Saturday, May 17, 1997
Today's events
Hong Kong's governor is scheduled to visit London to brief Britain's Labour government on the pre-handover situation.
An old Air France Boeing 747 is blown up in England as part of a safety experiment sponsored by Britain's Civil Aviation Authority and the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration to find new ways of designing aircraft structures to provide the best protection against terrorist bombs.
The Miss Korea beauty pageant takes place in Seoul.
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On the horizon
On Sunday, May 18, the Hong Kong pro-democracy and pro-dissident movement stages a kite-flying event
in remembrance of the crushed Chinese pro-democracy movement.
On Monday, May 19, Attorney General Janet Reno is scheduled to deliver the commencement address at
Boston College.
On Tuesday, May 20, the auction house Christie's holds its Spring jewelry auction in Geneva.
On Wednesday, May 21, Composer Andrew Lloyd Webber sells his wine collection of 18,000 bottles at
auction in London. Said by Sotheby's to be "undoubtedly the greatest single wine collection ever to
appear at auction," the sale is expected to fetch more than $3.3 million.
On Thursday, May 22, the International Coffee Organization (ICO) holds
a two-day council meeting in London.
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On this day
In 1792, the New York Stock Exchange was founded on Wall Street in New York City.
In 1814, Norway broke away from Denmark with the signing of a new constitution.
In 1875, the first Kentucky Derby was held at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky.
In 1903, James "Cool Papa" Bell was born in Starkville, Mississippi. A Negro League baseball player, he was regarded as the fastest man to ever play the game. Bell was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974.
In 1954, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in the Brown v Board of Education case that desegregated public schools.
In 1987, two Exocet missiles fired by Iraqi war planes hit the U.S. Navy's guided missile frigate Stark sailing off the Iranian coast in the Persian Gulf. Twenty-eight sailors died in the attack, which was related to the raging Iran-Iraq war.
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Newslink
Does blowing up a Boeing 747 sound like fun? It does to the people at the Federal Aviation Administration. It also happens to be a serious project they are undertaking to ensure greater safety for future generations of air travelers. While demolishing 747s is not their every day duty, the FAA is involved in a great many interesting efforts to make air travel the best it can be. Visit their site to see who is looking out for the public's well being 30,000 feet up.
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Holidays and more
The Muslim world celebrates Ashura.
Cuba celebrates Agrarian Reform Day.
Nauru celebrates Constitution Day.
Norway celebrates Constitution Day.
Senegal celebrates Tamkhari.
Actor Dennis Hopper is 61.
Fashion designer Christian Lacroix is 47.
Boxer Sugar Ray Leonard is 41.
Basketball player Danny Manning is 31.
Actor Bill Paxton is 42.
Actress Maureen O'Sullivan is 86.
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Sources: Associated Press,
Chase's Calendar of Events 1997, J.P. Morgan
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