TODAY IN HISTORY
Today is Tuesday, May 25, the 145th day of 2021. There are 220 days left in the year.
Today’s Highlight in History:
On May 25, 2020, George Floyd, a Black man, died when a white Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee on Floyd’s neck for about 9 1/2 minutes while Floyd was handcuffed and pleading that he couldn’t breathe; Floyd’s death, captured on video by a bystander, would lead to worldwide protests, some of which turned violent, and a re-examination of racism and policing in the U.S.
On this date:
■ In 1787, the Constitutional Convention began at the Pennsylvania State House (Independence Hall) in Philadelphia after enough delegates had shown up for a quorum.
■ In 1959, the U.S. Supreme Court, in State Athletic Commission v. Dorsey, struck down a Louisiana law prohibiting interracial boxing matches. (The case had been brought by Joseph Dorsey Jr., a Black professional boxer.)
■ In 1961, President John F. Kennedy told Congress: “I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the earth.”
■ In 1964, the U.S. Supreme Court, in Griffin v. County School Board of Prince Edward County, ordered the Virginia county to reopen its public schools, which officials had closed in an attempt to circumvent the Supreme Court’s 1954 Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka desegregation ruling.
■ In 1965, Muhammad Ali knocked out Sonny Liston in the first round of their world heavyweight title rematch in Lewiston, Maine. (Ali’s victory generated controversy over whether he’d truly connected when he sent Liston crashing to the canvas with a right to the head, or whether it was a “phantom punch,” implying that the fight had been fixed.)
■ In 1979, 273 people died when an American Airlines DC-10 crashed just after takeoff from Chicago’s O’Hare Airport. Six-year-old Etan Patz disappeared while on his way to a school bus stop in lower Manhattan. (In April 2017, former store clerk Pedro Hernandez, convicted of killing Etan, was sentenced to at least 25 years in prison.)
■ In 1992, Jay Leno made his debut as host of NBC’s “Tonight Show,” succeeding
Johnny Carson.
■ In 2008, NASA’s Phoenix Mars Lander arrived on the Red Planet to begin searching for evidence of water; the spacecraft confirmed the presence of water ice at its landing site.
■ In 2018, Harvey Weinstein was charged in New York with rape and another sex felony in the first prosecution to result from the wave of allegations against him; the once-powerful movie producer turned himself in to face the charges and was released on $1 million bail after a court appearance. (Weinstein was convicted of rape and sexual assault; he is serving a 23-year prison sentence.)
Ten years ago: A judge in Salt Lake City sentenced street preacher Brian David Mitchell to life in prison for kidnapping and raping Elizabeth Smart, who was 14 at the time of her abduction in 2002.
Five years ago: President Barack Obama wrapped up his historic visit to Vietnam before heading to Japan, the site of a two-day summit of wealthy nations. Actor Johnny Depp’s wife, Amber Heard, filed for divorce in Los Angeles, citing irreconcilable differences after 15 months of marriage.
One year ago: President Donald Trump made Memorial Day visits to Arlington National Cemetery and Baltimore’s Fort McHenry; Democrat Joe Biden chose Memorial Day to make his first public appearance in two months; he placed a wreath at a park near his Delaware home. Americans observed Memorial Day with small processions and online tributes that also remembered those lost to the coronavirus.
Today’s Birthdays: Actor Ann Robinson is 92. Former White House news secretary Ron Nessen is 87. Country singer-songwriter Tom T. Hall is 85. Actor Sir Ian McKellen is 82. Country singer Jessi Colter is 78. Actor-singer Leslie Uggams is 78. Movie director and Muppeteer Frank Oz is 77. Actor Karen Valentine is 74. Actor Connie Sellecca is 66. Rock singer-musician Paul Weller is 63. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., is 61. Actor-comedian Mike Myers is 58. Actors Lindsay and Sidney Greenbush (TV: “Little House on the Prairie”) are 51. Actor Cillian Murphy is 45. Actor Ethan Suplee is 45. Actor Ebonee Noel is 31. Musician Guy Lawrence (Disclosure) is 30. Olympic gold medal gymnast Aly Raisman is 27.