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From: "Mary" <>
Subject: [FOLKLORE] Today in History - May 20th
Date: Sat, 20 May 2000 07:29:37 -0400


Today is Saturday, May 20th, the 141st day of 2000.
There are 225 days left in the year.


Today's Highlight in History:
On May 20th, 1927, Charles Lindbergh took off from Roosevelt Field in
Long Island, New York, aboard the "Spirit of St. Louis" on his
historic solo flight to France.

On this date:
In 1506, Christopher Columbus died in poverty in Spain.

In 1861, North Carolina voted to secede from the Union.

In 1861, the capital of the Confederacy was moved from Montgomery,
Alabama, to Richmond, Virginia.

In 1902, the United States ended its occupation of Cuba.

In 1932, Amelia Earhart took off from Newfoundland for Ireland to
become the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic.

In 1939, regular transatlantic air service began as a Pan American
Airways plane, the "Yankee Clipper," took off from Port Washington,
New York, bound for Europe.

In 1961, a white mob attacked a busload of "Freedom Riders" in
Montgomery, Alabama, prompting the federal government to send in U-S
marshals to restore order.

In 1969, US and South Vietnamese forces captured Apbia Mountain,
referred to as "Hamburger Hill" by the Americans, following one of the
bloodiest battles of the Vietnam War.

In 1970, some 100,000 people demonstrated in New York's Wall Street
district in support of US policy in Vietnam and Cambodia.

In 1989, comedian Gilda Radner died in Los Angeles at age 42.

Ten years ago: An Israeli opened fire on a group of Palestinian
laborers south of Tel Aviv, killing seven; the gunman was later
sentenced to life in prison.
Romania's ruling National Salvation Front scored victories in the
country's first free elections in more than 50 years.
The Hubble Space Telescope sent back its first photographs.

Five years ago: President Clinton announced that the two-block stretch
of Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the White House would be
permanently closed to motor vehicles as a security measure.
"Timber Country" won the Preakness at Pimlico.

One year ago: An armed 15-year-old boy opened fire at Heritage High
School in Conyers, Georgia, wounding six students.
NATO warplanes hammered Belgrade and its suburbs, leaving a hospital
in
smoldering ruins, three patients dead and the nearby homes of three
European ambassadors damaged.

Today's Birthdays:
Actor James McEachin is 70.
Actor Anthony Zerbe is 64.
Singer Joe Cocker is 56.
Singer-actress Cher is 54.
Actor-comedian Dave Thomas is 51.
Musician Warren Cann is 48.
Actor Dean Butler is 44.
Ron Reagan is 42.
Rock musician Jane Wiedlin (The Go-Go's) is 42.
Actor Bronson Pinchot is 41.
Actor Tony Goldwyn is 40.
Singer Susan Cowsill (The Cowsills) is 40.
Singer Nick Heyward is 39.
Actress Mindy Cohn is 34.
Rock musician Tom Gorman (Belly) is 34.
Rapper Buster Rhymes is 28.

Thought for Today:

"Life is like a landscape. You live in the midst of it, but can
describe it only
from the vantage point of distance."
-- Charles A. Lindbergh (1902-1974).


(Copyright 2000 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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