May 6
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Featured Event
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On this day in 1994, twin ceremoniesâone in Folkestone and the other in Calaisâcelebrated the opening of the Channel Tunnel. Although plans for a tunnel connecting France and England dated to the early 1800s, it wasnât until 1986 that the two countries agreed to actually build one. Eight years later, Britainâs queen and Franceâs president were rolling onto a train, in the queenâs Rolls-Royce, to travel from one country to the other. [Read todayâs edition of Today in History > >]
Featured Biography
Featured Biography
Mary Evans/Sigmund Freud Copyrights (courtesy of W.E. Freud)
Born this day in 1856, Austrian neurologist Sigmund Freud was one of the major intellectual figures of the 20th century, especially known as the founder of psychoanalysis, a method of treating mental disorders.
Famous Birthdays
More on May 6
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2023
In the first British coronation in some seven decades, Charles III and Camilla were crowned king and queen. [Take our quiz about the kings of England.]
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2004
The final episode of the television sitcom Friends aired, some 10 years after its debut. It was watched by more than 52 million viewers. [Where does Friends fit in the history of television?]
Chris Thompson/SpaceX (A Britannica Publishing Partner)
2002
Elon Musk founded the aerospace company SpaceX, which helped usher in the era of commercial spaceflight. [Sort fact from fiction in our quiz about space exploration.]
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1998
Steve Jobs introduced Appleâs first iMac, a personal computer that became hugely successful and helped revive the struggling company. [Test your knowledge of tech companies.]
Pictorial Parade
1992
Marlene Dietrichâwhose beauty, voice, aura of sophistication, and languid sensuality made her one of the worldâs most glamorous film starsâdied at age 90. [Take our women in classic cinema quiz.]
© 2009 Paramount Pictures; all rights reserved
1961
George Clooneyâwho emerged in the 1990s as a popular leading man, known for his good looks and versatility, and who later became a respected director and screenwriterâwas born in Lexington, Kentucky. [Sort fact from fiction in our actor quiz.]
MPI/Archive Photos/Getty Images
1957
The last episode of I Love Lucy aired. The hugely popular show, which starred Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, is considered one of TVâs landmark sitcoms. [Take our I Love Lucy quiz.]
EncyclopĂŠdia Britannica, Inc.
1954
Roger Bannister of Britain became the first athlete to run a mile in less than four minutes. [How much do you know about track and field?]
NARA
1942
The American garrison on Corregidor Island, under the command of General Jonathan M. Wainwright, surrendered to Japanese invaders after a 27-day standoff during World War II, marking the fall of the Philippines to the Empire of Japan. [How did U.S. forces recapture Corregidor?]
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1937
While attempting to land in New Jersey, the Hindenburg burst into flames and was destroyed, killing 36 people. The disaster marked the end of the use of rigid airships in commercial air transportation. [Whatâs the difference between blimps and zeppelins?]
UPI/Bettmann Archive
1931
Willie Mays, one of the greatest all-around players in the history of baseball, was born in Westfield, Alabama. [How much do you know about baseball?]
AP Images
1915
Actor and director Orson Welles was born in Kenosha, Wisconsin. [Test your knowledge of movies.]
UPI/Bettmann Archive
1915
Babe Ruth hit his first major league home run. He finished his baseball career with 714 homers, a record that stood until 1974. [See where Babe Ruth ranks on our list of the 10 greatest baseball players of all time.]
EncyclopĂŠdia Britannica, Inc.
1882
U.S. President Chester A. Arthur signed the Chinese Exclusion Act, the first major federal legislation to explicitly suspend immigration for a specific nationality. [Test your knowledge of American history and politics.]
© Glenda Powers/Fotolia
1877
Crazy Horseâa chief of the Oglala band of Lakota who was a determined warrior in the Sioux resistance to European Americansâ invasion of the northern Great Plainsâsurrendered to U.S. federal forces in Nebraska. [Take our quiz about Native American history.]