2015 A new birdlike dinosaur, Yi qi, has been discovered in China; the fossils suggest that it lived about 160 million years ago and had membranous, bat-like wings that not been seen in other dinosaur species 2014 A partial solar eclipse takes place, only viewable from certain regions of Australia and Antarctica; the annular eclipse was formed as the moon blocked out the center of the sun, leaving a ring of solar rays The cast has been announced for the next film in the "Star Wars" series, due out in 2015; the cast includes some original cast members as well as actors new to the franchise 2013 Prosecutors for Boston Marathon bomber and Islamic terrorist Dzhokar Tsarnaev discuss a plea deal to avoid the death penalty in exchange for life in prison without parole An NBA league committee recommends NBA owners reject the big from a group led by Chris Hansen and Steve Ballmer to purchase the Sacramento Kings and move them to Seattle 2012 Accused of spying, Sudan arrest four foreigners in the disputed border region with South Sudan The decision of the Economic Community of West African States to deploy troops to the country is rejected by Mali coup leader Amadou Haya Sanogo 2010 Economic losses mount and class action lawsuits are filed as the U.S. Coast Guard plans a controlled burn to remove spilled oil from the Deepwater Horizon disaster 1998 15th Miss Hawaiian Tropic crowned 1997 "Candide," opens at Gershwin Theater New York City for 103 performances Kansas City Royal Chili Davis is 75th to hit 300 home runs 1996 "Rent," opens at Nederlander Theater New York City Howard Stern Radio Show premieres in Fresno, California on KFRR 104.1 FM 1995 Final TV broadcast of "Empty Nest" on NBC TV Kansas City Royal John Nonely is 70th to home run on his 1st at bat 1994 Ferry boat smashes into Mombasa Harbor Kenya, kills over 300 Israel and PLO sign economic accord 1992 "Falsettos" opens at John Golden Theater New York City for 487 performances 27th Academy of Country Music Awards: Garth Brooks Country singer Doug Stone, 35, undergoes quadruple bypass surgery Jury acquits Los Angeles police officers of beating Rodney King, riots begin Sheena Easton collapses on stage while performing in "Man of LaMancha" Voting ends on choice of Elvis stamps 1991 "Our Country's Good" opens at Nederlander Theater New York City for 48 performances Croatia declares independence Cyclone strikes Bangladesh, 139,000 die/10 million homeless Earthquake in Georgia, kills 100 1990 "Change in the Heir" opens at Edison Theater New York City for 16 performances Dan Quisenberry (all-time AL save king, 238) announces his retirement STS-31 (Discovery 10) lands Wrecking cranes began tearing down Berlin Wall at Brandenburg Gate 1989 2nd government of Lubbers falls 1988 "60 Minutes" newscaster Diane Sawyer weds Mike Nichols Burt Reynolds and Loni Anderson marry Orioles beat White Sox 9-0 for 1st 1988 win after 21 loses 1987 Chicago Cub Andre Dawson hits for cycle Japan's premier Nakasone visits the U.S. 1986 800,000 books destroyed by fire in Los Angeles Central Library Boston Red Sox Roger Clemens strikes out 20 Seattle Mariners 1985 17th space shuttle mission (51-B)-Challenger 7 launched Ranger Larry Parrish is 5th to hit 3 home runs in a game in both leagues Tony Tubbs TKOs Greg Page in 15 for heavyweight boxing title 1984 "Oliver!" opens at Mark Hellinger Theater New York City for 17 performances Betsy King wins LPGA Freedom/Orlando Golf Classic 1983 Harold Washington sworn in as Chicago's 1st black mayor 1982 17th Academy of Country Music Awards: Alabama, Barbara Mandrell Alfredo Magana elected President of El Salvador Nordiques 2-Isles 5-Semifinals-Isles hold 2-0 lead 1981 Peter Sutcliffe admits he is the Yorkshire Ripper (murdered 13 women) Phillie Steve Carlton is 1st lefty to strike out 3,000 batters 1979 Jane Blalock wins LPGA Otey Crisman Golf Classic 1977 British Aerospace forms 1976 Minister Irene Vorrink begins fluoridating Dutch drinking water 1975 Ethiopia nationalizes all ground/earth Flyers 4-Isles 0-Semifinals-Flyers hold 1-0 lead 1974 President Nixon said he will release edited tapes made in White House 1973 Gloria Ehret wins LPGA Birmingham Golf Classic 1971 Bill Graham closes down Fillmore and Fillmore East Boeing receives contract for Mariner 10, Mercury exploration U.S. performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site 1970 50,000 U.S. and South Vietnamese troops invade Cambodia 1969 "Trumpets of the Lord" opens at Brooks Atkinson New York City for 7 performances 1968 "Hair" opens at Biltmore Theater New York City for 1750 performances 1967 Aretha Franklin releases "Respect" 1965 Australian government announces it would send troops to Vietnam Earthquake hits Seattle; 5 die Malta is 18th member of Council of Europe 1964 Princess Irene marries Spanish prince Carel Hugo de Bourbon Parma U.S. performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site 1963 KRE-AM in Berkeley, California changes call