May 10
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Featured Event
Billy Rose Theatre Division, New York Public Library; Photo Illustration EncyclopĂŠdia Britannica, Inc.
On this day in 1872, Victoria Woodhull basked in the applause that followed her nomination as a U.S. presidential candidate. Six hundred delegates demanded that she represent the Equal Rights Party in the 1872 election, and she was glad to oblige. She ultimately received no electoral votesâshe wasnât on any official ballots, and, according to the Constitution, she was too young to be president anywayâbut the outcome didnât matter. She was the first woman nominated for president. It was, however, one of the more boring firsts she achieved. [Read todayâs edition of Today in History > >]
Featured Biography
Featured Biography
© 1936 RKO Radio Pictures Inc.
To be in a picture with Fred Astaire was every dancing girlâs dream.
Fred Astaire, born this day in 1899, is considered one of the greatest American popular-music dancers and is especially remembered for his partnership with Ginger Rogers in a series of highly successful musical comedy films.
Famous Birthdays
More on May 10
© aluxumâiStock/Getty Images
2013
A spire was installed on One World Trade Center in Manhattan, taking its height to 1,776 feet (541 meters) and making it the tallest building in the United States. [Whatâs the tallest building in the world?]
U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation
2002
FBI agent Robert Hanssen was sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty to spying for Moscow. He was one of the Soviet Unionâs and Russiaâs most-valuable double agents and the most damaging spy ever to penetrate the FBI. [Read about 10 famous names in the espionage game.]
CSU Archive/Everett Collection/Alamy
1999
Cartoonist, childrenâs author, poet, and playwright Shel Silverstein, who was best known for his light verse and quirky cartoons, died at age 68. [Test your knowledge of childrenâs authors.]
© Anna KurzaevaâMoment/Getty Images
1996
Thirty-four people across multiple expedition groups attempted to summit Mount Everest, but an unexpected storm created chaos and resulted in eight climbers dying. The disaster became widely known as a result of Jon Krakauerâs book Into Thin Air.
© Alexander JoeâAFP/Getty Images
1994
Nelson Mandela became the first Black president of South Africa. [Learn about the new national flag that South Africa introduced in 1994.]
Universal Studios/Marvel Entertainment
1962
Marvel Comics released the first issue of The Incredible Hulk; the towering muscle-bound antihero was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby. [What are all of the films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe?]
© Brillâullstein bild/Getty Images
1960
Musician and human rights activist Bono, the lead singer of the popular rock band U2, was born in Dublin, Ireland. [Take our quiz about pop music.]
Image: EncyclopĂŠdia Britannica, Inc.
1940
Germany invaded Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands during World War II. [Test your knowledge of Germany and World War II.]
FSA-Office of War Information Collection/Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (LC-USW33-019093-C)
1940
After losing the support of many Conservatives in the House of Commons, British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain resigned his office and was replaced by Winston Churchill. [Take our quiz about notable prime ministers.]
© Jonathan Weiss/Dreamstime.com
1924
J. Edgar Hoover was made acting director of the FBI and later in the year became director; he built the agency into an effective, at times controversial, arm of U.S. federal law enforcement. [Read how Hoover described the FBI in an article he wrote for EncyclopĂŠdia Britannica in 1956.]
Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
1869
The tracks of the Central Pacific and the Union Pacific were joined at Promontory, Utah, to form the first transcontinental railway in the United States. [Test your knowledge of U.S. history.]
Everett Historical/Shutterstock.com
1865
Jefferson Davis, president of the Confederacy, was captured by Union troops near Irwinville, Georgia, after he tried to continue fighting the Civil War after Robert E. Leeâs surrender a month earlier. [How much do you know about the American Civil War?]
© Photos.com/Getty Images
1857
The Indian Rebellion began in Meerut in response to a military crackdown on Indian troops by their British officers as well as, more broadly, British dominance in the political, economic, and cultural life of India. [Explore a timeline of the Indian Independence Movement.]
Copyright © 2008 by Dover Publications, Inc. Electronic image © 2008 Dover Publications, Inc. All rights reserved.
1838
John Wilkes Booth, who would assassinate U.S. President Abraham Lincoln in 1865, was born near Bel Air, Maryland. [Read about nine infamous assassins and the world leaders they dispatched.]
© SuperStock
1818
Paul Revereâa folk hero of the American Revolution known for his dramatic horseback ride in 1775, warning Boston-area residents that the British were comingâdied in Boston. [Take our quiz about famous Americans.]
Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (cph 3a47655)
1775
The Green Mountain Boys, under the joint command of Ethan Allen and Benedict Arnold, captured the British-controlled Fort Ticonderoga during the American Revolution. [How much do you know about the American Revolution?]
Musée Carnavalet, Histoire de Paris (P2174)
1774
Louis XVI became king of France, and his wife, Marie-Antoinette, became queen consort. Years later, they both were beheaded during the French Revolution. [Test your knowledge of French history.]