Today is Monday, May 5, the 125th day of 2025. There are 240 days left in the year.
Today in history:
On May 5, 1961, astronaut Alan B. Shepard Jr. made history by becoming America’s first space traveler, embarking on a 15-minute suborbital flight aboard Mercury capsule Freedom 7.
Also on this date:
In 1821, Napoleon Bonaparte passed away at the age of 51 in exile on the island of St. Helena.
In 1862, Mexican troops successfully repelled French attacks on the city of Puebla de los Ángeles in the Battle of Puebla, also known as the Battle of Cinco de Mayo.
In 1925, schoolteacher John T. Scopes faced charges in Tennessee for violating a state law that prohibited teaching the theory of evolution. (Although Scopes was found guilty, his conviction was later overturned.)
In 1945, a tragic incident occurred when a Japanese balloon bomb exploded on Gearhart Mountain in Oregon, resulting in the deaths of a pregnant woman and five children – the only fatal attack on the U.S. mainland during World War II.
In 1973, the legendary racehorse Secretariat clinched victory at the Kentucky Derby, the first step on his path to securing the Triple Crown, setting a record time of 1:59.4 that still stands today.
In 1981, Irish Republican Army hunger-striker Bobby Sands tragically passed away at the age of 27 at the Maze Prison in Northern Ireland after 66 days without food.
In 1994, Singapore carried out the caning of American teenager Michael Fay for vandalism, following a reduction in his sentence from six lashes to four in response to an appeal by President Bill Clinton.
In 2016, Lonnie Franklin Jr. was convicted of 10 counts of murder in the “Grim Sleeper” serial killings in Los Angeles, targeting poor, young Black women over a span of two decades.
Today’s Birthdays:
- Actor Lance Henriksen celebrates his 85th birthday.
- Comedian-actor Michael Palin turns 82 today.
- Actor Richard E. Grant marks his 68th birthday.
- R&B singer Raheem DeVaughn is 50 years old today.
- Actor Vincent Kartheiser celebrates his 46th birthday.
- Actor Danielle Fishel turns 44 today.
- Actor Henry Cavill is 42 years old today.
- Singer-songwriter Adele celebrates her 37th birthday.
- R&B singer Chris Brown turns 36 today.
- Tennis player Aryna Sabalenka is 27 years old today.
- Olympic figure skating gold medalist Nathan Chen celebrates his 26th birthday.
- Tennis player Carlos Alcaraz turns 22 today.
