CAMILLE
BOHANNON

On this day in 1980, Mt. Saint Helens erupted in Washington state. A
total of 57 people were killed along with 3 billion dollars in damage.

Mt. Saint Helens as it looks today.

TIM MAGUIRE

An international military tribunal in Nuremberg, Germany, found 22
top Nazi leaders guilty of war crimes on this day in 1946.

The Berlin Airlift came to an end on this day in 1949. The airlift had
taken 2.3 million tons of food into the western sector despite the
Soviet blockade.

On this day in 1962, James Meredith, a black US military veteran, 
succeeded in registering at the University of Mississippi. It was
his fourth attempt to register. President Kennedy (below) had to
call in the army to get him admitted.

August 18, 1963: James Meredith graduates from Ole Miss.

It was on this day in 1955.

James Dean was driving his brand-new Porsche 550 Spyder to an
auto rally in Salinas, California, when he was involved in a head-on collision.

1955

1955

DIANE KEPLY

On this day in 1957, the Arkansas National Guard was ordered by Governor Orval Faubus to keep nine black students from going into
Little Rock’s Central High School.

Orval Eugene Faubus (January 7, 1910 – December 14, 1994)

The Ford Motor Company began selling the Edsel on this day in
1957. The car was so unpopular that it was taken off the market
two years later.

Los Angeles, CA, was founded by Spanish settlers on this day in
1781. The original name was "El Pueblo de Nuestra Senora La Reina
de Los Angeles de Porciuncula," which translates as "The Town of
the Queen of Angels."

View of a statue depicting the Governor Felipe de Neve, in Los
Angeles Plaza.

George Eastman registered the name "Kodak" and patented his
roll-film camera on this day in 1888. The camera took 100 photos 
per roll.

On this day in 1972, swimmer Mark Spitz captured his seventh
Olympic gold medal in the 400-meter medley relay event at Munich, Germany. Spitz was the first Olympian to win seven gold medals.

Mark Andrew Spitz turned 68 in February.

Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter is 37 years young today.

Former member of the R&B girl group Destiny’s Child who also
became a widely successful solo artist. She has won a total of 2
2 Grammy Awards for songs such as "Single Ladies (Put a Ring
on It)," "Drunk in Love" and "Crazy in Love." She won her first
school talent show with her rendition of "Imagine" by John
Lennon.

CAMILLE
BOHANNON

On this day in 1980, Mount St. Helens in Washington erupts, causing
a massive avalanche and killing 57 people on this day in 1980. Ash
from the volcanic eruption fell as far away as Minnesota. Seismic
activity at Mount St. Helens, which is 96 miles south of Seattle,
began on March 16.

USGS geologist Don Swanson (in red) and his colleague, Jim
Moore, view a car filled with ash deposits from the eruption of
Mount St. Helens.

On this day in 1896, the U.S. Supreme court upheld the "separate but equal" policy in the Plessy vs. Ferguson decision. The ruling was overturned 58 years later with Brown vs. Board of Education.

Pope Saint John Paul II (Karol Józef Wojtyła)
(May 18, 1920 – April 2, 2005)

Pope John Paul was the second longest-serving pope
in history who was the leader of the Catholic Church
from 1978 to 2005. He was one of the most influential
leaders of the 20th century who worked to bring Jews,
Christians, and Muslims together. He was canonized
as a Saint in April of 2014.

Frank Russell Capra (Francesco Rosario Capra)
(May 18, 1897 – September 3, 1991)

Capra became one of America’s most influential directors during
the 1930s, winning three Oscars from his six nominations as 
Best Director, along with three other Oscar wins from nine
nominations in other categories. Among his leading films
were It Happened One Night (1934), You Can’t Take It with You
(1938), and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington(1939); Capra was
nominated as Best Director and as producer for Academy
Award for Best Picture on all three films, winning both
awards on the first two.

1946

On this day in 2003, "Les Miserables" closed after 6,680 shows and
16 years on Broadway.

Les Misérables has been voted the greatest musical of all time in
a public poll conducted by a new online radio station dedicated
to musical theatre.

ROSS SIMPSON

On this day in 1954, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled for school integration in Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka. The
ruling declared that racially segregated schools were inherently
unequal.

The U.S. Senate Watergate Committee began its hearings on this day
in 1973. Sen. Sam Ervin (center) was the chairman of the Investigating Committee

On this day in 1792, the New York Stock Exchange was founded at
70 Wall Street by 24 brokers.

The actual Buttonwood Agreement is shown on the right. The New
York Stock Exchange traces its origins to this historic document.

The first Kentucky Derby was held at what would become known as Churchill Downs in Louisville, KY. on this day in 1875. 

Winning the race was Oliver Lewis riding the horse named Aristides
with a time of 2 min 37 seconds. The purse at that time was said to
be $2,850.