Friday, May 1, 1998
Today's events
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European Union leaders will meet to select EU member
states that will adopt Europe's single currency, the euro, on January
1, 1999.
A preliminary hearing will he held in Edinboro, Pennsylvania, for the 14-year-old charged with killing a teacher at a school dance.
U.S Secretary of State Albright visits South
Korea
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On the horizon
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On Saturday, May 2, the Kentucky Derby, the first in racing's Triple Crown, is to be held in Louisville, Kentucky.
On Sunday, May 3, the National Cable Television Association opens its annual convention in Atlanta.
On Monday, May 4, the Kent State Students Memorial Day will be observed.
On Tuesday, May 5, NATO chiefs of staff meet in Brussels.
On Wednesday, May 6, the Children and the Media conference will
be held in Los Angeles to examine the media's portrayals of race and class and their impact on children.
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On this day
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In 1672, Joseph Addison, English poet, essayist and
politician, was born. Together with Richard Steele, he founded the
Spectator in March 1711.
In 1700, John Dryden, English poet and poet laureate from
1668-88, died.
In 1707, Scotland and England were joined together under the
name of Great Britain.
In 1808, after only a few days in power, Ferdinand
relinquished the Spanish throne in favor of Napoleon of France.
In 1851, Queen Victoria opened the first Great Exhibition in
the Crystal Palace in Hyde Park, London.
In 1873, David Livingstone, Scottish missionary and explorer,
was found dead at Chitambo, now in Zambia.
In 1876, the Royal Titles Bill was passed by the British
Parliament, entitling Queen Victoria to call herself Empress of
India.
In 1884, work began on a 10-story building in Chicago using a
unique steel-framed interior, making it the world's first
"skyscraper."
In 1898, in the Battle of Manila Bay in the Spanish-American
War, U.S. forces destroyed the Spanish fleet and blockaded the
bay for three months before capturing Manila itself.
In 1904, Czech composer Antonin Dvorak, noted for his ninth
symphony "From the New World," died.
In 1915, the liner Lusitania left New York on the same day the
German Embassy took out advertisements warning anyone traveling
on ships carrying a British flag that they did so at their own
risk. It was sunk six days later.
In 1931, the 102-story Empire State Building in New York, at
the time the world's tallest building, officially opened.
In 1937, Spanish painter Pablo Picasso produced the first
sketch of his masterpiece "Guernica," five days after the
Basque town had been bombed by the Germans.
In 1945, Hamburg radio officially announced that Hitler had
died in Berlin; Nazi leader Joseph Goebbels committed suicide in
his Berlin bunker; German headquarters in Italy formally agreed
to an unconditional surrender.
In 1960, the Soviet Union shot down an American U-2 plane
piloted by Gary Powers. He was jailed for spying before being
exchanged in an East-West spy swap in February 1962.
In 1961, Cuban leader Fidel Castro declared the country a
socialist nation and abolished elections.
In 1963, Sir Winston Churchill announced his retirement from
the House of Commons.
In 1967, Elvis Presley married Priscilla Beaulieu in Las
Vegas.
In 1971, the Amtrak rail passenger service took over operation
of most passenger trains in the United States.
In 1978, Naomi Uemura, a Japanese explorer, became the first
man to reach the North Pole alone.
In 1982, in Poland, 50,000 supporters of "Solidarity"
demonstrated in Warsaw against military rule.
In 1990, Chinese troops began withdrawing from the Tibetan
capital of Lhasa as martial law was lifted.
In 1991, Col. Elias Ramaema was sworn in as the military
ruler of Lesotho.
In 1992, Turkmenistan announced it would switch to a
Latin-based Turkish alphabet from the Cyrillic script.
In 1993, President Ali Abdullah Saleh's ruling party won the
most seats in united Yemen's first general elections.
In 1993, Sri Lankan President Ranasinghe Premadasa died of
injuries sustained in a bomb blast during a May Day procession.
In 1994, Ayrton Senna, three times world F-1 auto racing
champion, died after a high-speed crash in the San Marino Grand
Prix.
In 1995, Croatia recaptured the rebel Serb enclave of Western
Slavonia it lost in 1991.
In 1996, Canadian Deputy Prime Minister Sheila Copps announced
she was resigning over the government's failure to abolish a
controversial sales tax.
In 1997, Tony Blair's Labor Party won a landslide victory in
Britain's general election.
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Newslink
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Today is important in the history of skyscrapers. On this day in 1884, work began on the world's first high-rise, and in 1931, the Empire State Building opened to the public. To learn more about tall buildings (it's interesting, we promise), check out the High-Rise pages.
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Notable
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Much of the world marks International Labor Day, or May Day.
Ethiopia celebrates Patriots Victory Day.
Singer Judy Collins ("Both SIdes Now") is 59.
Singer Rita Coolidge ("Higher and Higher") is 53.
Writer Joseph Heller ("Catch-22") is 75.
Singer Sonny James ("Young Love") is 69.
Writer Bobbie Ann Mason ("In Country") is 58.
Entertainer Jack Paar is 80.
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Sources: Associated Press,
Chase's Calendar of Events 1998, J.P. Morgan
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