By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Today is Sunday, May 21, the 141st day of 2023. There are 224 days left in the year.
Today's Highlight in History:
On May 21, 1881, Clara Barton founded the American Red Cross.
On this date:
In 1471, King Henry VI of England died in the Tower of London at age 49.
In 1542, Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto died while searching for gold along the Mississippi River.
In 1924, in a case that drew much notoriety, 14-year-old Bobby Franks was murdered in a "thrill killing" carried out by University of Chicago students Nathan Leopold Jr. and Richard Loeb (Bobby's cousin).
In 1927, Charles A. Lindbergh landed his Spirit of St. Louis monoplane near Paris, completing the first solo airplane flight across the Atlantic Ocean in 33 1/2 hours.
In 1932, Amelia Earhart became the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean as she landed in Northern Ireland, about 15 hours after leaving Newfoundland.
In 1941, a German U-boat sank the American merchant steamship SS Robin Moor in the South Atlantic after the ship's passengers and crew were allowed to board lifeboats.
In 1955, Chuck Berry recorded his first single, "Maybellene," for Chess Records in Chicago.
In 1972, Michelangelo's Pieta, on display at the Vatican, was damaged by a hammer-wielding man who shouted he was Jesus Christ.
In 1979, former San Francisco City Supervisor Dan White was convicted of voluntary manslaughter in the slayings of Mayor George Moscone and openly gay Supervisor Harvey Milk; outrage over the verdict sparked rioting. (White was sentenced to seven years and eight months in prison; he ended up serving five years and took his own life in 1985.)
In 1991, former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated during national elections by a suicide bomber.
In 2000, death claimed actor Sir John Gielgud at age 96 and author Dame Barbara Cartland at age 98.
In 2020, President Donald Trump visited a Ford Motor Co. plant outside Detroit that had been repurposed to manufacture ventilators; he did not publicly wear a face mask but said he had worn one while out of public view.
Ten years ago: Former IRS Commissioner Douglas Shulman told the Senate Finance Committee he first learned in the spring of 2012 that agents had improperly targeted political groups that vehemently opposed President Barack Obama's policies, saying he decided to let the inspector general look into the matter. Singer Kellie Pickler and pro partner Derek Hough were named "Dancing with the Stars" champions.
Five years ago: Syria's military captured an enclave in southern Damascus from Islamic State militants after a monthlong battle, bringing the entire capital and its suburbs under full government control for the first time since the civil war began in 2011. A divided Supreme Court ruled that businesses can prohibit their workers from banding together in disputes over pay and conditions in the workplace, finding that individual employees can be forced to use arbitration, not the courts, to air complaints about wages and overtime. Gina Haspel was sworn in as CIA director. Netflix announced a multi-year deal with Barack and Michelle Obama; there were no details announced on what shows they would make.
One year ago: Concern mounted over Ukrainian fighters who became prisoners at the end of Russia's brutal three-month siege in Mariupol, as a Moscow-backed separatist leader vowed tribunals. Russia claimed the Azovstal steel plant, which for weeks was the last holdout in the strategic port city and a symbol of Ukrainian tenacity, now in ruins with more than 20,000 residents feared dead. President Joe Biden and South Korea President Yoon Suk Yeol said after meeting that they would consider expanded military exercises to deter the nuclear threat from North Korea. Australia's center-left opposition party toppled the conservative government after almost a decade in power, and Prime Minister-elect Anthony Albanese in his victory speech promised sharper reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.
Today's Birthdays: R&B singer Ron Isley (The Isley Brothers) is 82. Musician Bill Champlin is 76. Singer Leo Sayer is 75. Actor Carol Potter is 75. Former Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., is 72. Actor Mr. T is 71. Music producer Stan Lynch is 68. Actor Judge Reinhold is 66. Actor-director Nick Cassavetes is 64. Actor Lisa Edelstein is 57. Actor Fairuza Balk is 49. Rock singer-musician Mikel Jollett (Airborne Toxic Event) is 49. Rapper Havoc (Mobb Deep) is 49. Rock musician Tony LoGerfo (Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real) is 40. Actor Sunkrish Bala is 39. Actor David Ajala is 37. Actor Ashlie Brillault is 36. Country singer Cody Johnson is 36. Actor Scott Leavenworth is 33. Actor Sarah Ramos is 32.