Sgt. William H. Carney was the first African American to be
awarded the Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest military
decoration, on this day in history, May 23, 1900, for his
efforts at protecting the American flag during the Civil War. 
History.com.

Born as a slave in February of 1840, William Carney’s father
managed to escape and make his way north via the
Underground Railroad, ultimately earning the funds to
purchase his wife and son’s freedom.

EAST GREENWICH, R.I. (WJAR) — A World War II veteran
was honored Saturday at a chess tournament in East
Greenwich, Rhode Island.

Lou Giarrusso (above) celebrated his 100th birthday at the
Once-in-a-Lifetime Inaugural Championship Cup Event at the
New England Institute of Technology.

Giarrusso started playing in 1963, and he is a Guinness
World Record holder for the oldest chess player to
compete.

Giarrusso was presented with a chessboard birthday 
ake (below), plaques and certificates, and a trophy
for his achievements in chess.

On May 6, 1940, John Steinbeck was awarded the Pulitzer Prize
for his novel The Grapes of Wrath.

The book traces the fictional Joad family of Oklahoma as they
lose their family farm and move to California in search of a
better life. 

One of Steinbeck’s most effective works of social commentary,
the novel also won the National Book Award.

John Ernst Steinbeck Jr.
(February 27, 1902 – December 20, 1968)

Gordon Meredith Lightfoot Jr.
(November 17, 1938 – May 1, 2023)

Lightfoot died at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto 
at the age of 84. His declining health had caused him to cancel
his tour three weeks earlier.

In 2022, Gordon Lightfoot received the Golden Plate Award of
the American Academy of Achievement.              

Harry Belafonte ( Harold George Bellanfanti Jr.)
(March 1, 1927 – April 25, 2023)

Belafonte was a Jamaican-American singer, actor and activist,
who popularized calypso music with international audiences
in the 1950s. His breakthrough album Calypso (1956) was the
first million-selling LP by a single artist.

Belafonte was best known for his recordings of "Day-O
(The Banana Boat Song)".