letters to KPAT 1962 16th Tony Awards: Man For All Seasons and How to Succeed win Mickey Wright wins LPGA Titleholders Golf Championship 1961 ABC's "Wide World of Sports, debuts 1957 1st military nuclear power plant dedicated, Fort Belvoir Va 1956 Betsy Rawls wins LPGA Peach Blossom Golf Open WLUC TV channel 6 in Marquette, MI (CBS/NBC/ABC) begins broadcasting WSPA TV channel 7 in G'ville-Spartanburg, South Carolina (CBS) begins broadcasting WWBT TV channel 12 in Richmond, Virginia (NBC) begins broadcasting 1955 G. Gronchi elected president of Italy 1953 Joe Adcock is 1st to homer into Polo Grounds' center field bleachers 1948 Bradman scores 107 Australia vs. Worcs, 152 minutes, 15 fours 1946 28 former Japanese leaders indicted in Tokyo as war criminals 1945 1st food drop by RAF above nazi-occupied Holland (operation Manna) Japanese army evacuates Rangoon Terms of surrender of German armies in Italy signed U.S. liberates 31,601 in Nazi concentration camp in Dachau Germany Venice and Mestre were captured by the Allies 1944 Surprise attack by Van de Peat on General Landsdrukkerij in the Hague 1943 Dietrich Bonhoffer arrested by nazis Noel Coward's "Present Laughter," premieres in London U.S. 34th Division occupies Hill 609, North Tunisia 1942 Japanese troop march into Lashio, cuts off Burma Road Jews forced to wear a Jewish Star in Netherlands and Vichy-France 1940 1st radio broadcast of "Young Dr. Malone" on CBS Norwegian King Haakon and government flees to England Robert Sherwood's "There Shall be No Night," premieres in New York City 1939 Whitestone Bridge connecting Bronx and Queens opens 1936 1st pro baseball game in Japan is played Nagoya defeats Daitokyo, 8-5 1934 Pittsburgh is last major league city to play a home game on a Sunday 1931 Cleveland Indian Wes Ferrell no-hits St. Louis Browns, 9-0 1930 123 runs are scored in 7 major league games North Sea floodgate at Ijmuiden (biggest in world) officially opens Telephone connection England-Australia goes into service 1927 Construction of Spirit of St. Louis is completed 1926 France and U.S. reach accord on repayment of WW I 1925 Netherlands returns to gold standard 1922 1st official International Weightlifting Federation Champ (Tallinn, Estonia) 1918 Tris Speaker ties career outfield record of 4 unassisted double plays 1916 Irish nationalists set post office on fire in Dublin 1913 Swedish engineer Gideon Sundback of Hoboken patents all-purpose zipper 1912 108 degrees F (42 degrees C), Tuguegarao, Philippines (Oceania record) Frank Wedekind's "Tod und Teufel," premieres in Berlin 1910 Ex-president Theodore Roosevelt visits Amsterdam 1905 2" rain falls in 10 minutes in Taylor, Texas Pierre de Brazza lands in Libreville Gabon 1903 Limestone slides at Turtle Mountain kills 9 (Frank Alberta) 1901 27th Kentucky Derby: Jimmy Winkfield on His Eminence wins in 2:07.75 Anti semitic riot in Budapest 1894 Commonweal of Christ (Coxey's Army) arrives in Wash, DC 500 strong to protest unemployment; Coxey arrested for trespassing at Capitol 1892 Charlie Reilly is baseball's 1st pinch hitter 1888 Old Kavallison, Congo: Stanley meet Emin Pasha 1886 1st public Dutch electricity opens 1864 Skirmish at Jenkins' Ferry, Arkansas 1862 100,000 federal troops prepare to march into Corinth, Mississippi New Orleans fell to Union forces during Civil War 1861 Maryland's House of Delegates votes against seceding from Union 1857 U.S. Army, Pacific Div HQ permanently forms at Presidio 1856 Peace between England and Russia 1853 Comet C/1853 G1 (Schweizer) approaches within 0.0839 AUs of Earth 1852 1st edition of Peter Roget's Thesaurus published 1845 Macon B. Allen and Robert Morris, Jr., 1st blacks to open law practice 1834 Charles Darwin's expedition sees top of Andes from Patagonia 1813 Rubber is patented 1793 Cornerstone laid for Groningen's new townhall 1784 Premiere of Mozart's Sonata in B flat, K454 (Vienna) 1781 French fleet occupies Tobago French fleet stopped Britain from seizing the Cape of Good Hope 1715 John Flamsteed observes Uranus for 6th time 1707 English/Scottish parliament accept Act of Union, form Great Britain 1706 Emperor Jozef I becomes monarch of Cologne/Bavaria 1701 Drenthe Netherlands adopts Gregorian calendar, tomorrow is May 12, 1701 1670 Pope Clemens X elected 1661 Chinese Ming dynasty occupies Taiwan 1644 Farm leader Li Zicheng becomes emperor of China and flees Peking 1636 Prince Frederik Henry occupies Schenkenschans 1628 Sweden and Denmark sign defense treaty against Duke of Wallenstein 1623 11 Dutch ships depart for the conquest of Peru 1553 Flemish woman introduces practice of starching linen into England 1550 Emperor Charles V gives inquisiters additional authority 1540 Emperor Charles declares all privileges of Gent ended 1522 Emperor Charles V names Frans van Holly inquisitor-general of Netherlands 1429 Joan of Arc leads Orleans, France, to victory over English 1091 Battle at Monte Levunium: Emperor Alexius I beats Petshegenes
