May 4
1626 - Peter Minuit landed in Manhattan, which he later bought for $24 worth of cloth and brass buttons.
1776 - Rhode Island declared its freedom from England, two months before the Declaration of Independence was adopted.
1886 - The Haymarket Square riot in Chicago broke out as a result of a labor demonstration.
1904 - The United States took over construction of the Panama Canal from France.
1932 - "Public Enemy Number One," Al Capone, was jailed for tax evasion in Atlanta. (He was later transferred to Alcatraz Island.)
1942 - The Battle of the Coral Sea, the first naval clash fought entirely with carrier aircraft, began in the Pacific during World War II. (The outcome was considered a tactical victory for Japan, but ultimately a strategic one for the Allies.)
1945 - During World War II, German forces in the Netherlands, Denmark and northwest Germany agreed to surrender.
1959 - The first Grammy Awards were held.
1961 - Civil rights activist, called "freedom riders," left Washington, D.C. for New Orleans to challenge racial segregration on interstate buses and in bus terminals.
1970 - Four Kent State University students were shot down by Ohio National Guard members during an anti Vietnam War demonstration.
1998 - Unabomber Theodore Kaczynski (kah-ZIHN’-skee) was given four life sentences plus 30 years by a federal judge in Sacramento, California, under a plea agreement that spared him the death penalty.
2001 - Bonny Lee Bakley, wife of actor Robert Blake, was shot to death as she sat in a car near a restaurant in Los Angeles. (Blake, accused of Bakley’s murder, was acquitted in a criminal trial but found liable by a civil jury and ordered to pay damages.)
2006 - A federal judge sentenced Zacarias Moussaoui to life in prison for his role in the 9/11 attacks, telling the convicted terrorist, “You will die with a whimper.”
2011 - President Barack Obama said he had decided not to release death photos of Osama bin Laden because their graphic nature could incite violence and create national security risks. Officials told The Associated Press that the Navy SEALs who’d stormed bin Laden’s compound in Pakistan shot and killed him after they saw him appear to lunge for a weapon.
2018 - The Connecticut Supreme Court overturned the murder conviction of Kennedy cousin Michael Skakel in the 1975 bludgeoning death of a girl in Greenwich, finding that Skakel’s trial attorney had failed to present evidence of an alibi. (The U.S. Supreme Court later left in place the Connecticut high court ruling.)
2020 - Struggling fashion brand J.Crew became the first major retailer to file for bankruptcy protection since the start of the pandemic.
Birthdays
22 - Elle Danjean (dancer)
23 - Amara Miller (actress)
29 - RaeLynn (singer)
29 - Alexander Gould (actor)
31 - Gracie Gillam (actress)
34 - Rory McIlroy (golfer)
38 - Jidenna (singer)
42 - Ruth Negga (actress)
44 - Lance Bass (singer)
45 - Erin Andrews (sports reporter)
48 - Kimora Lee Simmons (model)
53 - Will Arnett (actor)
56 - Ana Gasteyer (actress/comedian)
62 - Mary McDonough (actress)
64 - Randy Travis (singer)
71 - Pia Zadora (singer)
72 - Jackie Jackson (singer)
74 - Stella Parton (singer)
76 - Richard Jenkins (actor)
93 - Katherine Jackson (mother of Jackson musical family)
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Today in Sports History - May 4
1954 - The Philadelphia Phillies and St. Louis Cardinals set a national league record when they used 42 players in one game. The Phillies won 14-10.
1963 - Pitcher Bob Shaw set a record with 5 balks in a game.
1965 - Willie Mays hits his 512th career home run, breaking Mel Ott's National League record of 511.
1968 - The Pittsburgh Pipers defeat the New Orleans Buccaneers in seven games to win the inaugural ABA championship.
1969 - The Montreal Canadiens sweep the St. Louis Blues to win the Stanley Cup.
1980 - Mike Squires (Chicago White Sox) played the position of catcher in the final inning against the Brewers. It was the first time a left handed catcher had played since 1958.
1993 - Dale Hunter (Washington Capitals) was suspended 21 games for his blindside check of Pierre Turgeon (New York Islanders) in a game played on April 8.
1994 - Charles Barkley (Phoenix Suns) scored 56 points, 38 of which came in the first half, against the Golden State Warriors.
2002 - Barry Bonds of the San Francisco Giants becomes the first player in MLB history with 400 home runs with one team (Giants) and 100 home runs with another franchise (Pittsburgh Pirates).
2004 - Alex Rodriguez (New York Yankees) hit his 350th career home run and drove in his 1,000th run. He was the youngest player to reach 350 homeruns at 28 years, 282 days.
2013 - Floyd Mayweather came back from a year’s absence to win a unanimous 12-round decision over Robert Guerrero in their welterweight title fight in Las Vegas.
2018 - Albert Pujols of the Los Angeles Angels record his 3,000th career hit.
2019 - For the first time in Kentucky Derby history, race officials disqualify apparent winner Maximum Security for interference and declare Country House the victory; it was the first time a horse had been disqualified for a race infraction.
2020 - Former Miami Dolphins coach Don Shula died at 90; he’d won more games than any other NFL coach.
