On This Day in History - May 24th - Almanac

Today is Wednesday, May 24, the 144th day of 2017, with 221 to follow.

The moon is waning. Morning stars are Mercury, Venus, Mars, Uranus, and Neptune. Evening stars are Jupiter and Saturn.

Those born on this date are under the sign of Gemini. They include Polish inventor Gabriel Fahrenheit in 1686; French journalist and revolutionary Jean-Paul Marat in 1743; British Queen Victoria in 1819; U.S. Supreme Court Justice Benjamin Cardozo in 1870; H.B. Reese, inventor of the Reese's Peanut Butter Cup, in 1879; hostess and party-giver Elsa Maxwell, credited with introducing the "scavenger hunt," in 1883; actor Lilli Palmer in 1914; comedian Tommy Chong of Cheech and Chong in 1938 (age 79); musician Bob Dylan (born Robert Zimmerman) in 1941 (age 76); actor Gary Burghoff in 1943 (age 74); singer Patti LaBelle (born Patricia Louise Holte) in 1944 (age 73); actor/businesswoman Priscilla Presley (wife of Elvis Presley 1967-73) in 1945 (age 71); actor Jim Broadbent in 1949 (age 68); actor Alfred Molina in 1953 (age 64); singer Rosanne Cash in 1955 (age 62); actor Kristin Scott Thomas in 1960 (age 57); actor John C. Reilly in 1965 (age 52); soccer player Eric Cantona in 1966 (age 51).

On this date in history:

In 1626, the Dutch West Indies Trading Co. bought the island of Manhattan from American Indians, paying with goods worth about $24.

In 1844, the first U.S telegraph line was formally opened -- between Baltimore and Washington.

In 1883, the Brooklyn Bridge was opened to the public, linking Brooklyn and Manhattan in New York City.

In 1935, the first night game in Major League Baseball was played at Crosley Field in Cincinnati. The Reds beat the Philadelphia Phillies 2-1.

In 1958, United Press and the International News Service merged, forming United Press International.

In 1962, Mercury astronaut Scott Carpenter became the second American to orbit Earth, circling it three times. John Glenn was the first, earlier in the year.

In 1983, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled private religious schools that practice racial discrimination aren't eligible for church-related tax benefits.

In 1987, 250,000 people jammed San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge on its 50th anniversary, temporarily flattening the arched span.

In 1991, Eritrea gained independence from Ethiopia.

In 2007, the U.S. Congress voted to increase the minimum wage for the first time in 10 years -- from $5.15 an hour to $7.25 over a three-year period.

In 2009, the U.S. State Department said it planned to give equal benefits, including diplomatic passports, use of medical facilities, training and travel privileges, to same-sex partners of U.S. diplomats.

In 2011, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told a joint session of the U.S. Congress he was willing to "give up parts of the Jewish homeland," primarily the West Bank, for a Palestinian state to guarantee peace.

In 2013, Toronto Mayor Rob Ford, addressing allegations against him, said, "I do not use crack cocaine, nor am I an addict of crack cocaine."

A thought for the day: "Some women choose to follow men and some women choose to follow their dreams." -- Lady Gaga