Today In History

Today is Friday, May 22, the 143rd day of 2020. There are 223 days left in the year.

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHT

› 1968: The nuclear-powered submarine USS Scorpion, with 99 men aboard, sank in the Atlantic Ocean. (The remains of the sub were later found on the ocean floor 400 miles southwest of the Azores.)

ON THIS DATE

› 1761: The first American life insurance policy was issued in Philadelphia to a Rev. Francis Allison, whose premium was six pounds per year.

› 1915: The Lassen Peak volcano in Northern California exploded, devastating nearby areas but causing no deaths.

› 1960: An earthquake of magnitude 9.5, the strongest ever measured, struck southern Chile, claiming some 1,655 lives.

› 1992: After a reign lasting nearly 30 years, Johnny Carson hosted NBC’s “Tonight Show” for the final time (Jay Leno took over as host three days later).

› 1998: Voters in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland turned out to cast ballots giving resounding approval to a Northern Ireland peace accord.

TODAY’S BIRTHDAYS

Actor Michael Constantine is 93. Conductor Peter Nero is 86. Actor-director Richard Benjamin is 82. Actor Frank Converse is 82. Former CNN anchor Bernard Shaw is 80. Actress Barbara Parkins is 78. Retired MLB All-Star pitcher Tommy John is 77. Songwriter Bernie Taupin is 70. Actor-producer Al Corley is 65. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, is

63. Singer Morrissey is

61. Actress Ann Cusack is 59. Country musician Dana Williams (Diamond Rio) is 59. Rock musician Jesse Valenzuela is 58. Actor Mark Christopher Lawrence is 56. Former White House Press Secretary Jay Carney is

55. R&B singer Johnny Gill (New Edition) is 54. Actress Brooke Smith is

53. Actor Michael Kelly is

51. Model Naomi Campbell is 50. Actress Anna Belknap is 48. Singer Donell Jones is 47. Actor Sean Gunn is 46. Actress A.J. Langer is 46. Actress Ginnifer Goodwin is 42. R&B singer Vivian Green is 41. Actress Maggie Q is

41. Olympic gold medal speed skater Apolo Anton Ohno is 38. Actress Molly Ephraim (TV: “Last Man Standing”) is 34. Tennis player Novak Djokovic is

33. Actress Anna Baryshnikov (TV: “Superior Donuts”) is 28. Actress Camren Bicondova is 21.