1626 - Peter Minuit landed in Manhattan, which he later bought for $24 worth of cloth and brass buttons.
1776 - Rhode Island declared its freedom from England, two months before the Declaration of Independence was adopted.
1886 - The Haymarket Square riot in Chicago broke out as a result of a labor demonstration.
1904 - The United States took over construction of the Panama Canal from France.
1932 - "Public Enemy Number One," Al Capone, was jailed for tax evasion in Atlanta. (He was later transferred to Alcatraz Island.)
1942 - The Battle of the Coral Sea, the first naval clash fought entirely with carrier aircraft, began in the Pacific during World War II. (The outcome was considered a tactical victory for Japan, but ultimately a strategic one for the Allies.)
1945 - During World War II, German forces in the Netherlands, Denmark and northwest Germany agreed to surrender.
1959 - The first Grammy Awards were held.
1961 - Civil rights activist, called "freedom riders," left Washington, D.C. for New Orleans to challenge racial segregration on interstate buses and in bus terminals.
1970 - Four Kent State University students were shot down by Ohio National Guard members during an anti Vietnam War demonstration.
1998 - Unabomber Theodore Kaczynski (kah-ZIHN’-skee) was given four life sentences plus 30 years by a federal judge in Sacramento, California, under a plea agreement that spared him the death penalty.
2001 - Bonny Lee Bakley, wife of actor Robert Blake, was shot to death as she sat in a car near a restaurant in Los Angeles. (Blake, accused of Bakley’s murder, was acquitted in a criminal trial but found liable by a civil jury and ordered to pay damages.)
2006 - A federal judge sentenced Zacarias Moussaoui to life in prison for his role in the 9/11 attacks, telling the convicted terrorist, “You will die with a whimper.”
2011 - President Barack Obama said he had decided not to release death photos of Osama bin Laden because their graphic nature could incite violence and create national security risks. Officials told The Associated Press that the Navy SEALs who’d stormed bin Laden’s compound in Pakistan shot and killed him after they saw him appear to lunge for a weapon.
2018 - The Connecticut Supreme Court overturned the murder conviction of Kennedy cousin Michael Skakel in the 1975 bludgeoning death of a girl in Greenwich, finding that Skakel’s trial attorney had failed to present evidence of an alibi. (The U.S. Supreme Court later left in place the Connecticut high court ruling.)
2020 - Struggling fashion brand J.Crew became the first major retailer to file for bankruptcy protection since the start of the pandemic.
Birthdays
22 - Elle Danjean (dancer)
23 - Amara Miller (actress)
29 - RaeLynn (singer)
29 - Alexander Gould (actor)
31 - Gracie Gillam (actress)
34 - Rory McIlroy (golfer)
38 - Jidenna (singer)
42 - Ruth Negga (actress)
44 - Lance Bass (singer)
45 - Erin Andrews (sports reporter)
48 - Kimora Lee Simmons (model)
53 - Will Arnett (actor)
56 - Ana Gasteyer (actress/comedian)
62 - Mary McDonough (actress)
64 - Randy Travis (singer)
71 - Pia Zadora (singer)
72 - Jackie Jackson (singer)
74 - Stella Parton (singer)
76 - Richard Jenkins (actor)
93 - Katherine Jackson (mother of Jackson musical family)
===========================================
Today in Sports History - May 4
1954 - The Philadelphia Phillies and St. Louis Cardinals set a national league record when they used 42 players in one game. The Phillies won 14-10.
1963 - Pitcher Bob Shaw set a record with 5 balks in a game.
1965 - Willie Mays hits his 512th career home run, breaking Mel Ott's National League record of 511.
1968 - The Pittsburgh Pipers defeat the New Orleans Buccaneers in seven games to win the inaugural ABA championship.
1969 - The Montreal Canadiens sweep the St. Louis Blues to win the Stanley Cup.
1980 - Mike Squires (Chicago White Sox) played the position of catcher in the final inning against the Brewers. It was the first time a left handed catcher had played since 1958.
1993 - Dale Hunter (Washington Capitals) was suspended 21 games for his blindside check of Pierre Turgeon (New York Islanders) in a game played on April 8.
1994 - Charles Barkley (Phoenix Suns) scored 56 points, 38 of which came in the first half, against the Golden State Warriors.
2002 - Barry Bonds of the San Francisco Giants becomes the first player in MLB history with 400 home runs with one team (Giants) and 100 home runs with another franchise (Pittsburgh Pirates).
2004 - Alex Rodriguez (New York Yankees) hit his 350th career home run and drove in his 1,000th run. He was the youngest player to reach 350 homeruns at 28 years, 282 days.
2013 - Floyd Mayweather came back from a year’s absence to win a unanimous 12-round decision over Robert Guerrero in their welterweight title fight in Las Vegas.
2018 - Albert Pujols of the Los Angeles Angels record his 3,000th career hit.
2019 - For the first time in Kentucky Derby history, race officials disqualify apparent winner Maximum Security for interference and declare Country House the victory; it was the first time a horse had been disqualified for a race infraction.
2020 - Former Miami Dolphins coach Don Shula died at 90; he’d won more games than any other NFL coach.
