Welcome to Today In History for Tuesday, May 13, 2008.

On this day in history...

• 0535 - St Agapitus I begins his reign as Catholic Pope
• 0609 - Pope Boniface I turns Pantheon into Catholic church
• 0641 - Eligius (Saint Eloy) becomes bishop of Doornik-Noyon
• 1106 - Henry I of Limburg becomes duke of Neth-Lutherans
• 1110 - Crusaders march into Beirut causing a bloodbath
• 1364 - Peter Coutherel banished from Leuven
• 1497 - Pope Alexander VI excommunicates Girolamo Savonarola
• 1559 - Excavated corpse of heretic David Jorisz burned in Basel
• 1568 - Mary Queen of Scots is defeated by English at battle of Langside
• 1588 - King Henri III flees Paris
• 1607 - English colonists (John Smith) lands near James River in VA
• 1624 - Admiral Hermites fleet blockade Lima Peru
• 1637 - Cardinal Richelieu of France creates the table knife
• 1643 - Battle at Grantham: English parliamentary armies beat royalists
• 1643 - Heavy earthquake strikes Santiago Chile; kills 1/3 of population
• 1652 - Ingen Ryuki invited to become the abbot of Sofokuji temple in Nagasaki
• 1654 - Venetian fleet under Adm Adeler beats Turkish
• 1767 - Mozart's opera "Apollo et Hyacinthus," premieres in Salzburg
• 1777 - University library at Vienna opens
• 1779 - War of Bavarian Succession ends
• 1787 - Arthur Phillip sets sails with 11 ships of criminals to Botany Bay
• 1820 - Opera "Die J„garsbraut" is completed
• 1828 - US passes Tariff of Abominations
• 1830 - Republic of Ecuador is founded, with Juan Jose Flores as president
• 1835 - 1st foreign embassy in Hawaii forms
• 1846 - US declares war on M‚xico, 2 months after fighting begins
• 1861 - Queen Victoria announces England's position of neutrality
• 1864 - -16] Atlanta Campaign-Battle of Resaca Georgia
• 1865 - S Brownsville, TX (Palmito Ranch) Final engagement of Civil War PVT John J Williams of 34th Indiana is last man killed
• 1874 - Pope Pius IX encyclical "On Greek-Ruthenian rite"
• 1876 - Amersfoort-Zutphen railway opens
• 1877 - C‚sar Franck's "Lesson Eolides," premieres
• 1882 - Toba-indians killed 20 members of French expedition
• 1884 - Institute for Electrical & Electronics Engineers (IEEE) forms
• 1887 - 15th Preakness: William Donohue aboard Dunboyne wins in 2:39«
• 1888 - DeWolf Hooper 1st recited "Casey at Bat"
• 1888 - Princess Isabel of Brazil signs "Lei Aur‚a" abolishing slavery
• 1890 - 18th Preakness: W Martin aboard Montague wins in 2:36.75
• 1890 - Lord Salisbury offers Germany Helgoland in exchange for Zanzibar, Uganda & Equatoria
• 1891 - 17th Kentucky Derby: Isaac Murphy aboard Kingman wins in 2:52¬
• 1905 - James J Jeffries retires as boxing champ
• 1906 - Bezalel Art School opens in Jerusalem
• 1909 - Christian National Labor Workers (CNV) party begins in Netherlands
• 1911 - 37th Kentucky Derby: George Archibald aboard Meridian wins in 2:05
• 1911 - NY Giant Fred Merkle is 1st to get 6 RBIs in an inning (1st)
• 1912 - Royal Flying Corps forms in England
• 1913 - 1st 4 engine aircraft built & flown (Igor Sikorsky-Russia)
• 1916 - 1st observance of Indian (Native American) Day
• 1916 - 42nd Kentucky Derby: Johnny Loftus aboard George Smith wins in 2:04
• 1916 - Native American Day is 1st observed
• 1917 - 1st appearance of Mary to 3 shepherd children in Fatima, Portugal
• 1917 - Ernest Bloch's "Schelomo," premieres
• 1918 - 1st US airmail stamps issued (24›)
• 1922 - 48th Kentucky Derby: Albert Johnson aboard Morvich wins in 2:04.6
• 1922 - 48th Preakness: L Morris aboard Pillory wins in 1:51.6
• 1923 - Pulitzer prize awarded to Willa Carter (One of Ours)
• 1926 - German govt of Luther falls
• 1927 - "Black Friday" on Berlin Stock Exchange
• 1927 - VVOG soccer team forms in Harderwijk
