Epic Idiot's what happened
On This Day

May 29

1992
U.S. reveals the existence of a secret underground bomb shelter, which was built for Congress in case of a nuclear attack.

1987
Michael Jackson: The London Hospital Medical College refuses to sell Jackson the remains of John Merrick, the Elephant Man.

1972
Woman gives birth to nine babies, tie for the highest number medically recorded for a single birth (all died), Philadelphia, PA.

1953
Mount Everest summit is first reached, by Hillary and Norgay.

1949
Mr. I Magination debuts on CBS, starring Paul Tripp.

1942
Bing Crosby records White Christmas: It went on to sale 25,000,000 copies.

1913
Igor Stravinsky's Rite of Spring premiers in Paris. Its daring harmonies and shifting rhythms created an uproar that is unequalled in music history.

1848
Wisconsin becomes the 30th state. Wisconsin is Chippewa for "grassy place."

1819
The poem The American Flag by Joseph Rodman Drake is first published, in the New York Evening Post.

1790
Rhode Island becomes the 13th state.

1630
John Winthrop begins writing The History of New England, which later became the inspiration for Longfellow's New England Tragedies.

1453
Start of the Renaissance: The Turks capture Constantinople forcing many scholars to flee to the West.

1979     d. 2004
Casey Austin Sheehan, American soldier. His death by enemy action in Iraq caused his mother, Cindy Sheehan, to become a peace activist.

1944     d. 1983
Maurice Bishop, prime minister of Grenada (1979-83). He was killed by the forces of his Deputy Prime Minister Bernard Coard - A hard-line Marxist.

1939
Al Unser Sr., American auto racer, 4-time Indy 500 winner (1970-71, 78, 87).

1921
Clifton James, American actor. Film: Live and Let Die (1973, the bumbling Louisiana sheriff J.W. Pepper) and The Man with the Golden Gun (1974).

1917     d. 1963
John Fitzgerald Kennedy, 35th U.S. President (1961-63), the youngest person elected president (43 years old). He was assassinated in Dallas.

1903
Bob Hope (Leslie Townes Hope), English-born American Emmy-winning comedian, entertainer of the troops. He has won five Oscars for his humanitarian actions and contributions to the industry.

1883     d. 1943
Alan Roy Dafoe, Canadian physician, delivered the world's first known surviving quintuplets (1934).

1826     d. 1903
Ebenezer Butterick, American inventor. He and his wife Ellen invented tissue paper clothing patterns (1863).

1736     d. 1799
Patrick Henry, American patriot. Known for his famous 1775 quote: "I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!"

1439     d. 1503
Pius III, Italian religious leader, 215th Pope (Sept. - Oct. 1503). He died 26 days after being elected.

1995     b. 1897
Margaret Chase Smith, American politician, former U.S. Senator (R-Maine). She was the first woman elected to both houses of the U.S. Congress. Her opposistion to the tactics of Joseph McCarthy earned her the nickname "Moscow Maggie."

1994     b. 1912
Erich Honecker, East German political leader. He supervised the construction of the Berlin Wall.

1993     b. 1917
Billy Conn, American Hall of Fame boxer. In 1941, while leading Joe Louis 8 rounds to 4, instead of playing it safe and taking the decision, he decided to slug it out with the heavyweight champ. Louis quickly knocked him out.

1982     b. 1938
Romy Schneider (Rosemarie Albach-Retty), Austrian actress. Film: Visconti's segment of Boccaccio '70 (1962, for which she gained international acclaim), The Trial (1962), and What's New, Pussycat? (1965).

1979     b. 1893
Mary Pickford (Gladys Smith), American Oscar-winning silent film actress, "America's Sweetheart." She was a co-founder of United Artists (1919).

1951     b. 1891
Fanny Brice, American actress, singer, dancer. She starred in the Ziegfeld Follies (1910-23). She also played Baby Snooks on radio and her life was the basis for the musical Funny Girl (1968).

1936     b. 1918
Norman Myers Chaney, American actor, Chubby of The Little Rascals. He appeared in 18 Our Gang films. He had a glandular ailment and continued to gain weight as he got older. His weight dropped from over 300 pounds to less than 140 pounds after undergoing surgery for his ailment in 1935. He died a year later at age 18.

1903     b. 1839
Gustavus Franklin Swift, American merchant, founder of Swift and Co. He developed refrigerated railroad cars.

1892     b. 1817
Baha Ullah (Mirza Husayn Ali), Persian prophet, founder of the Baha'i faith (1863).

1866     b. 1786
Winfield Scott, American general, noted for his service during the War of 1812 and the Mexican War. He was the last Whig presidential candidate (1852, losing to Franklin Pierce).

1829     b. 1778
Sir Humphry Davy, English scientist, discovered the effects of inhaling laughing gas (1799), discovered potassium, sodium (1807), barium, strontium, calcium (1808), the first electric light (1808), and invented the safety lamp for miners (1815).

1814     b. 1763
Josephine, French Empress, first wife of Napoleon Bonaparte. Their marriage was dissolved (1809) when she failed to produce an heir.

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