May 5th
Today in 1809,Mary Kies became the first woman to be issued a US patent for her new technique of weaving straw with silk and thread to make hats was signed by President James Madison.
Today in 1891,Carnegie Hall had its opening night in New York City. It was originally named Music Hall, with a concert conducted by maestro Walter Damrosch and composer Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky.
Today in 1925,John T. Scopes was arrested in Tennessee for teaching Darwin's “Theory of Evolution.” He was charged on May 25thand the case ended with a guilty verdict with a fine of $100.
Today in 1945,a Japanese balloon bomb exploded at Mitchell Recreation Area on Gearhart Mountain in Oregon, which killed the pregnant wife of a minister and five children. These were the only recorded deaths during World War II to happen on American soil.
Today in 1961,Alan Shepard became the first American in space during a 15-minute sub-orbital flight 115 miles above the earthaboard the Mercury capsule "Freedom 7.”
Today in 1978,Cincinnati Red Pete Rose became the 14thplayer ever to get 3,000 hits.
Today in 1994,American teen Michael Fay received four lashes on his bare buttocks with a 4-foot long bamboo cane in Singapore. He was punished, according to local law, for acts of vandalism. His original sentence was six lashes, but it was reduced to four after U.S. officials requested leniency.
Today in 1999,the first Kosovo refugees brought to the United States, 453 of them, arrived at Fort Dix in New Jersey.
Today in 2000,the "ILOVEYOU" e-mail virus infected computer networks and hard drives across the globe, spawning various imitations.
Today in 2013,seven Americans and one German soldier were killed in three separate attacks in Afghanistan.
Today in 2013,former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who had been seriously wounded in a 2011 shooting at a Tucson, Arizona, shopping mall,received the 2013 Profile in Courage award at the John F. Kennedy Library in Boston.
Today in 2018,President Donald Trump signed his first piece of major legislation, a $1-trillion spending bill to keep the government operating through September.