Trevor WholohanThis Day in History May 9th
May 9th 2007 00:01
1671 - Thomas "Captain" Blood stole the crown jewels from the Tower of London.
1754 - 1st newspaper cartoon in America-divided snake "Join or die"
1846 - Battle of Resaca de la Palma-US sends México back to Rio Grande
1868 - The city of Reno, Nevada, is founded.
1887 - Buffalo Bill Cody's Wild West Show opens in London.
1914 - President Wilson proclaims Mother's Day
1926 - Admiral Richard E. Byrd and Floyd Bennett claim to have flown over the North Pole (later discovery of his diary seems to indicate that this did not happen).
1932 - Piccadilly Circus, first lit by electricity
1941 - The German sub U-110 is captured by the Royal Navy. On board is the latest Enigma cryptography machine which is used to break coded German messages.
1942 - Belgrade becomes the first Axis-conquered city to murder or eliminate its Jewish population
1944 - 1st eye bank opens (NYC)
1945 - World War II: Hermann Göring is captured by the United States Army.
1945 - World War II: Red Army enters Prague (capitulation of Nazi occupation troops).
1951 - Air raid on Chinese positions at Yalu River
1955 - Cold War: West Germany joins NATO.
1958 - Richard Burton made his TV debut in "Wuthering Heights" on CBS-TV.
1960 - US is 1st country to use the birth control pill legally
1962 - Laser beam successfully bounced off Moon for 1st time
1962 - US performs atmospheric nuclear test at Christmas Island
1970 - 75,000 to 100,000 war protestors peacefully demonstrate by the White House.
1973 - For 2nd time, Johnny Bench hits 3 homeruns in a game
1974 - House Judiciary Committee begin formal hearings on Nixon impeachment
1977 - Patty Hearst let out of jail
1979 - US & USSR sign Salt 2 treaty, limiting nuclear weapons
1980 - 35 motorists die as a Liberian freighter rams a Tampa Bay Bridge
1987 - Tom Cruise and Mimi Rogers were married.
1989 - Vice President Dan Quayle says in United Negro College Fund speech: "What a waste it is to lose one's mind" instead of "a mind is terrible thing to waste"
1991 - Michael Landon appears on Tonight Show to talk about his cancer
1994 - Nelson Mandela was chosen to be South Africa's first black president.
1997 - The first US ambassador returns to Vietnam since Saigon fell arrives in Vietnam
2002 - In Bahrain, people were allowed to vote for the first time in nearly 30 years. Women were allowed to vote for the first time in the country's history.
2005 - Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger is selected as the successor of Pope John Paul II.
Famous Birthday’s
1882 - Henry J Kaiser builder (Liberty Ships, Jeeps, Boulder Dam) Died 1967
1918 - Mike Wallace Brookline MA, newscaster (Biography, 60 Minutes)
1946 - Candice Bergen Beverly Hills, actress (Carnal Knowledge, Murphy Brown)
1949 - Billy Joel Hicksville, singer/songwriter/piano player (Pianoman, Captain Jack)
1962 - John Corbett actor/singer (Chris-Northern Exposure)
Joke of the Day
Not Me Your Honor
A rabbi and his two friends, a priest and a minister, played poker for small stakes once a week. The only problem was that they lived in a very conservative blue-law town. The sheriff raided their game and took all three before the local judge.
After listening to the sheriff's story, the judge sternly inquired of the priest: "Were you gambling, Father?" The priest looked toward heaven, whispered, "Oh, Lord, forgive me!" and then said aloud: "No, your honor, I was not gambling."
"Were you gambling, Reverend?" the judge asked the minister. The minister repeated the priest's actions and said, "No, your honor, I was not."
Turning to the third clergyman, the judge asked: "Were you gambling, Rabbi?"
The rabbi eyed him coolly and replied "With whom?"
Price of Oranges
Mrs. Golden was shopping at a produce stand in her neighborhood. She approached the vendor and asked, "How much are these oranges?"
"Two for a quarter," answered the vendor.
"How much is just one?" she asked. "Fifteen cents," answered the vendor.
"Then I'll take the other one," said Mrs. Golden.
World Records
Largest freshwater fish
The largest fish to spend their whole life in fresh water are the rare Mekong giant catfish in South East Asia. They are reputed to attain a length of 10ft(3m) and weigh 660lb(300kg). However, the South American catfish can be as long as 14ft 9in(4.5m) but only way 440lb(200kg).
Most ferocious freshwater fish
Attracted to blood and frantic splashing, a school of piranhas can completely strip an animal as large as a horse of its flesh within minutes, leaving only its skeleton.
Fastest fish
The sailfish is considered to be the fastest of fish over short distances and can reach speeds of up to 68 mph(107km/h), which is faster than a cheetah on land.
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