Today in history...
May 15 1960
The Soviet Union launches Sputnik IV, a three-ton spacecraft containing a "dummy cosmonaut." The mission goes fine until they attempt to retrofire. A bug in the guidance system had pointed the capsule in the wrong direction, so instead of dropping into the atmosphere the satellite moves into a higher orbit.
May 15 1972
Hoping to gain everlasting infamy, Arthur Bremer pumps five bullets into Democratic presidential candidate George Wallace during a campaign stop in Laurel, Maryland. In his haste, the gunman forgets to yell his carefully-chosen catchphrase, "Penny for your thoughts!" And when Wallace survives the assassination attempt, albeit confined to a wheelchair, Bremer's name is soon forgotten.
May 15 1974
Three Arab gunmen disguised as Israeli soldiers seize control of the schoolhouse at Ma'alot. Taken hostage are more than 100 teenaged students and their teachers. The captors, members of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, demand the release of 26 political prisoners. Israeli commandos storm the school only 15 minutes before the deadline; 18 children are killed in the firefight.
May 15 1985
Graduate student John Hauser loses most of his right hand in a UC Berkeley computer room when he opens an innocent-looking box attached to a looseleaf binder. It is the second device left in this building from the Unabomber. In fact, the engineering professor who applies the tourniquet to Hauser's arm was the victim in the previous attack, three years prior.
May 15 1991
Alan Cooper stands trial in England for "committing a lewd, obscene, and disgusting act on the 12-foot dolphin called Freddie as they frolicked for 20 minutes off the harbor mouth at Amble, Northumberland." Cooper responds by claiming that his accuser was a sworn enemy and had trained dolphins for a movie to jump out of the water and tear off a woman's bikini bra. He is eventually acquitted of masturbating the cetacean.
May 15 1997
Federal prosecutors in the Unabomber trial file the necessary paperwork requesting the death penalty for Ted Kaczynski.
Birthdays today...
1567 - Claudio Monteverdi, Italian composer (d. 1643)
1608 - René Goupil, French Catholic missionary (Canadian Martyrs) (d. 1642)
1720 - Maximilian Hell, Slovakian astronomer (d. 1792)
1749 - Levi Lincoln, Sr., American revolutionary, statesman, politician, and acting Governor of Massachusetts (d. 1820)
1773 - Prince Klemens Wenzel von Metternich, Austrian statesman (d. 1859)
1786 - General Dimitris Plapoutas, a Revolutionary in the Greek War of Independence (d. 1864)
1817 - Debendranath Tagore, Indian religious reformer (d. 1905)
1848 - Viktor Vasnetsov, Russian painter (d. 1926)
1856 - L. Frank Baum, American author (d. 1919)
1857 - Williamina Fleming, Scottish-born astronomer (d. 1911)
1859 - Pierre Curie, French physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1906)
1862 - Arthur Schnitzler, Austrian dramatist and narrator (d. 1931)
1890 - Katherine Anne Porter, American author (d. 1980)
1891 - Mikhail Bulgakov, Russian writer (d. 1940)
1891 - Fritz Feigl, Austria-born chemist (d. 1971)
1892 - Jimmy Wilde, boxer (d. 1969)
1895 - William D. Byron, U.S. Congressman (d. 1941)
1898 - Arletty, French model and actress (d. 1992)
1899 - Jean-Etienne Valluy, French general (d. 1970)
1901 - Luis Monti, Argentine-Italian footballer (d. 1983)
1902 - Richard J. Daley, Mayor of Chicago (d. 1976)
1903 - Maria Reiche, German-born mathematician and archaeologist (d. 1998)
1905 - Joseph Cotten, American actor (d. 1994)
1907 - Sukhdev Thapar, Indian freedom fighter (d. 1931)
1909 - James Mason, English actor (d. 1984)
1910 - Constance Cummings, British actress (d. 2005)
1911 - Max Frisch, Swiss author (d. 1991)
1911 - Herta Oberheuser, Nazi doctor (d. 1978)
1912 - Arthur Berger, American composer (d. 2003)
1914 - Turk Broda, ice hockey goaltender (d. 1972)
1914 - Tenzing Norgay, (adopted birthdate) Nepalese Sherpa who accompanied Edmund Hillary to the top of Mount Everest (d. 1986)
1915 - Hilda Bernstein, English-born South African author, artist, and activist (d. 2006)
1915 - Mario Monicelli, Italian director and screenwriter
1915 - Paul Samuelson, American economist, Nobel Prize laureate
1915 - Gus Viseur, French button accordionist (d. 1974)
1918 - Eddy Arnold, American country music singer (d. 2008)
1918 - Joseph Wiseman, Canadian actor
1922 - Jakucho Setouchi, Japanese writer and Buddhist nun
1923 - Richard Avedon, American photographer (d. 2004)
1923 - John Lanchbery, English composer (d. 2003)
1923 - Johnny Walker, Indian actor (d. 2003)
1924 - Maria Koepcke, ornithologist (d. 1971)
1926 - Anthony Shaffer, English playwright (d. 2001)
1926 - Peter Shaffer, English playwright
1930 - Jasper Johns, American painter
1931 - Ken Venturi, American golfer
1936 - Anna Maria Alberghetti, Italian-born actress
1936 - Wavy Gravy, American clown and activist
1936 - Ralph Steadman, British cartoonist
1936 - Paul Zindel, American writer (d. 2003)
1937 - Madeleine Albright, U.S. Secretary of State
1937 - Trini López, American musician
1938 - Mireille Darc, French actress
1938 - Lenny Welch, American singer
1939 - Dorothy Shirley, British athlete
1940 - Lainie Kazan, American actress and singer
1940 - Don Nelson, NBA coach
1941 - K.T. Oslin, American musician
1942 - Jusuf Kalla, vice- president of Indonesia and Chairman of the Golkar Party.
