NEA DATEBOOK

Today is the 144th day of 2022 and the 66th day of spring.

TODAY’S HISTORY: In 1844, Samuel Morse sent the first electrical telegraph message, “What hath God wrought,” from the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., to an assistant in Baltimore.

In 1883, the Brooklyn Bridge opened in New York City.

In 1941, the German battleship Bismarck sank the British battle cruiser HMS Hood, killing 1,415 crewmen and leaving just three survivors.

In 1994, the four men convicted of the 1993 bombing of New York’s World Trade Center were each sentenced to 240 years in prison.

TODAY’S BIRTHDAYS: Queen Victoria (1819-1901), British monarch; H.B. Reese (1879-1956), candy maker; Bob Dylan (1941), singer-songwriter; Patti LaBelle (1944- ), singer-songwriter; Priscilla Presley (1945- ), actress; Jim Broadbent (1949- ), actor; Kristen Scott Thomas (1960- ), actress; Michael Chabon (1963- ), author; John C. Reilly (1965- ), actor; Tracy McGrady (1979- ), basketball player; Joey Logano (1990- ), race car driver.

TODAY’S FACT: In 1864, a telegram containing the 16,543-word Nevada Constitution arrived in Washington, D.C. after being sent two days earlier from Carson City, Nevada. It is thought to be the longest telegram ever sent, at a cost of $4,303.27.

TODAY’S SPORTS: In 1964, a riot erupted at National Stadium in Lima, Peru, after a referee’s call during a soccer match between Peru and Argentina. More than 300 fans were killed, and more than 500 were injured.

TODAY’S QUOTE: “The fundamental truth: A baseball game is nothing but a great slow contraption for getting you to pay attention to the cadence of a summer day.” — Michael Chabon, “Summerland”

TODAY’S NUMBER: 14,680 — the total weight, in tons, of the Brooklyn Bridge.

TODAY’S MOON: Between last quarter moon (May 22) and new moon (May 30).