5-1-12: Today in History

[Rockntractor]

Lead Story
Empire State Building dedicated, 1931

American Revolution
President Eisenhower proclaims Law Day, 1958

Automotive
Ford factory workers get 40-hour week, 1926

Civil War
Battle of Chancellorsville begins, 1863

Cold War
American U-2 spy plane shot down, 1960

Crime
Former NBA All-Star indicted, 2002

Disaster
Record-breaking tornado wave begins, 2003

General Interest
Great Exhibition opens, 1851

The Battle of Manila Bay, 1898

An American tops Everest, 1963

Labour party returns to power in Britain, 1997

Hollywood
Citizen Kane released, 1941

Literary
Joseph Heller is born, 1923

Music
Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro premieres in Vienna, 1786

Old West
Calamity Jane is born, 1852

Presidential
Herbert Hoover dedicates Empire State Building, 1931

Sports
Rickey Henderson breaks stolen base record, 1991

Vietnam War
Senator criticizes Nixon's handling of the war, 1969

North Vietnamese troops capture Quang Tri, 1972

World War I
International Congress of Women adopts resolutions, 1915

World War II
Alan G. Cunningham, British liberator of Ethiopia, is born, 1887

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history

[Zathras]

A sad day for F-1 fans...

Death of Ayrton Senna - May 1st, 1994

The death of three-time Formula One World Champion Ayrton Senna on May 1, 1994, occurred as a result of his car crashing into a concrete barrier while he was leading the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari in Italy. The previous day, Roland Ratzenberger died when his car crashed during qualification for the race. His and Senna's accidents were the worst of several accidents that took place that weekend and were the first fatal accidents to occur during a Formula One race meeting in twelve years. They became a turning point in the safety of Formula One, prompting the implementation of new safety measures and the re-formation of the Grand Prix Drivers' Association.

While Senna's crash remains the most recent to claim the life of a Formula 1 driver, two accidents have since claimed the lives of trackside marshals.

LINK