Sandro Botticelli(artist; works include the painting Birth of Venus”“)–
John Jay(first Chief Justice of the U.S.)–
John Deere(American manufacturer)–
Lawrence Welk(musician)–
Joe Black(baseball player)–
Tony Randall(actor; well known for his role as Felix Unger on the sitcom The Odd Couple)–
Frank Gorshin(actor best known for role as the Riddler on the Batman television series)–
Donna Summer(singer; Queen of Disco”“)–
Born
Edward Jenner(physician)–
Maureen O'Sullivan(actress)–
Dennis Hopper(actor)–
Bill Paxton(actor)–
Sugar Ray Leonard(boxer)–
Bob Saget(actor & comedian)–
Enya(New Age singer)–
Craig Ferguson(actor & television host)–
Tony Parker(basketball player)–
Events
Joliet-Marquette Mississippi River expedition began –
The New York Stock Exchange established at Merchants Coffee House, New York City –
Fire began that destroyed part of St. Louis, Missouri –
First Kentucky Derby held –
District of Alaska created –
Clifton Fadiman hosted the NBC Blue network quiz show Information Please –
First coin-operated mailbox, the Mailomat, installed –
First U.S. cross-country helicopter flight ended –
U.S. Supreme Court issued Brown v. Board of Education decision, ruling that segregated schools are unconstitutional –
Senate Watergate Committee began public hearings –
Massachusetts became the first state to process marriage licenses for gay and lesbian couples –
A team of rocketeers led by a Bloomington, MN, man claimed success in their goal of launching the first amateur rocket into space, sending a 21-foot rocket named GoFast an estimated 70 miles above the Nevada desert –
Peter Phillips, son of British Princess Anne, wed Canadian Autumn Kelly –
Allan Ganz honored for 67-year career (and counting) as ice-cream man –
Weather
A hard frost covered southern New England –
Portland, Maine, had 4.12 inches of rain in 12 hours –
The worst May blizzard in seven years hit Denver, Colorado –
Temperatures dipped to a mere 12 degrees F at the Mauna Kea Observatory, Hawaii –
