This Date in History - May 6

May 6 is a robust day for birthdays as you will see.   But I would be remiss if I didn't spotlight Willie Mays.  Say hey!  And you will note that the picture I used has him in a Mets uniform.

1527:  SPANISH AND GERMAN SACK ROME.   SOME CONSIDER THIS THE END OF THE RENAISSANCE.

And who are those people who don't?

1536:  KING HENRY VIII ORDERS ENGLISH-LANGUAGE BIBLES BE PLACED IN EVERY CHURCH.  

And lots of motels.

1542:  FRANCIS XAVIER REACHES OLD GOA, THE CAPITAL OF PORTUGUESE INDIA.

I read this so fast that I thought Aunt Bee from the Andy Griffith Show did this.

1659:  A FACTION OF THE BRITISH ARMY REMOVES RICHARD CROMWELL AS LORD PROTECTOR OF THE COMMONWEALTH AND REINSTALLS THE RUMP PARLIAMENT.

Rump is a funny word in any sentence.

1682:  LOUIS XIV MOVES HIS COURT TO THE PALACE OF VERSAILLES.

Don't touch anything.

1757:  ENGLISH POET CHRISTOPHER SMART IS ADMITTED TO ST. LUKE'S HOSPITAL FOR LUNATICS IN LONDON.

If they started a chain like this in America, there would be more outlets than Starbucks.

1835:  JAMES GORDON BENNETT SR. PUBLISHES THE FIRST ISSUE OF THE NEW YORK HERALD.

Extra.  Extra.  Read all about it!

1840:  THE PENNY BLACK POSTAGE STAMP BECOMES VALID FOR USE IN GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND.

I suppose there are about five stamp collectors who think this is a big deal.

1844:  THE GLACIARIUM, THE WORLD'S FIRST MECHANICALLY FROZEN ICE RINK, OPENS.

Somebody call that Zamboni guy.

1861:  DURING THE CIVIL WAR, ARKANSAS SECEDES FROM THE UNION.

Who let these peckerwoods back in?

1861:  DURING THE CIVIL WAR, RICHMOND, VIRGINIA IS DECLARED THE CAPITAL OF THE CONFEDERATE STATES OF AMERICA.

And how long did this last?

1862:  AUTHOR HENRY DAVID THOREAU DIES.

Under Walden Pond.

1877:  CHIEF CRAZY HORSE OF SIOUX SURRENDERS TO US TROOPS IN NEBRASKA.

Sioux?  Si.

1882:  THE US CONGRESS PASSES THE CHINESE EXCLUSION ACT.

And who's the one who rescinded it.  Because COVID-19 is here.

1895:  ACTOR RUDOLPH VALENTINO IS BORN.  

He doesn't last long.  He dies in 1926.

1903:  BUSINESSMAN TOOTS SHOR IS BORN.

Seriously, Mrs. Shor.   Toots?

1904:  ACTOR RAYMOND BAILEY IS BORN.

Milburn Drysdale on the Beverly Hillbillies.

1907: FOOTBALL COACH WEEB EWBANK IS BORN.

Seriously, Mrs. Ewbank.  Weeb??

1910:  GEORGE V BECOMES KING OF THE UNITED KINGDOM UPON THE DEATH OF HIS FATHER, EDWARD VII.

And the Royal family just keeps chugging along.

1911:  ACTOR FRANK NELSON IS BORN.

Yyyyyessssss???

1915:  ACTOR ORSON WELLES IS BORN.

The baby weighed in at 33 pounds and 12 ounces.

1915:  AUTHOR THEODORE H. WHITE IS BORN.

The Birth of an Author.

1917:  BUSINESSMAN JILLY RIZZO IS BORN.

Sinatra's pal.   But mentioned here for one reason that you will read later.

1919:  AUTHOR L. FRANK BAUM DIES.

We're off to see....oh, never mind.

