Today is Monday, May 25, the 145th day of 2009. There are 220 days left in the year. This is the Memorial Day observance.
Today's Highlights in History:
On May 25, 1979, 273 people died when an American Airlines DC-10 crashed on takeoff from Chicago's O'Hare airport. Six-year-old Etan Patz disappeared while on his way to a school bus stop in lower Manhattan; his fate has never been determined.
On this date:
In 1787, the Constitutional Convention began meeting in Philadelphia after enough delegates had shown up for a quorum.
In 1810, Argentina began its revolt against Spanish rule.
In 1895, playwright Oscar Wilde was convicted of a morals charge in London; he was sentenced to two years in prison.
In 1916, the Chicago Tribune published an interview with Henry Ford in which the American industrialist was quoted as saying, "History is more or less bunk."
In 1935, Babe Ruth hit the 714th and final home run of his career, for the Boston Braves, in a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
In 1946, Transjordan (now Jordan) became a kingdom as it proclaimed its new monarch, Abdullah I.
In 1961, President John F. Kennedy, addressing Congress, called on the nation to work toward putting a man on the moon by the end of the decade.
In 1968, the Gateway Arch in St. Louis was dedicated by Vice President Hubert Humphrey and Interior Secretary Stewart Udall.
In 1969, the motion picture "Midnight Cowboy," starring Dustin Hoffman and Jon Voight, opened in New York.
In 1986, an estimated 7 million Americans participated in "Hands Across America," forming a line across the country to raise money for the nation's hungry and homeless.
Ten years ago: A bipartisan congressional report said China's two-decade effort to steal U.S. weapons technology continued well into the Clinton administration; President Bill Clinton responded that his administration was already "moving aggressively to tighten security."
Five years ago: The Boston Archdiocese said it would close 65 of 357 parishes, an offshoot of the clergy sex abuse scandal. Peace activist David Dellinger, one of the "Chicago Seven" defendants, died in Montpelier, Vt., at age 88. Publisher Roger W. Straus Jr. died in New York at age 87.
One year ago: A tornado tore through Parkersburg, Iowa, killing eight people. NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander arrived to begin searching for water on the Red Planet. Seven crashes and spinouts marred the first Indianapolis 500 since the two warring open-wheel series (CART and IRL) came together under the IndyCar banner; Scott Dixon stayed ahead of the trouble to win the race. The French film "The Class" won top honors at the Cannes Film Festival. J.R. Simplot, Idaho's billionaire potato king, died in Boise at age 99.
Today's Birthdays: Lyricist Hal David is 88. Former White House news secretary Ron Nessen is 75. Country singer-songwriter Tom T. Hall is 73. Actor Sir Ian McKellen is 70. Actress Dixie Carter is 70. Country singer Jessi Colter is 66. Actress-singer Leslie Uggams is 66. Movie director and Muppeteer Frank Oz is 65. Actress Karen Valentine is 62. Rock singer Klaus Meine (The Scorpions) is 61. Actress Patti D'Arbanville is 58. Actress Connie Sellecca is 54. Rock singer-musician Paul Weller is 51. Actor-comedian Mike Myers is 46. Actor Matt Borlenghi is 42. Actor Joseph Reitman is 41. Rock musician Glen Drover is 40. Actress Anne Heche is 40. Actresses Lindsay and Sidney Greenbush ("Little House on the Prairie") are 39. Actor-comedian Jamie Kennedy is 39. Actor Justin Henry is 38. Rapper Daz Dillinger is 36. Actress Molly Sims is 36. Singer Lauryn Hill is 34. Actor Cillian Murphy is 33. Actor Ethan Suplee is 33. Rock musician Todd Whitener is 31. Actor Corbin Allred is 30. San Diego Padres pitcher Chris Young is 30. San Diego Chargers linebacker Shawne Merriman is 25. Actress-singer Lauren Frost is 24.
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