• 1930 - Farmer killed by hail in Lubbock, Texas
• 1930 - Only known fatality due to hail
• 1931 - Paul Doumer elected president of France
• 1932 - Russian composer Dmitri Sjostakovitch marries Nina Varsar
• 1933 - 59th Preakness: Charley Kurtsinger aboard Head Play wins in 2:02
• 1934 - Great dustbowl storm
• 1936 - Quiroga govt takes office in Spain
• 1939 - 65th Preakness: George Seabo aboard Challedon wins in 1:59.8
• 1939 - SS St Louis departs Hamburg with 937 Jews fugitives
• 1940 - British bomb factory at Breda
• 1940 - Churchill says I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears & sweat
• 1940 - Dutch Queen Wilhelmina flees to England
• 1940 - German breakthrough at Grebbelinie
• 1941 - Martin Bormann is named head of Nazi Party Chancellery in Germany
• 1941 - Trial against resistance fighter comte d'Estienne d'Orves begins
• 1941 - Willy Lewis' US jazz band performs in Switzerland
• 1942 - Helicopter makes its 1st cross-country flight
• 1942 - Pitcher Jim Tobin belts 3 HRs in a game
• 1943 - German & Italian forces in Africa surrender
• 1943 - German occupiers confiscate all radios
• 1944 - 70th Preakness: Conn McCreary aboard Pensive wins in 1:59.2
• 1945 - US troops conquer Dakeshi Okinawa
• 1946 - Sarwate & Banerjee add 249 for 10th wkt for Indians v Surrey
• 1946 - US convicts 58 camp guard of Mauthausen concentration camp to death
• 1946 - Winston Churchill welcomed in Rotterdam
• 1947 - Senate approved the Taft-Hartley Act limiting the power of unions
• 1949 - 1st British-produced jet bomber, Canberra, makes its 1st test flight
• 1950 - Diner's Club issues its 1st credit cards
• 1952 - Minor-league Bristol pitcher Ron Necciai strikes out 27 in 9-innings
• 1952 - Pandit Nehru becomes premier of India
• 1953 - NY Giants Willie Mays & Darryl Spencer each hit 2 HRs & a triple
• 1954 - "Pajama Game" opens at St James Theater NYC for 1063 performances
• 1954 - Labour Party wins British municipal elections
• 1954 - Robin Roberts gives up a HR then retires next 27 men in a row
• 1954 - US performs atmospheric nuclear test at Enwetak
• 1955 - Mickey Mantle hits 3 consecutive HRs of at least 463'
• 1956 - Pachyderm Building at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo opens
• 1958 - French settlers riot against French army in Algeria
• 1958 - Jordan & Iraq form Arab Federation
• 1958 - Pierre Pflimlin forms French govt
• 1958 - Rioters attack US VP Nixon in Venezuela
• 1958 - Stan Musial, is 8th to get 3,000 hits
• 1959 - Kraft Music Hall with Milton Berle, last airs on NBC-TV
• 1960 - 1st launch of Delta satellite launching vehicle; it failed
• 1960 - Phillies lose 3rd consecutive 1-0 game
• 1960 - WOLE TV channel 12 in Aguadillo, PR
• 1962 - Mickey Wright wins LPGA Western Golf Open
• 1965 - Rolling Stones record "Satisfaction"
• 1965 - Several Arab nations break ties with West Germany after it established diplomatic relations with Israel
• 1966 - Rolling Stones release "Paint it Black"
• 1966 - Federal education funding is denied to 12 school districts in the South because of violations of the 1964 Civil Rights Act
• 1967 - NY Yankee Mickey Mantle hits career HR #500 off Stu Miller
• 1967 - Octagonal boxing ring is tested to avoid corner injuries
• 1968 - 1,000,000 French demonstrate against De Gaulle & Pompidou
• 1970 - Beatles movie "Let it Be" premieres
• 1971 - Grace Slick of Jefferson Airplane seriously injured in a car accident
• 1972 - 115 die in nightclub atop 7-story Sennichi dept store (Osaka Japan)
• 1972 - Milwaukee Brewers beat Minn Twins, 4-3, in 22 innings (started 5/12)
• 1973 - "Cyrano" opens at Palace Theater NYC for 49 performances