1942 - Doug Lowe, 35th Premier of Tasmania
1944 - Ulrich Beck, German sociologist
1944 - Bill Alter, Missouri State Senator
1945 - Lasse Berghagen, Swedish singer
1945 - Duarte Pio, Duke of Braganza, heir to the Portuguese crown
1948 - Brian Eno, English musician and record producer
1948 - Yutaka Enatsu, Japanese professional baseball pitcher
1950 - Nicholas Hammond, American actor
1951 - Frank Wilczek, American physicist, Nobel Prize laureate
1952 - Chazz Palminteri, American actor, writer and director
1953 - George Brett, baseball player
1953 - Mike Oldfield, English composer
1954 - Robert P. Harrison, American thinker
1955 - Lee Horsley, American actor
1956 - Dan Patrick, American sportscaster
1957 - Juan José Ibarretxe, Basque Lehendakari (Prime Minister)
1957 - Kevin Von Erich, American professional wrestler
1958 - Ron Simmons, American professional wrestler
1959 - Andrew Eldritch, English singer and songwriter (The Sisters of Mercy)
1959 - Kaokor Galaxy, Thai boxer
1959 - Luis Perez-Sala, Spanish racing driver
1960 - Rob Bowman, American film director
1961 - Katrin Cartlidge, British actress (d. 2002)
1962 - Melle Mel, American musician
1965 - Raí, Brazilian footballer
1966 - Pete Wiggs, English musician (Saint Etienne)
1966 - Janet Jackson, American musician and actress
1967 - Madhuri Dixit, Indian actress
1967 - John Smoltz, baseball player
1968 - Cecilia Malmström, Swedish politician
1968 - Seth Putnam, American musician
1969 - Hideki Irabu, Japanese baseball player
1969 - Emmitt Smith, American football player
1970 - Martin Rossiter, Welsh Musician
1970 - Frank de Boer, Dutch football player
1970 - Ronald de Boer, Dutch football player
1970 - Desmond Howard, American football player
1970 - Rod Smith, American football player
1971 - Phil Pfister, American strength athlete
1972 - David Charvet, French actor
1974 - Vassilis Kikilias, Greek basketball player
1974 - Ahmet Zappa, American musician
1975 - Ray Lewis, American football player
1976 - Adolfo Bautista, Mexican footballer
1976 - Torraye Braggs, American basketball player
1976 - Jacek Krzynówek, Polish footballer
1976 - Ryan Leaf, former NFL quarterback
1976 - Tyler Walker, baseball player
1978 - Amy Chow, American gymnast
1978 - Dwayne DeRosario, Canadian footballer
1978 - Caroline Dhavernas, Canadian actress
1978 - Edu, Brazilian footballer
1978 - David Krumholtz, American actor
1978 - Krissy Taylor, American model (d. 1995)
1980 - Josh Beckett, American baseball player
1980 - Rocky Marquette, American actor
1981 - Patrice Evra, French-Senegalese footballer
1981 - Justin Morneau, Canadian baseball player
1981 - Zara Phillips, British royal and eventer
1981 - Jamie-Lynn Sigler, American actress
1982 - Alex Breckenridge, American actress
1982 - Veronica Campbell, Jamaican athlete
1982 - Segundo Castillo, Ecuadorian footballer
1982 - Tatsuya Fujiwara, Japanese actor
1982 - Jessica Sutta, American dancer, singer and actress (The Pussycat Dolls)
1983 - Devin Bronson, American guitarist (Avril Lavigne)
1984 - Sérgio Jimenez, Brazilian racing driver
1985 - Cristiane, Brazilian footballer
1986 - Matías Fernández, Chilean soccer player forward
1986 - Adam Moffat, Scottish soccer player
1987 - Ersan İlyasova, Turkish basketball player
1987 - Jennylyn Mercado, Filipina Actress and Singer
1987 - Andrew "Andy" Murray, Scottish tennis player
Famous deaths...
