1785- Benjamin Franklin, Philadelphia, PA, writes his friend, George Whately, “ I have only to move my eyes up and down as I want to see distinctly far or near” as he describes his invention that day of a bifocal eyeglass. He was annoyed at having to carry two pairs of glasses. He took a frame and equipped it with lenses that consisted of two parts with different focusing powers. Inasmuch as ordinary spectacles in the colonies cost as much as $100 each, a huge sum of money in those days, his invention did not receive ready popular response, as only the wealthy could afford glasses.
    1788- By a vote of 149 to 73, South Carolina became the eighth state to ratify the Constitution. The colony, originally named in honor of Charles I of England, became one of the United States on this day. The eighth state also has the dubious honor of being the first state to secede at the start of the Civil War in 1861. Its capital city is Columbia. The state bird is Carolina wren. The yellow jessamine (jasmine) is the state flower. It is also called the Palmetto State, after the palm tree that decorates the land.
    1803-In the Tripolitan War (1801-1805), Commodore Edward Preble was commissioned as commander of a U.S. Navy squadron to be sent against Tripoli. My son began his seaman duties on the U.S.S. Preble, an Arleigh Burke–guided missile destroyer.
http://www.usspreble.org/commodor.html
http://www.preble.navy.mil/
http://www.navysite.de/dd/ddg88.htm
    1810-Birthday of Margaret Fuller, journalist and author, at Cambridgeport, MA. She began reading Virgil at age six. Her conversational powers won her the admiration of students at Harvard University and she was befriended by Ralph Waldo Emerson. She shared editorial duties with Emerson on the Transcendentalist quarterly “The Dial,” and was hired by Horace Greely as literary critic for the New York Tribune. Her book “Women in the Nineteenth Century,” the first feminist statement by an American writer, brought her international acclaim. In 1846, as a foreign correspondent for the Tribune, she became caught up in the Italian revolutionary movement and secretly married a young Roman nobleman, the Marquee Giovanni Angelo Ossoli. En route to the US, Fuller and her husband and died July 19, 1950, when their ship was wrecked off Fire Island near New York, NY.
    1832-"I would rather die upon yonder gallows than live in slavery". Samuel Sharpe, Jamaican hero, hanged. -"I would rather die upon yonder gallows than live in slavery". Instigator of the 1831 Slave Rebellion which began on the Kensington Estate in Saint James and was largely instrumental in bringing about the abolition of slavery in Jamaica.
http://www.jamaicaway.com/Heroes/SharpePage.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Sharpe
    1846-Arabella Mansfield, born Belle Auerlia Babb near Burlington, IA, was the first woman admitted to the legal profession in the US. In 1869, while teaching at Iowa Wesleyan College, Mansfield was certified as an attorney and admitted to the Iowa bar. According to the examiners, “she gave the very best rebuke possible to the imputation that ladies cannot qualify for the practice of law. “ Mansfield never did practice law, however, continuing her career as an educator. She joined the faculty of DePauw University, at Greencastle, IN, where she became dean of the schools of art and music. One of the first woman college professors and administrators in the US, Mansfield was also instrumental in the founding of the Iowa Woman Suffrage Society in 1870. She died Aug 2, 1911, at Aurora, IL
    1864-The campaign between Union commander Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee, the commander of the Army of Northern Virginia, continues southward to the North Anna River around Hanover Junction. In early May, Grant crossed the Rapidan River with the Army of the Potomac and then clashed with Lee's forces in the Wilderness on May 5 and 6 before racing to Spotsylvania Court House for an epic 12-day battle. Grant's continuous pressure on Lee would ultimately win the war, but he was racking up casualties at a rate that was difficult for the Northern public to stomach. Grant believed that Lee could not maintain his position at Spotsylvania because two other Union armies under the command of Franz Sigel and Benjamin Butler were attempting to cut off the Confederate supply line in the Shenandoah Valley and the Rebel stronghold south of Richmond. But both were failing miserably. By 19 May, Grant had had enough of Spotsylvania. He pulled his troops to try another run around Lee to Richmond. Correctly predicting Grant's move, just as he had done two weeks before when Grant left the Wilderness for Spotsylvania, Lee raced the Yankees 30 km south and beat Grant's troops to the North Anna River. The rail center here was crucial to his supplies. At the North Anna, Grant found Lee's position to be even stronger than at Spotsylvania. The river had high banks, and Lee's side was higher than the Union side in several places. Still, Grant made an attempt to dislodge the Rebels. He made two assaults, but neither came close to breaking the Confederate lines. He would try again the next day before moving south to Cold Harbor.
    1865-Celebration of the end of the Civil War.
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/may23.html
    1875 – Alfred Sloan, long-time CEO who shaped the General Motors Corporation into one of the world's largest manufacturing enterprises, was born in New Haven, CT. He died in New York on February 17, 1966.
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/bday/0523.html.
