May 12th, 2008
Today in History
By The Associated Press – 6 hours ago
Today is Monday, May 12, the 133rd day of 2008. There are 233 days left in the year.
Today’s Highlight in History:
On May 12, 1958, the United States and Canada signed an agreement to create the North American Air Defense Command (later the North American Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD for short).
On this date:
In 1870, an act creating the Canadian province of Manitoba was given royal assent, to take effect in July.
In 1907, actress Katharine Hepburn was born in Hartford, Conn.
In 1932, the body of Charles Lindbergh Jr., the kidnapped son of Charles and Anne Lindbergh, was found in a wooded area near Hopewell, N.J.
In 1937, Britain’s King George VI was crowned at Westminster Abbey.
In 1943, during World War II, Axis forces in North Africa surrendered.
In 1949, the Soviet Union lifted the Berlin Blockade.
In 1970, the Senate voted unanimously to confirm Harry A. Blackmun as a Supreme Court justice.
In 1975, the White House announced the new Cambodian government had seized an American merchant ship, the Mayaguez, in international waters.
In 1978, the Commerce Department said hurricanes would no longer be given only female names.
In 1982, in Fatima, Portugal, security guards overpowered a Spanish priest armed with a bayonet who was trying to reach Pope John Paul II.
Ten years ago: A day after India’s first atomic test blasts in 24 years, neighboring Pakistan said it was ready to test a nuclear device itself. Indonesian President Suharto’s security forces killed at least six student demonstrators.
Five years ago: Suicide bombers in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, killed nine U.S. citizens and 26 people overall. A suicide truck-bomb attack killed at least 60 at a government compound in northern Chechnya. L. Paul Bremer, the new American civilian administrator of Iraq, arrived in Baghdad; coalition forces announced they had taken custody of Dr. Rihab Rashid Taha, the Iraqi scientist known as “Dr. Germ.” (Taha was later released after no charges were brought.) Fifty-nine Democratic lawmakers brought the Texas House to a standstill by going into hiding in a dispute over a Republican congressional redistricting plan.
Tags: 12, may
15 Responses to “Today in History”
Must have bee an oil slick on the road…. frankly, I was expecting more Mercedes!
Seriously They make Americans look like minimalists.
I saw this video right next to the one about monkeys flying out of butts.
Is it hunting season yet?
I used to live in dubai and i can tell you this may be the biggest so far but is in no way unusual. I saw plenty of big ones, maybe even bigger.To start with the concept of keeping space in between you and the car in front does not exist. If you do leave a space it will get filled from another lane.Then cars do not really use any particular lane depending on what speed they are going. just keep weaving.Young rich Emiratees with nothing better to do than piss about, race each other on this 4-5 lane highway, dodging traffic. I was passed plenty of times by a high powered car (ferrari, lambo, skyline, you name it) on the hard shoulder.Someone asked about fog? Dubai may be in the desert, but is right on the bottom of the gulf. if the wind blows from the north this time of year, it picks up moisture from the sea, then cools down when the wind stops at night. Seriously thick pea soup fog.Think this will slow drivers down? Nah, they just get a bit closer to the car in front so they can see the tail lights better. Remember studies show that the lack of visual cues in fog tricks the brain into thinking you are driving slower than you really are.Finally, drivers there love rubber necking accidents, you can pretty much guarantee that another accident will be caused in the other direction by all the drivers slowing in the fast lane to check out the carnage.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdiDz_qrjX0for those of you outside the the UK that can’t see the amazing footage from the BBC website
My favorite prank today! Well done too.
I think one of the problems he’s trying to address is our collectively loose use of the word “slave.” Comparing the boy sold for $15 to a carpet maker in India with “Americans held hostage by credit card companies” is a fine example of his point.
Hah, brilliantly done. My favourite of all the things i’ve seen so far this day…
I have friends who do business in Dubai, they say the drivers there are INSANE. They have traffic circles a half-mile in diameter, 4 and 5 lanes wide. The locals basically ignore any concept of lanes.
haha - they’re showing it on the main BBC morning newsIn my half awake state I got quite excited and then realised it had to be an April fools day joke
Damn! Now I have to do all things I said I’d do when penguins learn to fly..I knew I should have gone with pigs.
Good one, almost had me..ok, it did have me.
The point about slavery before William Wilberforce and the abolitionist was that it was not against the Law. Now he can saunter about the globe being so sanctimonious as he does nothing real to help anybody.