×

Today in History

By The Associated Press

Today is Monday, May 25, the 146th day of 2020. There are 220 days left in the year. This is Memorial Day.

Today’s Highlight in History:

On May 25, 1961, President John F. Kennedy told Congress: “I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the earth.”

On this date:

In 1787, the Constitutional Convention began at the Pennsylvania State House (Independence Hall) in Philadelphia after enough delegates had shown up for a quorum.

In 1810, Argentina began its revolt against Spanish rule with the forming of the Primera Junta in Buenos Aires.

In 1935, Babe Ruth hit his last three career home runs — Nos. 712, 713 and 714 — for the Boston Braves in a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. (The Pirates won, 11-7.)

In 1946, Transjordan (now Jordan) became a kingdom as it proclaimed its new monarch, Abdullah I.

In 1959, the U.S. Supreme Court, in State Athletic Commission v. Dorsey, struck down a Louisiana law prohibiting interracial boxing matches. (The case had been brought by Joseph Dorsey Jr., a black professional boxer.)

In 1964, the U.S. Supreme Court, in Griffin v. County School Board of Prince Edward County, ordered the Virginia county to reopen its public schools, which officials had closed in an attempt to circumvent the Supreme Court’s 1954 Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka desegregation ruling.

In 1965, Muhammad Ali knocked out Sonny Liston in the first round of their world heavyweight title rematch in Lewiston, Maine. (Ali’s victory generated controversy over whether he’d truly connected when he sent Liston crashing to the canvas with a right to the head, or whether it was a “phantom punch,” implying that the fight had been fixed.)

In 1992, Jay Leno made his debut as host of NBC’s “Tonight Show,” succeeding Johnny Carson.

One year ago: President Donald Trump opened a state visit to Japan by needling the American ally over its trade imbalance with the United States. The Toronto Raptors reached the NBA finals for the first time in the team’s history after beating the Milwaukee Bucks 100-94 in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals. The raucous social satire “Parasite,” a South Korean film about a poor family of hustlers who find jobs with a wealthy family, won the top award at the Cannes Film Festival. Danish-born socialite Claus von Bulow, who was convicted but later acquitted of trying to kill his wealthy wife in two closely-watched trials, died in London; he was 92.

Today’s Birthdays: Actress Ann Robinson is 91. Former White House news secretary Ron Nessen is 86. Country singer-songwriter Tom T. Hall is 84. Actor Sir Ian McKellen is 81. Country singer Jessi Colter is 77. Actress-singer Leslie Uggams is 77. Movie director and Muppeteer Frank Oz is 76. Actress Karen Valentine is 73. Actress Jacki Weaver is 73. Rock singer Klaus Meine (The Scorpions) is 72. Actress Patti D’Arbanville is 69. Playwright Eve Ensler is 67. Musician Cindy Cashdollar is 65. Actress Connie Sellecca is 65. Rock singer-musician Paul Weller is 62. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., is 60. Actor-comedian Mike Myers is 57. Actor Matt Borlenghi is 53. Actor Joseph Reitman is 52. Rock musician Glen Drover is 51. Actress Anne Heche (haych) is 51.

Actresses Lindsay and Sidney Greenbush (TV: “Little House on the Prairie”) are 50. Actor-comedian Jamie Kennedy is 50. Actress Octavia Spencer is 50. Actor Justin Henry is 49. Rapper Daz Dillinger is 47. Actress Molly Sims is 47. Actress Erinn Hayes is 44. Actor Cillian Murphy is 44. Actor Ethan Suplee (soo-PLEE’) is 44. Rock musician Todd Whitener is 42. Actor Corbin Allred is 41. Actress-singer Lauren Frost is 35. Actress Ebonee (cq) Noel is 30. Musician Guy Lawrence (Disclosure) is 29. Olympic gold medal gymnast Aly Raisman is 26.

Newsletter

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *
   

Starting at $2.99/week.

Subscribe Today