    1883-Actor, Producer, Director Douglas Elton Fairbanks was born at Denver, Co. His theatrical career shifted to Hollywood and he became a movie idol, appearing in such films as “The Mark of Zorro,” “The Three Musketeers,” “Robin Hood,” “The Thief of Bagdad, “The Black Pirate,” and “The Gaucho.” He married “America’s Sweetheart”, Mary Pickford. In 1918 and 1919, they joined with D.W. Griffith and Charlie Chaplin to form the production company United Artists. He died at Santa Monica, CA, Dec. 12, 1939.
    1895-New York’s then-governor Samuel J. Tilden was the driving force that resulted in the combination of the private Astor and Lenox libraries with a $2 million endowment and 15,000 volumes from the Tilden Trust to become the New York Public Library. The main branch of the library opened to the public this day
(lower half of: http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/may23.html)
    1900-Sergeant William H. Carney of the 54th Massachusetts Colored Infantry became the first black to win the Congressional Medal of Honor. He was cited for his efforts, although wounded twice, during the Battle of Fort Wagner, South Carolina, June 18, 1863. His commendation is worthwhile reading: http://www.newbedford.k12.ma.us/elementary/whc.htm
    1903- Dr. Horatio Nelson Jackson of Burlington, VT, a physician, with Sewell K. Crocker of Seattle, WAS, as his mechanic, began the first non-professional transcontinental car trip. The same driver also drove the mileage in a 20 horsepower $2,500 Winton, manufactured by the Winton Motor Carriage Company of Cleveland, OH. Jackson and Crocker left San Francisco on May 23 and arrived in New York City on July 26. The average daily run was 25 miles. The trip lasted 63 days, of which 44 were spent traveling and 19 awaiting supplies, as there were very few gasoline stations, Howard Johnson’s or even Seven-11’s along the way.
    1910-birthday of singer/guitarist/drummer Scatman Crothers, Terre Haute, IN.
    1908-John Bardeen born Madison, Wisconsin. With William Shockley and Walter Bratton, invented the transistor, which set the stage for all modern microelectronics. Bardeen was also the only person ever to win the Nobel Prize for Physics twice. Bardeen worked as a physicist for the U.S. Navy during World War II. After the war, he joined Bell Telephone Laboratories, then the research arm of AT&T, where he worked on the electronic conducting properties of semiconductors. In 1947, his team invented the transistor, which won the group a Nobel Prize in 1956. Semiconductors replaced vacuum tubes in electronic equipment, making electronics progressively smaller, faster, and more durable. Bardeen became a professor of physics at the University of Illinois in Urbana. In 1972, he won a second Nobel Prize, with Leon Cooper and John Schrieffer, for their work on the theory of superconductivity. He died in 1991.
http://www.nobel.se/physics/laureates/1972/bardeen-bio.html
    1910-bandleader and clarinetist Artie Shaw birthday, whose real name is Arthur Arshawsky, was born in New York. Shaw formed his first orchestra in 1936, and two years later had a double-sided million-seller with "Begin the Beguine" and "Indian Love Call." One of the most popular artists of the swing era, Shaw is estimated to have sold more than 43-million copies of such records as "Frenesi," "Summit Ridge Drive" and "Dancing in the Dark." Artie Shaw was married eight times - two of his wives were Lana Turner and Ava Gardner. Shaw later became an author and a theatrical producer, and in the 1980's again began fronting a big band.
Birthday http://www.parabrisas.com/d_shawa.html
http://www.artieshaw.com/
    1920- Helen O'Connell birthday. She was a vocalist with Jimmy Dorsey's band from 1939 to 1943. Her duets with Bob Eberly, backed by the Dorsey band, on such songs as "Amapola," "Tangerine" and "Green Eyes" sold millions of records. O'Connell and Eberly also appeared on a 1953 TV show with bandleader Ray Anthony, and for a while during the 1960's, O'Connell was the hostess on NBC's "Today" show. She died September 9, 1993, San Diego, CA
http://www.parabrisas.com/d_oconnellh.html
    1922 - "Abbie’s Irish Rose", opened at the Fulton Theatre in New York City. The play continued for 2,327 performances and numerous revivals as well. It is estimated that some 50,000,000 people have seen the play performed somewhere in the world.
    1928--Singer Rosemary Clooney was born in Maysville, Kentucky.
