On this day, May 28

1863 The 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment, made up of freed Blacks, left Boston to fight for the Union in the Civil War.

1918 American troops fought their first major battle during World War I as they launched an offensive against the Germanheld French village of Cantigny; the Americans succeeded in capturing the village.

1942 Philip Murray was ousted as vice president of the United Mine Workers as result of his break with John L. Lewis. John O’Leary, of Pittsburgh, was appointed to succeed him.

1959 The U.S. Army launched Able, a rhesus monkey, and Baker, a squirrel monkey, aboard a Jupiter missile for a suborbital flight that both primates survived.

2008 A Pittsburgh judge fined two Oakland landlords more than $460,000 for years of neglect of building and fire code violations.

Some items are from Stefan Lorant’s “Pittsburgh: The Story of an American City” (digital.library.pitt.edu/chronology).

— Compiled by Rick Nowlin

Today’s birthdays: Actor Carroll Baker, 91. Producer-director Irwin Winkler, 91. Basketball Hall of Famer and West Virginia University alumnus Jerry West, 84. Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, 78. Singer Gladys Knight, 78. Singer Billy Vera, 78. Singer John Fogerty (Creedence Clearwater Revival), 77. Country musician Jerry Douglas, 66. Actor Louis Mustillo, 64. Former governor and U.S. Rep. Mark Sanford, R-S.C., 62. Actor Brandon Cruz (TV: “The Courtship of Eddie’s Father”), 60. Country singer Phil Vassar, 58. Actor Christa Miller, 58. Singer-musician Chris

Ballew (Presidents of the USA), 57. Rapper Chubb Rock, 54. Singer Kylie Minogue, 54. Actor Justin Kirk, 53. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., 51. Olympic gold medal figure skater Ekaterina Gordeeva, 51. Television personality Elisabeth Hasselbeck, 45. R&B singer Jaheim, 45. Actor Jake Johnson, 44. Actor Jesse Bradford, 43. Actor Monica Keena, 43. Actor Alexa Davalos, 40. Actor Megalyn Echikunwoke, 40. Pop singer Colbie Caillat, 37. Actor Carey Mulligan, 37. Actor Joseph Cross, 36. Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Craig Kimbrel, 34.

Thought for today: “Time does not become sacred to us until we have lived it, until it has passed over us and taken with it a part of ourselves.”