Datebook

MONDAY, MAY 29, 2017

Today is the 149th day of 2017 and the 71st day of spring.

TODAY’S HISTORY: In 1453, Ottoman armies captured Constantinople after a 53-day siege, effectively crushing the Byzantine Empire.

In 1790, Rhode Island became the last of the original 13 Colonies to ratify the U.S. Constitution.

In 1848, Wisconsin was admitted as the 30th U.S. state.

In 1953, Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay became the first climbers known to have reached the summit of Mount Everest.

TODAY’S BIRTHDAYS: Patrick Henry (1736-1799), attorney/politician; G.K. Chesterson (1874-1936), writer; Bob Hope (1903-2003), comedian/actor; John F. Kennedy (1917-1963), 35th U.S. president; Bob Simon (1941-2015), journalist; Danny Elfman (1953- ), composer; Annette Bening (1958- ), actress; Rupert Everett (1959), actor; Melissa Etheridge (1961- ), singersongwriter; Daniel Tosh (1975- ), comedian/tv personality; Carmelo Anthony (1984- ), basketball player.

TODAY’S FACT: Rhode Island’s constitution identifies the state’s official name as the “State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations.”

TODAY’S SPORTS: In 1990, Rickey Henderson stole his 893rd base, breaking Ty Cobb’s American League career stolen base record.

TODAY’S QUOTE: “The world will never starve for want of wonders; but only for want of wonder.” — G.K. Chesterson, “Tremendous Trifles”

TODAY’S NUMBER: 18 — Academy Awards ceremonies for which legendary entertainer Bob Hope served as host or co-host.

TODAY’S MOON: Between new moon (May 25) and first quarter moon (June 1).

The Center for Energy and Climate Solutions, a nonprofit organization that works toward practical solutions to climate change, studied the eco-impact of e-commerce shopping. It found an extreme difference between shipping overnight air rather than ground shipping methods. The less-expensive (and slightly slower) ground shipping method uses just 1/10th of the energy consumption of planes. The greenest choice of all is walking to your local store and picking it up yourself.