History for May 1

History for May 1 - On-This-Day.com:
Benjamin Henry Latrobe 1764 - Architect known for his design of the United States Capitol and the Baltimore Basilica, Kate Smith 1909 - Singer, Glen Ford 1916 - Actor ("Gilda", "The Courtship of Eddie's Father")


Jack Paar 1918 - Radio and television comedian, talk show host ("The Tonight Show"), Joseph Heller 1923 - Novelist, short story writer, playwright, Scott Carpenter 1925 - One of NASA's original seven astronauts


1707 - England, Wales and Scotland were united to form Great Britain.


1898 - The U.S. Navy under Dewey defeated the Spanish fleet at Manila Bay in the Philippines.


1937 - U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt signed an act of neutrality, keeping the United States out of World War II.

1948 - The People's Democratic Republic of Korea (North Korea) was proclaimed.


1952 - Production of Mr. Potato Head began.


1960 - Francis Gary Powers' U-2 spy plane was shot down over the Soviet Union. Powers was taken prisoner.


1961 - Fidel Castro announced there would be no more elections in Cuba.


1992 - On the third day of the Los Angeles riots resulting from the Rodney King beating trial. King appeared in public to appeal for calm, he asked, "Can we all get along?"