When Clooney was in her junior year in high school, she and her younger sister Betty began performing on Cincinnati radio station WLW. Bandleader Tony Pastor heard them, and soon the sisters were singing, in person and on record, with the Pastor orchestra. Betty tired of the road, and soon after Rosemary began a solo career. She signed with Columbia Records, and in 1951 had her first number-one hit, "Come On-A My House," a song chosen for her by producer Mitch Miller. Her other hits included "Hey There," "Tenderly" and "This Ole House." Clooney married actor Jose Ferrer in 1953. The marriage was a stormy one that eventually ended in divorce. Her domestic problems and a resulting weight problem took her out of circulation for some years. But she returned to singing in the 1970's and
also had a very popular television show. Her brother is TV host Nick Clooney, father of actor George Clooney. She died on June 29, 2002.
http://www.rosemaryclooney.com/
    1932-Birthday of guitarist/flutist Les Spann, Pine Bluff, AR
    1934- Robert Moog birthday, inventor of the music synthesizer which bears his name, born New York City.
http://www.obsolete.com/120_years/machines/moog/
http://remixmag.com/ar/remix_robert_moog/
    1934-Clyde Champion Barrow and Bonnie Parker were shot to death by Texas and Louisiana state police officers as they attempted to escape apprehension in a stolen 1934 Ford V-8 near Bienville Parish, Louisiana. Bonnie and Clyde met in Texas in 1930 when the nineteen-year-old Bonnie was tending bar. At the time, Bonnie was married to an imprisoned murderer. Soon after the two met, Clyde was arrested for burglary and sent to prison. Bonnie smuggled a pistol into the prison, and Clyde broke out. Over the course of their crime spree together, Bonnie and Clyde were believed to have committed thirteen murders and several robberies and burglaries. For over two years, the couple evaded local police officers in rural counties of Texas, Louisiana, and New Mexico. Not until the FBI, then called the Bureau of Investigation, became involved in the case did law-enforcement officials gain ground on Bonnie and Clyde. In the spring of 1934, following tireless investigations, federal agents traced the gang to a remote county in Southwest Louisiana. A certain Methvin family was said to have been aiding and abetting the Bonnie and Clyde gang for over a year. It was learned that Bonnie and Clyde, along with some of the Methvins, had staged a party at Black Lake, Louisiana, on the night of May 21. Two days later, just before dawn, a posse of police officers from Texas and Louisiana, including Texas Ranger Frank Hamer, laid an ambush for Bonnie and Clyde along the highway near Sailes, Louisiana. In the early morning, Bonnie and Clyde appeared in their automobile. The officers reported that the coupe attempted to flee, but more likely, owing to the fact that Bonnie and Clyde had killed five policemen, the posse opened fire without warning. For two minutes, deputies showered the car with bullets. Both Bonnie and Clyde were killed in the barrage. Their bullet-riddled 1934 Ford later became a valuable collectible. Bonnie and Clyde gained a place in popular mythology as dustbowl Robin Hoods. The 1967 film “Bonnie and Clyde”, starring Warren Beatty as Clyde and Faye Dunaway as Bonnie, portrayed a charming and irreverent pair who took their game too far. Examination of the couple's past, as well as an examination of their victims, shows that Bonnie and Clyde were more likely carefree killers. Their popularity owed to the mistrust of the authorities of the Dustbowl during the Depression era, and to the couple's uncanny ability to elude the police for over two years.
    1940-Frank Sinatra, singing with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, records "I'll Never Smile Again," the first of several No. 1 hits he recorded while performing with Dorsey. The singer had joined the orchestra earlier that year.
    1941 - Buddy Baer was disqualified at the beginning of the seventh round as Joe Louis defended his heavyweight boxing title for the 17th time. Baer’s manager refused to leave the ring when the round was ready to begin. He later became a well-known actor along with his brother, Max.
http://french.imdb.com/Name?Baer,+Buddy
http://www.antekprizering.com/baerbuddysig.html
    1944 - Chicago University called it quits to sports when it announced plans to withdraw from the Big 10 Conference of the NCAA and all other athletic competition.
