Friday, May 24, 1996




The defendants offered the government undercover agents more sophisticated weapons, including hand-held rocket launchers, mortars, anti-aircraft missiles, silenced machine guns and even tanks. -- Wayne Yamashita



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  • British Prime Minister John Major is expected to visit Bosnia today.

  • An estimated 10,000 people will take the oath of U.S. citizenship today in what is being called Chicago's largest naturalization ceremony ever. Presiding over two ceremonies will be Judge Rubin Castillo, Judge Charles Kocoras and U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service officials.

  • The first scheduled vote of confidence in Italy's new government will be held today.

  • More than 6,800 unionized flight attendants working for Air France are planning to walk off the job from midnight tonight until just before midnight Saturday.





  • On Saturday May 25, King Simeon, the exiled former monarch of Bulgaria, is expected to make his first visit to the country since being forced to leave 50 years ago by the Communist takeover.

  • On Sunday, May 26, the Indy Racing League will hold the annual Indianapolis 500 auto race in Indiana.

  • On Monday, May 27, Vietnam veterans will hold the annual Memorial Day service in Washington.

  • On Tuesday, May 28, U.S. presidential primaries will be held in Idaho and Kentucky.

  • National elections will be held in Israel on Wednesday, May 29.





  • In 1819, Queen Victoria was born in London.

  • In 1830, the first passenger railroad in the United States began service between Baltimore and Elliott's Mills, Maryland.

  • In 1844, Samuel F.B. Morse transmitted the message, "What hath God wrought!" from Washington to Baltimore as he formally opened America's first telegraph line.

  • In 1881, some 200 people died when the Canadian ferry "Princess Victoria" sank near London, Ontario.

  • In 1883, the Brooklyn Bridge, linking Brooklyn and Manhattan, was opened to traffic.

  • In 1935, the first major league baseball game played at night took place at Cincinnati's Crosley Field as the Reds beat the Philadelphia Phillies, 2-to-1.

  • In 1941, the German battleship "Bismarck" sank the British dreadnought "Hood" in the North Atlantic.

  • In 1962, astronaut Scott Carpenter became the second American to orbit the Earth as he flew aboard "Aurora Seven."

  • In 1976, Britain and France opened transatlantic Concorde service to Washington.

  • In 1977, in a surprise move, the Kremlin ousted Soviet President Nikolai Podgorny from the Communist Party's ruling Politburo.

  • In 1980, Iran rejected a call by the World Court in The Hague to release the American hostages.

  • In 1987, an estimated 250,000 people crowded onto the Golden Gate Bridge to celebrate the structure's 50th birthday a few days before the actual anniversary.





  • For some odd reason, mummies have been in the news a lot this week. Tuesday, Washington was abuzz about the 500-year-old ice maiden, dubbed Juanita, that went on display at the National Geographic Society. Then yesterday, the story of red-headed mummies discovered in the Tarim Basin of China hit the wires, raising the question of whether the Celts wandered farther east than earlier thought. Setting aside the question of whether we should be carting peoples' ancestors about the globe to parade around under glass, it seemed appropriate to visit the Summum Mummification Page in light of all the news. Proponents of modern mummification, these folks have laid it all on the line in their quest to convince people to save themselves and their pets for posterity. There are details about the mummification process and maintaining mummies, pictures of Egyptian-inspired mausoleum designs and even a discussion area to talk about mummification "and its place in today's contemporary society." One of the posts, titled "Beyond Bizarre," says it all.





  • Belize observes Commonwealth Day today.

  • Today Bermuda Day in Bermuda.

  • In Bulgaria, today is Day of Slav Literature, Bulgarian Education, and Culture.

  • It is Independence Day today in Ecuador.

  • Israel observes the Pentecost today.

  • Lord Buddha's Birthday is celebrated today in Korea.

  • It is African Unity Organization Day Eve today in Madagascar.

  • The Union of Myanmar observes the Full Moon of Kason today.

  • Eriteria celebrates Independence Day today.



  • Sources: Associated Press,
    Chase's Calendar of Events 1996, J.P. Morgan

    News almanac archive



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