Today In History

Today is Saturday, May 21, the 141st day of 2022. There are 224 days left in the year.

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHT IN HISTORY:

On May 21, 1881, Clara Barton founded the American Red Cross.

ON THIS DATE:

› 1542: Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto died while searching for gold along the Mississippi River.

› 1924: In a case that drew much notoriety, 14-year-old Bobby Franks was murdered in a “thrill killing” carried out by University of Chicago students Nathan Leopold Jr. and Richard Loeb (Bobby’s cousin).

› 1927: Charles A. Lindbergh landed his Spirit of St. Louis monoplane near Paris, completing the first solo airplane flight across the Atlantic Ocean in 33 1/2 hours.

› 1932: Amelia Earhart became the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean as she landed in Northern Ireland, about 15 hours after leaving Newfoundland.

› 1941: A German U-boat sank the American merchant steamship SS Robin Moor in the South Atlantic after the ship’s passengers and crew were allowed to board lifeboats.

› 1955: Chuck Berry recorded his first single, “Maybellene,” for Chess Records in Chicago.

› 1979: Former San Francisco City Supervisor Dan White was convicted of voluntary manslaughter in the slayings of Mayor George Moscone and openly gay Supervisor Harvey Milk; outrage over the verdict sparked rioting. (White was sentenced to seven years and eight months in prison; he ended up serving five years and took his own life in 1985.)

TODAY’S BIRTHDAYS

R&B singer Ron Isley (The Isley Brothers) is 81. Musician Bill Champlin is 75. Singer Leo Sayer is 74. Actor Carol Potter is 74. Former Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., is 71. Actor Mr. T is 70. Music producer Stan Lynch is

67. Actor Judge Reinhold is 65. Actor-director Nick Cassavetes is 63. Actor Lisa Edelstein is 56. Actor Fairuza Balk is 48. Rock singer-musician Mikel Jollett (Airborne Toxic Event) is 48. Rapper Havoc (Mobb Deep) is

48. Rock musician Tony LoGerfo (Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real) is 39. Actor Sunkrish Bala is 38. Actor David Ajala is 36. Actor Ashlie Brillault is

35. Country singer Cody Johnson is 35. Actor Scott Leavenworth is 32. Actor Sarah Ramos is 31.