• 1973 - Bobby Riggs beat Margaret Smith Court in Mother's Day match in Calif
• 1973 - Judy Rankin wins LPGA Lady Carling Golf Open
• 1975 - "Rodgers & Hart" opens at Helen Hayes Theater NYC for 108 performances
• 1975 - Flyers 4-Isles 1-Semifinals-Flyers win semifinals 4-3
• 1975 - Hail stones as large as tennis balls hit Wernerville Tenn
• 1976 - 9th & final ABA championship: NY Nets beat Denv Nuggets, 4 games to 2
• 1977 - Howard Stern begins broadcasting at WRNW, Briarcliff Manor NY
• 1978 - "Angel" closes at Minskoff Theater NYC after 5 performances
• 1978 - "Runaways" opens at Plymouth Theater NYC for 199 performances
• 1978 - Henry Rono of Kenya sets record for 3,000 m steeplechase (8:05.4)
• 1978 - Joie Chitwood drives a Chevette 5.6 miles on just 2 wheels
• 1978 - Musical "Runaways" with Elizabeth Swados premieres in NYC
• 1979 - "Utter Glory... Morrissey Hall" opens & closes at Mark Hellinger NYC
• 1979 - Sandra Post wins LPGA Lady Michelob Golf Tournament
• 1979 - Shah & family sentenced to death in Teheran
• 1980 - Cincinnati Red Ray Knight hits 2 HRs in 5th inning vs NY Mets
• 1981 - Dinamo Tbilisi wins 21st Europe Cup II
• 1981 - Pope John Paul II shot, wounded by assailant in St Peter's Square
• 1982 - Braniff Airlines files for bankruptcy
• 1982 - Canucks 0-Isles 3-Stanley Cup-Isles hold 3-0 lead
• 1982 - Chicago Cubs win their 8,000th (beat Astros)
• 1982 - Soyuz T-5 is launched-Berezovoi & Lebedev for 211 days in space
• 1982 - Terri Lea Utley, 20, (Arkansas), crowned 31st Miss USA
• 1983 - Reggie Jackson is 1st major leaguer to strike out 2,000 times
• 1984 - "Oliver!" closes at Mark Hellinger Theater NYC after 17 performances
• 1984 - Amy Alcott wins LPGA United Virginia Bank Golf Classic
• 1984 - Johan Cruyffs last competitive match
• 1985 - Carlton Fisk becomes 5th catcher to steal 100 bases
• 1985 - Laura Elena Martinez-Herring, 21, (Texas), crowned 34th Miss USA
• 1985 - Phila Police bomb a house held by group "Move," kills 11
• 1987 - Ajax wins 27th Europe Cup II
• 1989 - Approx 2,000 students begin hunger strike in Tiananmen Square, China
• 1989 - Minn Twin Kirby Puckett becomes 35th to hit 4 doubles in a game
• 1989 - Trinidad & Tobago ties US 1-1, in 3rd round of 1990 world soccer cup
• 1990 - "Change in the Heir" closes at Edison Theater NYC after 16 perfs
• 1990 - Dottie Mochrie wins LPGA Crestar Golf Classic
• 1991 - "Michael Jackson: Magic & Madness" goes on sale
• 1991 - Apple releases Macintosh System 7.0
• 1991 - South African activist Winnie Mandela convicted of abducting 4 blacks
• 1991 - Yankee Stadium fans sing "Like a Virgin" to Jose Canseco
• 1992 - 3 astronauts simultaneous walked in space for the 1st time
• 1992 - Ajax wins 21st UEFA Cup
• 1992 - Concrete foundation for ballpark at Gateway (Jacobs Field) is poured
• 1992 - Final episode of "Night Court" airs on NBC-TV
• 1992 - Frank Stallone beats Geraldo Rivera in boxing on Howard Stern Show
• 1993 - 6th annual business person run held in Wall Street
• 1993 - Arsenio Hall's 1,000th show retrospective seen in Netherlands
• 1993 - CBS' Knots Landing ends 14 year run with 334th show in Netherlands
• 1993 - KC Royal George Brett hits his 300th HR
• 1993 - Methane gas explosion in Secunda coal mine South-Africa, kills 50
• 1994 - Indians, begin a 18 home game hoome win streak at Jacobs Field
• 1995 - 6.5 earthquake hits Greece
• 1995 - New Zealand beats US for the America's Cup
• 1995 - Chelsi Smith, 21, of USA, crowned 44th Miss Universe Shanna Lynn Moakler, (19-NY), replaces Chelsi Smith as Miss USA
• 1996 - OJ Simpson appears on British TV discussing his not guilty verdict
• 1997 - Eddie Murray is 6th baseball player to play in 3,000 games