    1944--DERVISHIAN, ERNEST H. Medal of Honor
Rank and organization: Second Lieutenant, U.S. Army, 34th Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Cisterna, Italy, 23 May 1944. Entered service at: Richmond, Va. Birth: Richmond, Va. G.O. No.: 3, 8 January 1945. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at risk of life above and beyond the call of duty on 23 May 1944, in the vicinity of Cisterna, Italy. 2d Lt. Dervishian (then Tech. Sgt.) and 4 members of his platoon found themselves far ahead of their company after an aggressive advance in the face of enemy artillery and sniper fire. Approaching a railroad embankment, they observed a force of German soldiers hiding in dugouts. 2d Lt. Dervishian, directing his men to cover him, boldly moved forward and firing his carbine forced 10 Germans to surrender. His men then advanced and captured 15 more Germans occupying adjacent dugouts. The prisoners were returned to the rear to be picked up by advancing units. From the railroad embankment, 2d Lt. Dervishian and his men then observed 9 Germans who were fleeing across a ridge. He and his men opened fire and 3 of the enemy were wounded. As his men were firing, 2d Lt. Dervishian, unnoticed, fearlessly dashed forward alone and captured the entire fleeing enemy before his companions joined him on the ridge. At this point 4 other men joined 2d Lt. Dervishian’s group. An attempt was made to send the 4 newly arrived men along the left flank of a large, dense vineyard that lay ahead, but murderous machinegun fire forced them back. Deploying his men, 2d Lt. Dervishian moved to the front of his group and led the advance into the vineyard. He and his men suddenly became pinned down by a machinegun firing at them at a distance of 15 yards. Feigning death while the hostile weapon blazed away at him, 2d Lt. Dervishian assaulted the position during a halt in the firing, using a hand grenade and carbine fire, and forced the 4 German crewmembers to surrender. The 4 men on the left flank were now ordered to enter the vineyard but encountered machinegun fire which killed 1 soldier and wounded another. At this moment the enemy intensified the fight by throwing potato-masher grenades at the valiant band of American soldiers within the vineyard. 2d Lt. Dervishian ordered his men to withdraw; but instead of following, jumped into the machinegun position he had just captured and opened fire with the enemy weapon in the direction of the second hostile machinegun nest. Observing movement in a dugout 2 or 3 yards to the rear, 2d Lt. Dervishian seized a machine pistol. Simultaneously blazing away at the entrance to the dugout to prevent its occupants from firing and firing his machinegun at the other German nest, he forced 5 Germans in each position to surrender. Determined to rid the area of all Germans, 2d Lt. Dervishian continued his advance alone. Noticing another machinegun position beside a house, he picked up an abandoned machine pistol and forced 6 more Germans to surrender by spraying their position with fire. Unable to locate additional targets in the vicinity, 2d Lt. Dervishian conducted these prisoners to the rear. The prodigious courage and combat skill exhibited by 2d Lt. Dervishian are exemplary of the finest traditions of the U.S. Armed Forces.
    1944--*DUTKO, JOHN W. Medal of Honor
Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Army, 3d Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Ponte Rotto, Italy, 23 May 1944. Entered service at: Riverside, N.J. Birth: Dilltown, Pa. G.O. No.: 80, 5 October 1944. citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at risk of life above and beyond the call of duty, on 23 May 1944, near Ponte Rotto, Italy. Pfc. Dutko left the cover of an abandoned enemy trench at the height of an artillery concentration in a single-handed attack upon 3 machineguns and an 88mm. mobile gun. Despite the intense fire of these 4 weapons which were aimed directly at him, Pfc. Dutko ran 10.0 yards through the impact area, paused momentarily in a shell crater, and then continued his l-man assault. Although machinegun bullets kicked up the dirt at his heels, and 88mm. shells exploded within 30 yards of him, Pfc. Dutko nevertheless made his way to a point within 30 yards of the first enemy machinegun and killed both gunners with a hand grenade. Although the second machinegun wounded him, knocking him to the ground, Pfc. Dutko regained his feet and advanced on the 88mm. gun, firing his Browning automatic rifle from the hip. When he came within 10 yards of this weapon he killed its 5-man crew with 1 long burst of fire. Wheeling on the machinegun which had wounded him, Pfc. Dutko killed the gunner and his assistant. The third German machinegun fired on Pfc. Dutko from a position 20 yards distant wounding him a second time as he proceeded toward the enemy weapon in a half run. He killed both members of its crew with a single burst from his Browning automatic rifle, continued toward the gun and died, his body falling across the dead German crew.
    1944--FOWLER, THOMAS W. Medal of Honor
Rank and organization: Second Lieutenant, U.S. Army, 1st Armored Division. Place and date: Near Carano, Italy, 23 May 1944. Entered service at: Wichita Falls, Tex. Birth: Wichita Falls, Tex. G.O. No.: 84, 28 October, 1944. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at risk of life above and beyond the call of duty, on 23 May 1944, in the vicinity of Carano, Italy. In the midst of a full-scale armored-infantry attack, 2d Lt. Fowler, while on foot, came upon 2 completely disorganized infantry platoons held up in their advance by an enemy minefield. Although a tank officer, he immediately reorganized the infantry. He then made a personal reconnaissance through the minefield, clearing a path as he went, by lifting the antipersonnel mines out of the ground with his hands. After he had gone through the 75-yard belt of deadly explosives, he returned to the infantry and led them through the minefield, a squad at a time. As they deployed, 2d Lt. Fowler, despite small arms fire and the constant danger of antipersonnel mines, made a reconnaissance into enemy territory in search of a route to continue the advance. He then returned through the minefield and, on foot, he led the tanks through the mines into a position from which they could best support the infantry. Acting as scout 300 yards in front of the infantry, he led the 2 platoons forward until he had gained his objective, where he came upon several dug-in enemy infantrymen. Having taken them by surprise, 2d Lt. Fowler dragged them out of their foxholes and sent them to the rear; twice, when they resisted, he threw hand grenades into their dugouts. Realizing that a dangerous gap existed between his company and the unit to his right, 2d Lt. Fowler decided to continue his advance until the gap was filled. He reconnoitered to his front, brought the infantry into position where they dug in and, under heavy mortar and small arms fire, brought his tanks forward. A few minutes later, the enemy began an armored counterattack. Several Mark Vl tanks fired their cannons directly on 2d Lt. Fowler’s position. One of his tanks was set afire. With utter disregard for his own life, with shells bursting near him, he ran directly into the enemy tank fire to reach the burning vehicle. For a half-hour, under intense strafing from the advancing tanks, although all other elements had withdrawn, he remained in his forward position, attempting to save the lives of the wounded tank crew. Only when the enemy tanks had almost overrun him, did he withdraw a short distance where he personally rendered first aid to 9 wounded infantrymen in the midst of the relentless incoming fire. 2d Lt. Fowler’s courage, his ability to estimate the situation and to recognize his full responsibility as an officer in the Army of the United States, exemplify the high traditions of the military service for which he later gave his life.
