Alexander P. Butterfield (above) informed the Senate committee investigating the Watergate affair of the existence of President Nixon’s recorded White House tapes on this day in 1973.
It was on this day in 1999.
Martha Stewart was convicted of insider trading and sent to jail on this day in 2004. She is shown above with U.S. marshals, as they leave the Manhattan federal court in New York.
On this day in 1969, Apollo 11 blasted off from Cape Kennedy, FL, and began the first manned mission to land on the moon.
Apollo 11 Astronauts from left: Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins & Buzz Aldrin.
Billy the Kid, born Henry McCarty; also known asWilliam H. Bonney (1859 – July 14, 1881)
Bonney was an outlaw who was shot and killed by Sheriff Pat Garrett in Fort Sumner on this day in 1881.
Richard Benjamin Speck (December 6, 1941 – December 5, 1991)
Speck was a mass murderer who systematically tortured, raped, and murdered eight student nurses from South Chicago Community Hospital on this day in 1966. He was sentenced to death, but the sentence was later overturned due to issues with jury selection at his trial. Speck died of a heart attack after serving 25 years in prison.
The space probe Mariner 4 flew by Mars, and sent back photographs of the planet (below) on this day in 1965.
Woodrow Wilson Guthrie (July 14, 1912 – October 3, 1967)
Singer-songwriter Woody Guthrie is regarded as one of the most significant figures in American folk music; his songs, including social justice songs, such as "This Land Is Your Land", have inspired several generations both politically and musically. He wrote hundreds of political, folk, and children’s songs, along with ballads and improvised works.
On this day in 1966, the U.S. Supreme Court hands down its decision in Miranda v. Arizona, establishing the principle that all criminal suspects must be advised of their specific legal rights when they are placed under arrest. It’s now considered standard police procedure.
China’s Boxer Rebellion against foreigners and Chinese Christians erupted into violence on this day in 1900.
The unmanned NASA space probe Pioneer 10 was launched in March of 1972. The first up-close images of the planet Jupiter were provided by the probe.
Alan Shepard became the first American in space when he made a short suborbital flight on this day in 1961.
On the day in 1821, Napoleon Bonaparte on his deathbed.
The cause of his death has been debated. Napoleon’s physician, François Carlo Antommarchi, led the autopsy, which found the cause of death to be stomach cancer. He was 51.
Cinco de Mayo (Spanish for "Fifth of May") is a celebration held on May 5. The date is observed to commemorate the Mexican Army‘s victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862, under the leadership of General Ignacio Zaragoza.