AMERICAN CHRONICLES

250 Years Ago, on May 9, 1754, the first published political cartoon in the American colonies appeared in the Pennsylvania Gazette, a newspaper founded by Benjamin Franklin.

200 Years Ago, on May 14, 1804, Lewis & Clark's "Corps of Discovery" (28 men and Sacajawea) left St. Louis, Mo., for ' the unknown West. It took them 18 months to reach the West coast and 28 months total time to return to St. Louis. In the same week, on May 18, ' 1804, Napoleon became Emperor of France. He consolidated control of France, as we controlled the Louisiana Purchase.

125 Years Ago, on May 23, 1879, Iowa State College, in Ames, established the first veterinary school in the U.S. On May 31, 1879, the first Madison Square Garden was built in New York City. Railroad heir William Vanderbilt built it on an open where P.T. Barnum's circus performed.

100 years ago, on May 2, 1904, crooner-actor Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby was born in Tacoma, Wash. (Crosby died in 1977.) Bing "almost by himself invented American popular singing. . . in large part by listening to jazz musicians."

On May 5, 1904, Cy Young, 37, became the first major league pitcher to throw a perfect game.

On May 14, 1904, the first Olympics in ' the U.S. opened, in St Louis, on the Centennial of Lewis & Clark expedition's departure from the St. Louis area.

75 years ago, on May 16, 1929, the first Academy Awards was a quiet ' dinner ceremony with a handful of awards, at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. Broadway ' Melody won the first award.

50 years ago, on May 6, 1954: Roger Bannister, a 25-year old medical student, ran the first sub-4 minute mile. The next ' day, May 7, 1954, Ho Chi Minh's Viet Minh army defeated the French at Dien Bien Phu, after a 56-day siege.

On May 17, 1954, the U.S. Supreme Court, under Chief Justice Earl Warren, unanimously ruled in favor of school desegregation, in Brown v. Topeka Board of Education. This decision reversed the Court's earlier 1896 "separate but equal" ruling, in Plessy v. Ferguson.

25 years ago, on May 3, 1979, Margaret Thatcher became the first female prime minister in British history, as her Conservative Party won a 44-seat majority in Parliament. She began a program of privatization and government cuts, winning acclaim from conservatives. Mrs. Thatcher's three consecutive terms in office, marked the longest continuous tenure of a British prime minister in 150 years.

Copyright Human Events Publishing, Inc. May 3, 2004
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