    1945--BARFOOT, VAN T. Medal of Honor
Rank and organization: Second Lieutenant, U.S. Army, 157th Infantry, 45th Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Carano, Italy, 23 May 1944. Entered service at: Carthage, Miss. Birth: Edinburg, Miss. G.O. No.: 79, 4 October 1944. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty on 23 May 1944, near Carano, Italy. With his platoon heavily engaged during an assault against forces well entrenched on commanding ground, 2d Lt. Barfoot (then Tech. Sgt.) moved off alone upon the enemy left flank. He crawled to the proximity of 1 machinegun nest and made a direct hit on it with a hand grenade, killing 2 and wounding 3 Germans. He continued along the German defense line to another machinegun emplacement, and with his tommygun killed 2 and captured 3 soldiers. Members of another enemy machinegun crew then abandoned their position and gave themselves up to Sgt. Barfoot. Leaving the prisoners for his support squad to pick up, he proceeded to mop up positions in the immediate area, capturing more prisoners and bringing his total count to 17. Later that day, after he had reorganized his men and consolidated the newly captured ground, the enemy launched a fierce armored counterattack directly at his platoon positions. Securing a bazooka, Sgt. Barfoot took up an exposed position directly in front of 3 advancing Mark VI tanks. From a distance of 75 yards his first shot destroyed the track of the leading tank, effectively disabling it, while the other 2 changed direction toward the flank. As the crew of the disabled tank dismounted, Sgt. Barfoot killed 3 of them with his tommygun. He continued onward into enemy terrain and destroyed a recently abandoned German fieldpiece with a demolition charge placed in the breech. While returning to his platoon position, Sgt. Barfoot, though greatly fatigued by his Herculean efforts, assisted 2 of his seriously wounded men 1,700 yards to a position of safety. Sgt. Barfoot’s extraordinary heroism, demonstration of magnificent valor, and aggressive determination in the face of pointblank fire are a perpetual inspiration to his fellow soldiers.
    1945--HALL, GEORGE J. Medal of Honor
Rank and organization: Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army, 135th Infantry, 34th Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Anzio, Italy, 23 May 1944. Entered service at: Boston, Mass. Born: 9 January 1921, Stoneham, Mass. G.O. No.: 24, 6 April 1945. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at risk of life above and beyond the call of duty. Attacking across flat, open terrain under direct enemy observation, S/Sgt. Hall’s company was pinned down by grazing fire from 3 enemy machineguns and harassing sniper fire. S/Sgt. Hall volunteered to eliminate these obstacles in the path of advance. Crawling along a plowed furrow through furious machinegun fire, he made his way to a point within hand grenade range of 1 of the enemy positions. He pounded the enemy with 4 hand grenades, and when the smoke had died away, S/Sgt. Hall and 2 dead Germans occupied the position, while 4 of the enemy were crawling back to our lines as prisoners. Discovering a quantity of German potato-masher grenades in the position, S/Sgt. Hall engaged the second enemy nest in a deadly exchange of grenades. Each time he exposed himself to throw a grenade the Germans fired machinegun bursts at him. The vicious duel finally ended in S/Sgt. Hall’s favor with 5 of the enemy surrendered and 5 others lay dead. Turning his attention to the third machinegun, S/Sgt. Hall left his position and crawled along a furrow, the enemy firing frantically in an effort to halt him. As he neared his final objective, an enemy artillery concentration fell on the area, and S/Sgt. Hall’s right leg was severed by a shell burst. With 2 enemy machineguns eliminated, his company was able to flank the third and continue its advance without incurring excessive casualties. S/Sgt. Hall’s fearlessness, his determined fighting spirit, and his prodigious combat skill exemplify the heroic tradition of the American Infantryman.
