Events, Births and Deaths Happening on this Date

1670

The Hudson Bay Co. was chartered by England's King Charles II.

1863

Confederate Gen. Thomas ''Stonewall'' Jackson was accidentally wounded by his own men at Chancellorsville, Va. He died eight days later.

1890

The Oklahoma Territory was organized.

1932

Jack Benny's first radio show made its debut on the NBC Blue Network.

1939

New York Yankees first baseman Lou Gehrig's streak of 2,130 consecutive games played came to an end. His record stood until 1995, when it was broken by Cal Ripken Jr. of the Baltimore Orioles.

1945

The Soviet Union announced the fall of Berlin and the Allies announced the surrender of Nazi troops in Italy and parts of Austria.

1974

Former Vice President Spiro T. Agnew was disbarred by the Maryland Court of Appeals, effectively preventing him from practicing law anywhere in the United States.

1994

Nelson Mandela claimed victory in the wake of South Africa's first democratic elections.

1997

Tony Blair became, at age 44, Britain's youngest prime minister in 185 years.

1999

Yugoslav authorities handed over to the Rev. Jesse Jackson three American prisoners of war who had been held for a month.

1519

Artist Leonardo da Vinci died at Cloux, France.

1957

Sen. Joseph R. McCarthy, the controversial Republican from Wisconsin, died at Bethesda Naval Hospital in Maryland.

1972

After serving 48 years as head of the FBI, J. Edgar Hoover died in Washington at age 77.