Video: Battle of Seven Pines (at 17:01)
(Saturday, May 31, 1862, part of the Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War) — The Battle of Seven Pines or Fair Oaks, the first Confederate attempt to dislodge Gen. George B. McClellan’s Army of the Potomac from their position just outside Richmond, began today.
Video: Cologne bombed (at 12:06)
(Sunday, May 31, 1942, 12:47 a.m. local time, during World War II) — Three-fourths of Cologne, Germany, was set afire and a great area of the German Rhineland metropolis of 756,000 population was flattened early this morning by tremendous weights of explosives delivered by 1,047 Royal Air Force (RAF) planes tonight in the greatest raid in all aerial warfare to date. Continue reading 1,000 British bombers attack Cologne 70 years ago this hour (1942)
Video: May 29, 1972 (at 3:18)
(Monday, May 29, 1972, during the Cold War) — President Richard Nixon landed at Kiev’s Boryspil International Airport one hour late today after an engine failed to start on the plane which his Russian hosts had provided him for the trip from Moscow. It was Nixon’s last stop on the first visit by a sitting U.S. president to the Soviet Union.
Video: 'Moon River'
(Tuesday, May 29, 1962) — Composer Henry Mancini walked away with five awards tonight, all from his score for the movie Breakfast At Tiffany’s, including Record of the Year and Song of the Year for Moon River, at the 4th Grammy Awards held in Chicago, Los Angeles and New York. Judy Garland won Album of the Year (other than classical) for Judy at Carnegie Hall and Best New Artist went to Peter Nero.
Video: 'Yankee Doodle Dandy' trailer
(Friday, May 29, 1942) — Yankee Doodle Dandy, a biographical musical film about George M. Cohan, known as “The Man Who Owns Broadway,” premiered tonight during a war-bonds benefit at the Hollywood Theatre in New York.
Directed by Michael Curtiz, the film stars James Cagney as George M. Cohan, Joan Leslie, Walter Huston and Richard Whorf. Continue reading ‘Yankee Doodle Dandy’ premieres in New York 70 years ago tonight (1942)
Video: 'The March of the Bonus Army' (late May 1932 at 9:39)
(Sunday, May 29, 1932, during the Great Depression) — With American flags flying before them, sixteen truckloads of World War I veterans arrived in Washington today to demand cash bonuses they weren’t scheduled to receive until 1945. Eventually, 43,000 “Bonus Army” marchers – 17,000 World War I veterans, their families, and affiliated groups – would gather in Washington.
Video: Second Battle of Kharkov (at 12:46)
(Thursday, May 28, 1942, part of the Eastern Front of World War II) — The Second Battle of Kharkov in the eastern Ukraine ended today as Germany scored a victory by knocking out the Russian force threatening Kharkov. In all, 170,958 Soviets were killed, missing or captured since May 12. Continue reading Soviets defeated in Second Battle of Kharkov 70 years ago today (1942)
(Wednesday, May 27, 1942, during World War II) — Navy Cook 3rd Class Doris “Dorie” Miller became the first African-American to receive the Navy Cross today for his “extraordinary courage and disregard for his own personal safety” during Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor. Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, the Commander in Chief, Pacific Fleet, presented to Miller on board aircraft carrier Enterprise for his extraordinary courage in battle.
Video: Nazis push toward Tobruk (at 4:49)
(Tuesday, May 26, 1942, part of the Western Desert Campaign during World War II) — The Battle of Gazala began today as German and Italian units pushed toward the port of Tobruk in Libya.
Video: 'The "Today" Show Talks with New "Tonight" Show Host, Jay Leno - May, 1992!'
(Monday, May 25, 1992, 11:35 p.m.-12:35 a.m. EDT) — Comedian Jay Leno made his debut tonight as host of NBC’s Tonight Show, succeeding Johnny Carson. Leno’s first guest was actor, comedian Billy Crystal.