    1944--KESSLER, PATRICK L. Medal of Honor
Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Army, Company K, 30th Infantry, 3d Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Ponte Rotto, Italy, 23 May 1944. Entered service at: Middletown, Ohio. Birth: Middletown, Ohio. G.O. No.: 1, 4 January 1945. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at risk of life above and beyond the call of duty. Pfc. Kessler, acting without orders, raced 50 yards through a hail of machinegun fire, which had killed 5 of his comrades and halted the advance of his company, in order to form an assault group to destroy the machinegun. Ordering 3 men to act as a base of fire, he left the cover of a ditch and snaked his way to a point within 50 yards of the enemy machinegun before he was discovered, whereupon he plunged headlong into the furious chain of automatic fire. Reaching a spot within 6 feet of the emplacement he stood over it and killed both the gunner and his assistant, jumped into the gun position, overpowered and captured a third German after a short struggle. The remaining member of the crew escaped, but Pfc. Kessler wounded him as he ran. While taking his prisoner to the rear, this soldier saw 2 of his comrades killed as they assaulted an enemy strongpoint, fire from which had already killed 10 men in the company. Turning his prisoner over to another man, Pfc. Kessler crawled 35 yards to the side of 1 of the casualties, relieved him of his BAR and ammunition and continued on toward the strongpoint, 125 yards distant. Although 2 machineguns concentrated their fire directly on him and shells exploded within 10 yards, bowling him over, Pfc. Kessler crawled 75 yards, passing through an antipersonnel minefield to a point within 50 yards of the enemy and engaged the machineguns in a duel. When an artillery shell burst within a few feet of him, he left the cover of a ditch and advanced upon the position in a slow walk, firing his BAR from the hip. Although the enemy poured heavy machinegun and small arms fire at him, Pfc. Kessler succeeded in reaching the edge of their position, killed the gunners, and captured 13 Germans. Then, despite continuous shelling, he started to the rear. After going 25 yards, Pfc. Kessler was fired upon by 2 snipers only 100 yards away. Several of his prisoners took advantage of this opportunity and attempted to escape; however, Pfc. Kessler hit the ground, fired on either flank of his prisoners, forcing them to cover, and then engaged the 2 snipers in a fire fight, and captured them. With this last threat removed, Company K continued its advance, capturing its objective without further opposition. Pfc. Kessler was killed in a subsequent action.
    1945--SJOGREN, JOHN C. Medal of Honor
Rank and organization: Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company I, 160th Infantry, 40th Infantry Division. Place and date: Near San Jose Hacienda, Negros, Philippine Islands, 23 May 1945. Entered service at: Rockford, Mich. Birth: Rockford, Mich. G.O. No.: 97, 1 November 1945. Citation: He led an attack against a high precipitous ridge defended by a company of enemy riflemen, who were entrenched in spider holes and supported by well-sealed pillboxes housing automatic weapons with interlocking bands of fire. The terrain was such that only 1 squad could advance at one time; and from a knoll atop a ridge a pillbox covered the only approach with automatic fire. Against this enemy stronghold, S/Sgt. Sjogren led the first squad to open the assault. Deploying his men, he moved forward and was hurling grenades when he saw that his next in command, at the opposite flank, was gravely wounded. Without hesitation he crossed 20 yards of exposed terrain in the face of enemy fire and exploding dynamite charges, moved the man to cover and administered first aid. He then worked his way forward and, advancing directly into the enemy fire, killed 8 Japanese in spider holes guarding the approach to the pillbox. Crawling to within a few feet of the pillbox while his men concentrated their bullets on the fire port, he began dropping grenades through the narrow firing slit. The enemy immediately threw 2 or 3 of these unexploded grenades out, and fragments from one wounded him in the hand and back. However, by hurling grenades through the embrasure faster than the enemy could return them, he succeeded in destroying the occupants. Despite his wounds, he directed his squad to follow him in a systematic attack on the remaining positions, which he eliminated in like manner, taking tremendous risks, overcoming bitter resistance, and never hesitating in his relentless advance. To silence one of the pillboxes, he wrenched a light machinegun out through the embrasure as it was firing before blowing up the occupants with hand grenades. During this action, S/Sgt. Sjogren, by his heroic bravery, aggressiveness, and skill as a soldier, single-handedly killed 43 enemy soldiers and destroyed 9 pillboxes, thereby paving the way for his company's successful advance.
    1945 - No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit: “Sentimental Journey”, Les Brown Orchestra/Doris Day.
    1951--RIVERA, DEMENSIO Medal of Honor
Rank and Organization: Private. U.S. Army. Company G, 2d Battalion. 7th Infantry, 3d Infantry Division. Place and Date: May 22-23, 1951, Changyongni, Korea. Born: April 29, 1933, Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico . Departed: Yes (03/19/1967). Entered Service At: New York. G.O. Number: . Date of Issue: 03/18/2014. Accredited To: New York. Citation: Then-Pvt. Demensio Rivera is being recognized for his actions at Changyongni, Korea, May 22-23, 1951. When the outpost area occupied by his platoon was assaulted during the night, Rivera, an automatic rifleman, held his forward position tenaciously, although exposed to very heavy fire. When his rifle became inoperative, Rivera employed his pistol and grenades, and eventually fought the enemy hand-to-hand and forced them back.