1924:  PATRICIA KENNEDY LAWFORD IS BORN.

Well, she technically wasn't a Lawford yet.

1931:  BASEBALL STAR WILLIE MAYS IS BORN.

No way he appears in a Giant uniform on this blog.

1935:  EXECUTIVE ORDER 7034 CREATES THE WORKS PROGRESS ADMINISTRATION.

Just in case you thought Al Gore invented these things along with the internet.

1937:  THE HINDENBURG CATCHES FIRE AND BURNS IN NEW JERSEY.

Oh, the humanity!  Don't you think this radio reporter was overreacting a bit?  I mean, 36 people died.   We've seen bigger disasters.  Like what's happening now.

1940:  JOHN STEINBECK IS AWARDED THE PULITZER PRIZE FOR HIS NOVEL THE GRAPES OF WRATH.

If Barnes and Noble has it, I'll be there.

1941:  AT CALIFORNIA'S MARCH FIELD, BOB HOPE PERFORMS HIS FIRST USO SHOW.

You know this was just an excuse to get on the road and sleep with Marilyn Maxwell?

1942:  DURING WORLD WAR II, THE LAST AMERICAN FORCES IN THE PHILIPPINES SURRENDER TO THE JAPANESE AT CORREGIDOR.

Now that warrants a "oh, the humanity."

1954:  ROGER BANNISTER BECOMES THE FIRST PERSON TO RUN THE MILE IN UNDER FOUR MINUTES.

And done without police chasing him.

1960:  MORE THAN 20 MILLION VIEWERS WATCH THE FIRST TELEVISED ROYAL WEDDING WHEN PRINCESS MARGARET MARRIES ANTHONY ARMSTRONG-JONES.

Yeah, there will be others.

1961:  ACTOR GEORGE CLOONEY IS BORN.

He turned out to be some sort of a big deal.

1963:  ACTOR MONTY WOOLLEY DIES.

One less man for dinner tonight.

1975:  DURING A LULL IN FIGHTING, 100,000 ARMENIANS GATHER IN BEIRUT TO REMEMBER THE 60TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE.

If you think that's a lot of Armenians, try going to the Glendale Galleria on a Saturday afternoon.

1990:  ACTOR CHARLES FARRELL DIES.

"But, Dad....."

1991:  ACTOR WILFRID HYDE-WHITE DIES.

Colonel Pickering!

1992:  ACTRESS MARLENE DIETRICH DIES.

Ya, ya, ya, ya...

1992:  BUSINESSMAN JILLY RIZZO DIES.

See!  A perfectly symmetrical life.

1994:  QUEEN ELIZABETH II OF ENGLAND AND FRENCH PRESIDENT FRANCOIS MITTERRAND OPEN THE CHANNEL TUNNEL.

EZ-Pass lanes to the right.

1994:  PAULA JONES FILES A LAWSUIT AGAINST US PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON, ALLEGING THAT HE HAD SEXUALLY HARASSED HER IN 1991.

Yeah, there will be others.   Lots more.

1998:  THE CHICAGO CUBS' KERRY WOOD STRIKES OUT 20 HOUSTON ASTROS TO TIE THE MLB RECORD HELD BY ROGER CLEMENS.

Even better...no walks.

2001:  DURING A TRIP TO SYRIA, POPE JOHN PAUL II BECOMES THE FIRST POPE TO ENTER A MOSQUE.

Glad he got this out of the way before September.

2004:  THE SITCOM FRIENDS AIRS ITS SERIES FINALE AND BECOMES THE FOURTH MOST WATCHED TV SERIES FINALE IN HISTORY.  

I was there for you.

2010:  BASEBALL PLAYER ROBIN ROBERTS DIES.

Not to be confused with that hen on Good Morning America.

2012:  ACTOR GEORGE LINDSEY DIES.

Hey, Goober!

Dinner last night:  Sauteed mushrooms, shallots, and baby spinach.