May 30 - Smile

Smile

This Day In History

1536

King Henry VIII of England marries Jane Seymour, a lady-in-waiting to his first two wives.

1539

In Florida, Hernando de Soto lands at Tampa Bay with 600 soldiers with the goal of finding gold.

1631

Publication of La Gazette, first French newspaper.

1854

The Kansas-Nebraska Act becomes law establishing the US territories of Nebraska and Kansas.

1859

Westminster's Big Ben rings for the first time in London.

1868

Decoration Day (the predecessor of the modern "Memorial Day") is observed in the United States for the first time.

1879

New York's Gilmores Garden is renamed Madison Square Garden by William Henry Vanderbilt and is opened to the public at 26th Street and Madison Avenue.
1896
 First car accident occurs: Henry Wells hits a bicyclist in NYC.

1911

At the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the first Indianapolis 500 ends with Ray Harroun in his Marmon Wasp becoming the first winner of the 500-mile auto race.

1914

The new and then largest Cunard liner RMS Aquitania, 45,647 tons, sets sail on her maiden voyage from Liverpool to New York.

1922

In Washington, D.C. the Lincoln Memorial is dedicated.

1958

Memorial Day: the remains of two unidentified American servicemen, killed in action during World War II and the Korean War respectively, are buried at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery.

1966

Launch of Surveyor 1, the first US spacecraft to achieve landing on an extraterrestrial body.

1971

Mariner 9 is launched to map 70% of the surface, and to study temporal changes in the atmosphere and surface, of Mars.

Famous Birthdays

1461

Georg von Peuerbach, Austrian astronomer, mathematician and instrument maker (d. 1461)

1814

Eugène Charles Catalan, Belgian mathematician (d. 1894)

1846

Peter Carl Fabergé, Russian goldsmith and jeweler (d. 1920)

1882

Wyndham Halswelle, Scottish runner (d. 1915)

1896

Howard Hawks, American film director (d. 1977)

1908

Mel Blanc, American voice actor (d. 1989)

1909

Benny Goodman, American clarinetist and bandleader (d. 1986)

1918

Bob Evans, American restaurateur (d. 2007)

1922

Hal Clement, American science fiction writer (d. 2003)

1943

Gale Sayers, American football player

1949

P.J. Carlesimo, American basketball coach

1951

Stephen Tobolowsky, American actor

1953

Colm Meaney, Irish actor

1963

Helen Sharman, British chemist, the first Briton in space

1971

Idina Menzel, American actress and singer

1974

Cee-Lo Green, American musician