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May 17, 2008 12:00 am US/Pacific
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Today In History - May 17, 2008
NEW YORK (AP) ―
Today is Saturday, May 17, the 138th day of 2008. There are 228 days left in the year.
Today's Highlight in History:
On May 17, 1954, the U.S. Supreme Court handed down its Brown v.
Board of Education of Topeka decision, which found that racially
segregated public schools were inherently unequal, and therefore
unconstitutional.
On this date:
In 1792, the New York Stock Exchange had its origins as a group of brokers met under a tree on Wall Street.
In 1875, the first Kentucky Derby was run; the winner was Aristides.
In 1938, Congress passed the Second Vinson Act, providing for a strengthened U.S. Navy.
In 1938, the radio quiz show "Information, Please!" made its debut on the NBC Blue Network.
In 1939, Britain's King George VI and Queen Elizabeth arrived in
Quebec on the first visit to Canada by reigning British sovereigns.
In 1946, President Truman seized control of the nation's railroads,
delaying — but not preventing — a threatened strike by engineers and
trainmen.
In 1973, the Senate began its televised hearings into the Watergate scandal.
In 1978, women were included in the White House honor guard for the
first time as President Carter welcomed Zambian President Kenneth
Kaunda.
In 1980, rioting that claimed 18 lives erupted in Miami after an
all-white jury in Tampa, Fla., acquitted four former Miami police
officers of fatally beating black insurance executive Arthur McDuffie.
In 1987, 37 American sailors were killed when an Iraqi warplane
attacked the U.S. Navy frigate Stark in the Persian Gulf. (Iraq and the
U.S. called the attack a mistake.)
Ten years ago: Leaders of the Group of Eight nations ended their
summit in Birmingham, England, with a plea to Pakistan not to respond
in kind to India's five nuclear explosions. New York Yankees pitcher
David Wells became the 13th player in modern major league baseball
history to throw a perfect game as he retired all 27 batters he faced
in a 4-0 victory over the Minnesota Twins.
Five years ago: A top Vatican official, Cardinal Giovanni Battista
Re, acknowledged what many observers had long suspected — that Pope
John Paul II was suffering from Parkinson's disease. A German tour bus
overturned on a highway in France, killing 28 people. A Palestinian
suicide bomber blew himself up in the West Bank city of Hebron, killing
an Israeli man and his pregnant wife. More than 260 people died in Sri
Lanka's worst flooding in five decades. Funny Cide ran away from the
field in the Preakness, two weeks after winning the Kentucky Derby.
(However, Funny Cide came up short at the Belmont Stakes, finishing
third.)
One year ago: President Bush and retiring British Prime Minister
Tony Blair held a joint news conference at the White House, during
which Blair allowed not a single regret about the Iraq war alliance.
World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz announced he would resign at the
end of June 2007, following controversy over his handling of a pay
package for his girlfriend. Trains crossed the border dividing the two
Koreas for the first time in more than half a century.
Today's Birthdays: Actor-director Dennis Hopper is 72.
Rhythm-and-blues singer Pervis Jackson (The Spinners) is 70. Actor
Peter Gerety is 68. Singer Taj Mahal is 66. Singer-songwriter Jesse
Winchester is 64. Rock musician Bill Bruford is 59. Singer-musician
George Johnson (The Brothers Johnson) is 55. TV personality Kathleen
Sullivan is 55. Actor Bill Paxton is 53. Boxing Hall-of-Famer Sugar Ray
Leonard is 52. Actor-comedian Bob Saget is 52. Sports announcer Jim
Nantz is 49. Singer Enya is 47. Talk show host-actor Craig Ferguson is
46. Rock singer-musician Page McConnell is 45. Singer-musician Trent
Reznor (Nine Inch Nails) is 43. Actress Paige Turco is 43.
Rhythm-and-blues musician O'Dell (Mint Condition) is 43. Actor Hill
Harper is 42. TV personality/interior designer Thom Filicia is 39.
Singer Jordan Knight is 38. Rhythm-and-blues singer Darnell Van
Rensalier (Shai) is 38. Rock singer-musician Josh Homme is 35. Rock
singer Andrea Corr (The Corrs) is 34. Actor Sendhil Ramamurthy (TV:
"Heroes") is 34. Singer Kandi Burruss is 32. Actress Kat Foster (TV: "
'Til Death") is 30. Basketball player Tony Parker is 26. Actor Tahj
Mowry is 22. Actress Nikki Reed is 20. Actress Samantha Browne-Walters
is 17.
Thought for Today: "Have no fear of perfection — you'll never reach it." — Salvador Dali, Spanish artist (1904-1989).
(© 2008 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)