    1951---Top Hits
Mockingbird Hill -Patti Page
On Top of Old Smokey - The Weavers (vocal: Terry Gilkyson)
Too Young - Nat King Cole
Kentucky Waltz - Eddy Arnold
    1951- Jill E. Barad birthday. She became president of chief operating officer of Mattel, Inc., in 1992. She joined Mattel in 1981 as a product manager and became marketing director of the Barbie line in 1982. Under her guidance Barbie sales moved from $485 million in 1988 to more than $1 BILLION in 1994. Her marketing strategy included Hot Wheels as well as tie-ins with Disney, McDonald's, etc. She's made Mattel the largest toy manufacturing company in the world. She also bore two children while making her way to the top, not letting pregnancy slow her down. In fact, one of her major promotions came when she was five months pregnant. Today, there are more Barbie dolls in existence than there are people in the U.S.
http://www.surferess.com/CEO/html/jill_barad.html
http://aol.businessweek.com/1998/21/b3579001.htm
    1953--Bill Haley and His Comets saw their first release for Essex Records, "Crazy Man, Crazy" enter the Cashbox Best Sellers chart at #19. The success will be short lived however, as the record would fall out of the Top 50 two weeks later.
    1959---Top Hits
The Happy Organ - Dave ‘Baby’ Cortez
A Teenager in Love - Dion & The Belmonts
Dream Lover - Bobby Darin
The Battle of New Orleans - Johnny Horton
    1960-The Everly Brothers' "Cathy's Clown" hit number one in the US for the first of a five week stay. The duo had also accomplished this feat 1958 when "All I Have to do is Dream" spent over a month at the top position.
    1962 - The National Basketball Association agreed to plans to transfer the Philadelphia Warriors to San Francisco, CA. The team became the San Francisco Warriors (now the Golden State Warriors).
    1962 - Joe Pepitone of the New York Yankees set a major-league baseball record by hitting two home runs in one inning. The rare feat lifted the Yankees past the Kansas City Athletics by a score of 13-7.
    1963-Paul Revere and the Raiders sign with Columbia Records where they will have 14 Billboard Top 40 singles between 1965 and 1971.
    1964- Capitol releases The Beach Boys' "I Get Around" b/w "Don't Worry Baby." "I Get Around" goes on to become the group's first #1 hit, topping the chart for 2 weeks.
    1964-Millie Small's "My Boy Lollipop," already a hit in the U.K., enters the Hot 100 in the U.S. It stays on the charts for 12 weeks climbing up to Number Two.
    1965 - No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit: “Help Me Rhonda”, The Beach Boys.
    1966-The Beatles' "Paperback Writer" b/w "Rain" single is released. The A-side was a tune written by Paul McCartney and featured John and George on backing vocals. The B-side was a Lennon song.
    1967 – A public controversy over the M-16, the basic combat rifle in Vietnam, begins after Representative James J. Howard (D-New Jersey) reads a letter to the House of Representatives in which a Marine in Vietnam claims that almost all Americans killed in the battle for Hill 881 died as a result of their new M-16 rifles jamming. The Defense Department acknowledged on August 28 that there had been a “serious increase in frequency of malfunctions in the M-16.” The M-16 had become the standard U.S. infantry rifle in Vietnam earlier in 1967, replacing the M-14. Almost two pounds lighter and five inches shorter than the M-14, but with the same effective range of over 500 yards, it fired a smaller, lighter 5.56-mm cartridge. The M-16 could be fired fully automatic (like a machine gun) or one shot at a time. Because the M-16 was rushed into mass production, early models were plagued by stoppages that caused some units to request a reissue of the M-14. Technical investigation revealed a variety of causes for the defect, in both the weapon and ammunition design, and in care and cleaning in the field. With these deficiencies corrected, the M-16 became a popular infantry rifle that was able to hold its own against the Soviet-made AK-47 assault rifle used by the enemy.
    1967---Top Hits
Groovin’ - The Young Rascals
Respect - Aretha Franklin
I Got Rhythm - The Happenings
Sam’s Place - Buck Owens
    1969 – The Who’s rock opera album, “Tommy” is released.
    1972 - Heavy U.S. air attacks that began with an order by President Richard Nixon on May 8 are widened to include more industrial and non-military sites. In 190 strikes, the United States lost one plane but shot down four. The new strikes were part of the ongoing Operation Linebacker, an effort launched in response to the massive North Vietnamese invasion of South Vietnam on March 30. The purpose of the raids was to interdict supplies from outside sources and the movement of equipment and supplies to the North Vietnamese troops in South Vietnam. The strikes concentrated on rail lines around Hanoi and Haiphong, bridges, pipelines, power plants, troops and troop training facilities, and rail lines to China.
