Today In History

Today is Wednesday, May 10, the 130th day of 2017. There are 235 days left in the year.

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHT

› 1869: A golden spike was driven in Promontory, Utah, marking the completion of the first transcontinental railroad in the United States.

ON THIS DATE

› 1775: Ethan Allen and his Green Mountain Boys, along with Col. Benedict Arnold, captured the British-held fortress at Ticonderoga, New York.

› 1863: During the Civil War, Confederate Lt. Gen. Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson died of pneumonia, a complication resulting from being hit by friendly fire eight days earlier during the Battle of Chancellorsville in Virginia.

› 1865: Confederate President Jefferson Davis was captured by Union forces in Irwinville, Georgia.

› 1924: J. Edgar Hoover was named acting director of the Bureau of Investigation (later known as the Federal Bureau of Investigation, or FBI).

› 1960: The nuclear-powered submarine USS Triton completed its submerged navigation of the globe.

› 1994: Nelson Mandela took the oath of office in Pretoria to become South Africa’s first black president.

TODAY’S BIRTHDAYS

Author Barbara Taylor Bradford is 84. Rhythm and blues singer Henry Fambrough (The Spinners) is 79. Actor David Clennon is 74. Writer-producer-director Jim Abrahams is 73. Singer Donovan is 71. Actor Mike Hagerty is 63. Sports anchor Chris Berman is 62. Actor Bruce Penhall is 60. Former Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa., is

59. Actress Victoria Rowell is 58. Rock singer Bono (U2) is 57. Model Linda Evangelista is 52. Rapper Young MC is 50. Actor Erik Palladino is 49. Rock singer Richard Patrick (Filter) is 49. Actor Lenny Venito is 48. Actor Dallas Roberts is 47. Actress Leslie Stefanson is 46. Actress Andrea Anders is

42. Race car driver Helio Castroneves is 42. Rock musician Jesse Vest is 40. Actor Kenan Thompson is 39. Rhythm-and-blues singer Jason Dalyrimple (Soul For Real) is 37. Rock musician Joey Zehr (The Click Five) is 34. Singer Ashley Poole (Dream) is

32. Actress Odette Annable is 32. Actress Lindsey Shaw is 28. Actress Lauren Potter is 27. Olympic gold medal swimmer Missy Franklin is 22.