Paradise Driver

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Today is Tuesday, May 11th.

The 132nd day of 2004.

There are 234 days left in the year.



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Today's Highlight in History:



One hundred years ago, May 11, 1904, surrealist artist Salvador Dali was born in Figueras, Spain.



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On this date:



In 330, Constantinople (formerly Byzantine, now Istanbul) was established as a new capital by Roman Emperor Constantine for the Eastern Roman Empire.



In 1752, The first U.S. fire insurance policy was issued in Philadelphia, Pa.



In 1792, The Columbia River was discovered and named by US Captain Robert Gray



In 1858, Minnesota became the 32nd state of the Union.



In 1888, Composer/Songwriter Irving Berlin (Israel Isidore Baline) was born in Temun, Russia. He died September 22, 1989 at the age of 101.



In 1910, Glacier National Park in Montana was established.



In 1912, Actor/Comedian Phil Silvers (Philip Silversmith) was born in Brooklyn NY. He died November 1, 1985 at the age of 73.



In 1920, Oxford University permits the admission of women.



In 1921, Tel Aviv became the first all Jewish municipality.



In 1927, The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences was founded.



In 1928, General Electric opens the first TV-station. WGY-TV (1.5 inch picture/43 lines), in Schenectady NY



In 1929,The first regularly scheduled TV broadcasts are aired 3 nights per week in Schenectady NY on WGY-TV.



In 1943, During World War II, U.S. forces landed on the Aleutian island of Attu, which was held by the Japanese; the Americans took the island 19 days later.



In 1944, Allied forces launched a major offensive against German lines in Italy.



In 1945, US marines conquer Awatsha Draw Okinawa.



In 1946, The first CARE packages arrived in Europe, at Le Havre, France.



In 1947, BF Goodrich manufactures 1st tubeless tire, Akron OH



In 1949, Israel was admitted to the United Nations as the world body's 59th member.



In 1949, The first Polaroid camera was sold for $89.95 in New York City.



In 1949, Siam changed its name to Thailand.



In 1950, U.S. President Truman dedicated the Grand Coulee Dam.



In 1951, Jay Forrester patents computer core memory.



In 1960, Israeli soldiers capture Adolf Eichmann in Buenos Aires



In 1969, The Monty Python comedy troupe forms



In 1969, One of the more infamous and bloody battles of the Vietnam War began with U.S. attempts to seize Dong Ap Bia mountain (Hill 937). After 10 days, American troops conquered the hill, only to abandon it soon after. The heavy casualties to take the mountain inspired the name "Hamburger Hill."



In 1972, John Lennon appeared on the "Dick Cavett" TV show and said that the FBI had tapped his phone.



In 1973, Charges against Daniel Ellsberg for his role in the "Pentagon Papers" case were dismissed by Judge William M. Byrne, who cited government misconduct.



In 1976 ABC aired the last episode of "Marcus Welby, MD."



In 1977, The U.S. government outlawed the use of chlorofluorocarbons as spray can propellants.



In 1981, Reggae artist Bob Marley, 36, died in a Miami hospital of cancer.



In 1983, The final episode of "Quincy, M.E." aired on NBC.



In 1985, More than 50 people died when a flash fire swept a jam-packed soccer stadium in Bradford, England.



In 1989, The final episode of "Dynasty" aired.



In 1996, An Atlanta-bound ValuJet DC-9 caught fire shortly after takeoff from Miami and crashed into the Florida Everglades, killing all 110 people on board.



In 1999, CBS announced that it would provide high-definition prime-time programming beginning in September.



In 2001, Attorney General John Ashcroft delayed Timothy McVeigh's execution from May 16 to June 11 because of FBI mishandling of documents.



Ten years ago (1994):



Arkansas put to death two convicted murderers; it was the first time a state executed two people on the same day since the U.S. Supreme Court allowed states to restore the death penalty in 1976.



Five years ago (1999):



Stung by an espionage scandal, Energy Secretary Bill Richardson said he would halt the Clinton administration's aggressive declassification of Cold War-era nuclear documents.



In Beijing, protests outside the U.S. Embassy over NATO's bombing of the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade eased after state-run television aired U.S. and NATO apologies for the attack.



One year ago (2003):



The United States declared Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein's Baath Party dead.



Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas, heeding an appeal by U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, said Palestinian leaders had put aside reservations to parts of the U.S.-developed plan for peace with Israel and were ready to get started on it.



Lithuania became the first ex-Soviet republic to approve entry into the European Union as voters completed a weekend referendum.



Canada beat Sweden 3-2 in Finland to win its first hockey world championship in six years.



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Today's Birthdays:



Comedian Mort Sahl is 77.



Religious leader (Nation of Islam) Louis Farrakhan is 71.



Rock singer Eric Burdon (The Animals; War) is 63.



Actress Shohreh Aghdashloo is 52.



Actress Frances Fisher is 52.



Actor Boyd Gaines is 51.



Country musician Mark Herndon (Alabama) is 49.



Actress Martha Quinn is 45.



Actress Natasha Richardson is 41.



Country singer-musician Tim Raybon (The Raybon Brothers) is 41.



Actor Coby Bell is 29.



Actor Austin O'Brien is 24.



Actor Jonathan Jackson is 22.



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Thought for Today:

"Have no fear of perfection - you'll never reach it." -

- Salvador Dali, Spanish artist (1904-1989).

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