    1973- Clive Davis, president of Columbia Records, was fired by boss Arthur Taylor. Davis wrote a book about his experiences, and later formed Arista Records.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0688028721/fast-bkasin-20/
002-0667839-4443242
    1975---Top Hits
Shining Star - Earth, Wind & Fire
Before the Next Teardrop Falls - Freddy Fender
Jackie Blue - Ozark Mountain Daredevils
I’m Not Lisa - Jessi Colter
    1977- San Francisco bans electric instruments from all free outdoor concerts, leaving Jefferson Starship to cancel their planned free concert in Golden Gate Park. Years later, Bernie Taupin would write "We Built This City" for the band about this event.
    1979-The New England Whalers of the National Hockey League changed their name to the Hartford Whalers. The team was an original member of the World Hockey Association and won the first WHA championship, the Avco World Cup, in the 1972-73 season. When the WHA folded following the 1978-79 season, the Whalers were one of four WHA teams taken into the National Hockey League.
    1979-Sister Sledge's "We Are Family" goes platinum. The album's title track, a #2 hit last month, is the rallying call for baseball's Pittsburgh Pirates, who will go on to win the 1979 World Series in October. Perhaps best remembered in the US version of “The Bird Cage.”
    1983---Top Hits
Let’s Dance - David Bowie
Flashdance...What a Feeling - Irene Cara
Little Red Corvette - Prince
Common Man - John Conlee
    1989 - Severe thunderstorms developing along a cold front resulted in 98 reports of large hail and damaging winds in the Northern Plains and Upper Mississippi Valley. Golf ball sized hail caused a million dollars damage around Buffalo City, WI. Baseball sized hail was reported at Northfield and Randolph, MN, and thunderstorm winds gusted to 95 mph at Dunkerton, IA
    1989 - Unseasonably hot weather continued in the south central U.S. Pueblo, CO, equaled their May record with a high of 98 degrees, and the high of 106 degrees at Midland, TX, marked a record six straight days of 100 degree heat.
    1990 - A cold front crossing the western U.S. produced snow over parts of Oregon, California, Nevada, Idaho and Utah, with five inches reported at Austin NV, and four inches at Crater Lake National Park in Oregon. Strong winds behind the cold front sharply reduced visibilities in blowing dust over central California, and two multi-vehicle accidents resulted in one death and eighteen injuries. In northern Idaho, a cloud-burst washed tons of topsoil, and rocks as large as footballs, into the valley town of Culdesac.
    1991 - With his fourth inning swipe of second base at Shea Stadium, Andre Dawson becomes the third major leaguer to become a member of the 300/300 club, with his 300th stolen base. The 36-year old Cubs outfielder, who has also hit 354 home runs, joins Bobby Bonds and Willie Mays in reaching the milestone.
    1991---Top Hits
I Like the Way (The Kissing Game) - Hi-Five
Touch Me (All Night Long) - Cathy Dennis
Here We Go - C + C Music Factory Presents Freedom Williams and Zelma Davis
If I Know Me - George Strait
    1994- Prodigy Services announces a deal with Media General Cable to provide Prodigy access via cable television wires to 200,000 subscribers in Fairfax County, Virginia. Prodigy expected the cable hookup to provide faster speed and enable flashier graphics. At the time, most Prodigy users logged on to the system via 9600-baud modems. Over the next four years, modem speed would increase dramatically, but interest in cable modems would grow as companies like AtHome worked with local cable providers to offer higher-speed bandwidth.
    1994 ---Four men convicted in the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center are each sentenced to 240 years in prison.
    2000 ---Joining Babe Ruth and Ted Williams, Seattle's Rickey Henderson draws his 2,000th career walk, becoming only the third player in baseball history to reach the milestone.
    2002 - Buddy Guy is among the multiple winners at the W.C. Handy Awards, mounted by the Blues Foundation in Memphis. Guy wins for contemporary male artist of the year and blues instrumentalist of the year (guitar); his "Sweet Tea" is named contemporary blues album of the year.
    2003 – Congress sent to President George W. Bush tax-cut legislation of $330 B, the third such legislation of his presidency.
    2006 - -Brad Paisley wins three of the evening's top awards at the Academy of Country Music (ACM) Awards. His "Time Well Wasted" (Arista Nashville) is named album of the year, and he also wins the video and vocal event prizes for "When I Get Where I'm Going," a hit collaboration with Dolly Parton.
    2007-- The US Library of Congress hands out the first Gershwin Award to Paul Simon for being a "performer whose lifetime contributions exemplify the standard of excellence associated with the Gershwin’s."
    2009 - At Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, Jason Giambi hits his 400th career home run. The A's designated hitter goes deep off Dan Haren leading off the fourth inning in an 8-7 loss against Arizona to become the 44th major leaguer to reach the milestone.
    2012- Egypt held the Arab world’s first competitive presidential vote, following the Arab Spring uprisings that overthrew President Hosni Mubarak.