMENT COMPANY.
And they're proud of this?
1986: ACTOR ROBERT ALDA DIES.
Alan's dad.
1989: CHRISTINE JORGENSEN DIES.
Here lies....?
1999: THE SOUTHWESTERN PORTION OF OKLAHOMA CITY IS DEVASTATED BY AN F5 TORNADO, KILLING FORTY-FIVE PEOPLE AND CAUSING $1 BILLION IN DAMAGE.
You're in good hands with All State.
2003: ACTRESS SUZY PARKER DIES.
Meow.
2007: ASTRONAUT WALLY SCHIRRA DIES.
Mission aborted.
2011: ACTOR JACKIE COOPER DIES.
An original Little Rascal! For this, we declare May 3 a national holiday.
Dinner last night: Chopped BBQ salad.
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