A thought for the day: The worst prison would be a closed heart. -- Pope John Paul II

On this date in history:

In 1896, the U.S. Supreme Court handed down the Plessy vs. Ferguson decision that determined separate but equal racial policies are constitutional.

In 1917, President Wilson signed the Selective Service Act of 1917 by which the United States raised an army for service in Europe during World War I.<...Read more

Those born on this date include:

- Persian poet Omar Khayyam in 1048
- Russian Czar Nicholas II in 1868
- English philosopher/mathematician Bertrand Russell in 1872
- film director Frank Capra in 1897
- musician Big Joe Turner in 1911
- musician Perry Como in 1912
- director/screenwriter Richard ...Read more

Today is Saturday, May 18, the 139th day of 2024 with 227 to follow.

The moon is waxing. Morning stars are Mars, Mercury, Neptune, Saturn and Venus. Evening star is Jupiter.

A thought for the day: Within our dreams and aspirations we find our opportunities. -- American boxer Sugar Ray Leonard

On this date in history:

In 1792, 24 brokers met in New York City and formed the New York Stock Exchange.

In 1875, Aristides was the winner of the first Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky.

In 1943, the Memphis Belle became one of the first B-17 to complete 25 missions in World War II, securing ...Read more

Those born on this date include:

- English physician Edward Jenner, developer of the smallpox vaccine, in 1749
- Schuyler Wheeler, inventor of the electric fan, in 1860
- baseball Hall of Fame member James Cool Papa Bell in 1903
- actor Maureen O'Sullivan in 1911
- actor Dennis Hopper in 1936
- musician ...Read more

Today is Friday, May 17, the 139th day of 2024 with 228 to follow.

The moon is waxing. Morning stars are Mars, Mercury, Neptune, Saturn and Venus. Evening star is Jupiter.

A thought for the day: Re-vision -- the act of looking back, of seeing with fresh eyes, of entering an old text from a new critical direction -- is for women more than a chapter in cultural history; it is an act of survival. -- American author Adrienne Rich

On this date in history:

In 1804, the French Senate declared Napoleon Bonaparte emperor.

In 1871, U.S. Marines landed in Korea in an attempt to open the country to foreign trade.

In 1920, Joan of Arc was canonized as a saint of the Roman Catholic Church.

In 1929, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and ...Read more

Those born on this date include:

- William Seward, U.S. secretary of state whose purchase of Alaska from Russia in 1867 for $7.2 million was called Seward's Folly, in 1801
- banker Levi Morton, U.S. vice president under Benjamin Harrison, in 1824
- serial killer H.H. Holmes in 1861
- actor Henry Fonda in 1905
- ...Read more

Today is Thursday, May 16, the 137th day of 2024 with 229 to follow.

The moon is waxing. Morning stars are Mars, Mercury, Neptune, Saturn and Venus. Evening star is Jupiter.

A thought for the day: Dreaming means 'rehearsing' what you see, playing it over and over in your mind until it becomes as real to you as your life right now. -- American football legend Emmitt Smith

On this date in history:

In 1911, the U.S. Supreme Court, ruling in Standard Oil Co. of New Jersey vs. United States, ordered the dissolution of the company after determining it to be a monopoly.

In 1918, the first regular U.S. airmail service was established between Washington and New York City.

In 1930, Ellen ...Read more

Those born on this date include:

- Author L. Frank Baum (The Wizard of Oz) in 1856
- French chemist Pierre Curie in 1859
- U.S. first lady Ellen Wilson in 1860
- author Katherine Anne Porter in 1890
- former Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley in 1902
- actor Joseph Cotten in 1905
- musician Eddy Arnold ...Read more

Today is Wednesday, May 15, the 136th day of 2024 with 230 to follow.

The moon is waxing. Morning stars are Mars, Mercury, Neptune, Saturn and Venus. Evening star is Jupiter.