Today In History

Today is Wednesday, May 10, the 130th day of 2023. There are 235 days left in the year.

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHT

On May 10, 1940, during World War II, German forces began invading the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Belgium and France. The same day, British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain resigned, and Winston Churchill formed a new government.

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.

› 1818: American patriot Paul Revere, 83, died in Boston.

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

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

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

› 1933: The Nazis staged massive public book burnings in Germany.

› 1941: Adolf Hitler’s deputy, Rudolf Hess, parachuted into Scotland on what he claimed was a peace mission. (Hess ended up serving a life sentence at Spandau Prison until 1987, when he apparently committed suicide at age 93.)

› 1994: Nelson Mandela took the oath of office in Pretoria to become South Africa’s first Black president. The state of Illinois executed serial killer John Wayne Gacy, 52, for the murders of 33 young men and boys.

TODAY’S BIRTHDAYS

Author Barbara Taylor Bradford is 90. R&B singer Henry Fambrough (The Spinners) is 85. Actor David Clennon is

80. Writer-producer-director Jim Abrahams is

79. Singer Donovan is 77. Singer-songwriter Graham Gouldman (10cc) is

77. Singer Dave Mason is

77. Sports anchor Chris Berman is 68. Actor Bruce Penhall is 66. Former Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa., is 65. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., is

64. Actor Victoria Rowell is 64. Rock singer Bono (U2) is 63. Former Sen. Dean Heller, R-Nev., is

63. Rock musician Danny Carey (Tool) is 62. Actor Darryl M. Bell is 60. Playwright Suzan-Lori Parks is 60. Model Linda Evangelista is 58. Rapper Young MC is 56. Actor Erik Palladino is 55. Actor Lenny Venito is 54. Actor Dallas Roberts is 53. Actor Leslie Stefanson is 52. Actor-singer Todd Lowe is 51. Actor Andrea Anders is 48. Race car driver Helio Castroneves is 48. Rock musician Jesse Vest is 46. Actor Kenan Thompson is 45. Actor Odette Annable is 38. Actor Lindsey Shaw is

34. Actor Lauren Potter is

33. Olympic gold medal swimmer Missy Franklin is 28.