Today In History

Today is Thursday, May 23, the 143rd day of 2019. There are 222 days left in the year.

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHT

› 1934: Bank robbers Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker were shot to death in a police ambush in Bienville Parish, Louisiana.

ON THIS DATE

› 1788: South Carolina became the eighth state to ratify the United States Constitution.

› 1814: A third version of Beethoven’s only opera, “Fidelio,” had its world premiere in Vienna.

› 1915: Italy declared war on Austria-Hungary during World War I.

› 1939: The Navy submarine USS Squalus sank during a test dive off the New England coast. Thirty-two crew members and one civilian were rescued, but 26 others died; the sub was salvaged and recommissioned the USS Sailfish.

› 1967: Egypt closed the Straits of Tiran to Israeli shipping, an action which helped precipitate war between Israel and its Arab neighbors the following month.

› 1984: Surgeon General C. Everett Koop issued a report saying there was “very solid” evidence linking cigarette smoke to lung disease in nonsmokers.

TODAY’S BIRTHDAYS

Actress Barbara Barrie is 88. Actress Joan Collins is 86. Actor Charles Kimbrough is 83. International Tennis Hall of Famer John Newcombe is 75. Actress Lauren Chapin is

74. Country singer Misty Morgan is 74. Country singer Judy Rodman is

68. Chess grandmaster Anatoly Karpov is 68. Boxing Hall of Famer Marvelous Marvin Hagler is 65. Singer Luka Bloom is 64. Former baseball manager Buck Showalter is 63. Actor-comedian-game show host Drew Carey is 61. Actor Linden Ashby is 59. Actress-model Karen Duffy is 58. Actress Melissa McBride is 54. Rock musician Phil Selway (Radiohead) is

52. Actress Laurel Holloman is 51. Rock musician Matt Flynn (Maroon 5) is 49. Singer Lorenzo is

47. Singer Maxwell is 46. Game show contestant Ken Jennings is 45. Actor LaMonica Garrett is 44. Actor D.J. Cotrona is 39. Actor Lane Garrison is

39. Actor-comedian Tim Robinson is 38. Actor Adam Wylie is 35. Movie writer-director Ryan Coogler is 33. Golfer Morgan Pressel is 31. Actor Alberto Frezza (TV: “Station 19”) is 30. Folk/pop singer/songwriter Sarah Jarosz is 28.