On This Day in History - May 16th - Almanac

Today is Thursday, May 16, the 136th day of 2019 with 229 to follow.

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

Those born on this date are under the sign of Taurus. They include William Seward, U.S. secretary of state whose purchase of Alaska from Russia in 1867 for $7.2 million was called "Seward's Folly," in 1801; banker Levi Morton, U.S. vice president under Benjamin Harrison, in 1824; serial killer H. H. Holmes in 1861; actor Henry Fonda in 1905; author Louis "Studs" Terkel in 1912; entertainer Liberace, born Władziu Valentino Liberace, in 1919; New York Yankees player/Manager Billy Martin in 1928; actor Danny Trejo in 1944 (age 75); actor Pierce Brosnan in 1953 (age 66); Olympic gold medal gymnast Olga Korbut in 1955 (age 64); actor Debra Winger in 1955 (age 64); actor Mare Winningham in 1959 (age 60); singer Janet Jackson in 1966 (age 53); singer Ralph Edward Tresvant Jr. in 1968 (age 51); actor Tracey Gold in 1969 (age 50); political commentator Tucker Carlson in 1969 (age 50); actor David Boreanaz in 1969 (age 50); former Argentine tennis player Gabriela Sabatini in 1970 (age 49); actor/stunt performer Jason "Wee Man" Acuna in 1973 (age 46); actor Tori Spelling in 1973 (age 46); actor Joseph Morgan in 1981 (age 38); actor/model Megan Fox in 1986 (age 33); model Behati Prinsloo in 1988 (age 31); actor Thomas Brodie-Sangster in 1990 (age 29); figure skater Ashley Wagner in 1991 (age 28); actor Miles Heizer in 1994 (age 25).

On this date in history:

In 1804, the French Senate declared Napoleon Bonaparte emperor.

In 1871, U.S. Marines landed in Korea in an attempt to open the country to foreign trade.

In 1920, Joan of Arc was canonized as a saint of the Roman Catholic Church.

In 1929, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences had its first Academy Awards ceremony. Wings was named Best Picture in the event at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel.

In 1932, following the assassination of Premier Tsuyoshi Inukai, fears began to spread that a militarist "super-party" was beginning to take shape in Japan.

In 1969, the unmanned Soviet spacecraft Venera 5 landed on Venus.

In 1985, the NBA named the Chicago Bulls' Michael Jordan rookie of the year after he led all players in points.

In 1988, U.S. Surgeon General C. Everett Koop said nicotine was as addictive as heroin or cocaine and called for the licensing of tobacco product vendors.

In 1991, Queen Elizabeth II became the first British monarch to address a joint session of Congress.

In 1995, the leader of a Japanese religious cult was charged with murder and attempted murder in nerve-gas attacks in a Tokyo subway that killed 12 people and injured more than 5,000.

In 1997, Mobutu Sese Seko -- who ruled Zaire for more than 30 years, allegedly looting it of billions of dollars -- fled the capital as rebel forces advanced. He died in exile less than four months later.

In 2006, Italian President Giorgio Napolitano appointed Romano Prodi premier amid charges of election fraud from outgoing Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.

In 2012, Vermont became the first state to ban hydraulic fracturing (fracking) to extract gas from underground deposits.

In 2013, Britain's David Beckham announced he would retire from soccer.

In 2014, election results in India gave Narenda Modi and his opposition Bharatiya Janata Party a major victory elevating him to prime minister.

A thought for the day: "It's the friends you can call up at 4 a.m. that matter." -- Marlene Dietrich