913 - Hatto I, Archbishop of Mainz
1036 - Emperor Go-Ichijō of Japan (b. 1008)
1157 - Yury Dolgoruky, Russian prince
1174 - Nur ad-Din, ruler of Syria (b. 1118)
1381 - Eppelein von Gailingen, German robber baron
1470 - Charles VIII of Sweden (b. 1409)
1585 - Niwa Nagahide, Japanese warlord (b. 1535)
1591 - Dmitry Ivanovich, Tsarevich (b. 1582)
1609 - Giovanni Croce, Italian composer (b. 1557)
1634 - Hendrick Avercamp, Dutch painter (b. 1585)
1698 - Marie Champmeslé, French actress (b. 1642)
1699 - Edward Petre, English Jesuit and privy councilor (b. 1631)
1714 - Roger Elliott, British general and Governor of Gibraltar
1740 - Ephraim Chambers, English encyclopaedist (b. 1680)
1760 - Alaungpaya, King of Burma (b. 1711)
1773 - Alban Butler, English Catholic priest and writer (b. 1710)
1782 - Marquis of Pombal, Prime Minister of Portugal (b. 1699)
1879 - Gottfried Semper, German architect (b. 1803)
1886 - Emily Dickinson, American poet (b. 1830)
1924 - Paul-Henri-Benjamin d'Estournelles de Constant, French diplomat, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (b. 1852)
1935 - Kazimir Malevich, Polish/Ukrainian artist (b. 1878)
1937 - Phillip Snowden, British politician (b. 1864)
1940 - Menno ter Braak, Dutch author and polemicist (b. 1902)
1945 - Charles Williams, UK writer (b. 1886)
1948 - Edward Flanagan, American priest and founder of Boys Town (b. 1886)
1954 - William March, American writer (b. 1893)
1956 - Austin Osman Spare, English magician (b. 1886)
1967 - Edward Hopper, American painter (b. 1882)
1971 - Tyrone Guthrie, English director, producer, and writer (b. 1900)
1978 - Sir Robert Menzies, twelfth Prime Minister of Australia (b. 1894)
1982 - Gordon Smiley, American race car driver (b. 1946)
1984 - Francis Schaeffer, American theologian, philosopher, and pastor (b. 1912)
1986 - Theodore White, American writer (b. 1915)
1986 - Elio de Angelis, Italian race car driver (b. 1958)
1989 - Johnny Green, American songwriter (b. 1908)
1991 - Andreas Floer, German mathematician (b. 1956)
1991 - Ronald Lacey, English actor (b. 1935)
1992 - Jovy Marcelo, Filipino race car driver (b. 1965)
1993 - Salah Ahmed Ibrahim, Sudanese writer, poet, and diplomat (b. 1933)
1994 - Gilbert Roland, Mexican actor (b. 1905)
1995 - Eric Porter, British actor (b. 1928)
1996 - Charles B. Fulton, American jurist (b. 1910)
1998 - Earl Manigault, American basketball player (b. 1944)
2003 - June Carter Cash, American musician and singer (b. 1929)
2003 - George Francis, British gangster (b. 1940)
2005 - Alan B. Gold, Quebec Chief Justice (b. 1917)
2007 - Jerry Falwell, American evangelist (b. 1933)
2007 - Yolanda King, American actress and activist, daughter of Martin Luther King, Jr. (b. 1955)
2008 - Tommy Burns, Scottish footballer (b. 1956)
Holidays and observances...
International Conscientious Objectors' Day
Paraguay - Independence Day. Celebrations for the anniversary of the independence begin on Flag Day, 14 May.
Roman Empire - Mercuralia in honor of Mercury held.
Buddha's Birthday in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau and South Korea (2005).
United States - Peace Officers Memorial Day.
Slovenia - Day of Slovenian armed forces.
Teacher's Day in Mexico (Día del Maestro) and South Korea (스승의 날).
Nakba Day in Palestinian communities.
Have a great Thursday.
~Brian
