Daily Almanac: May 06, 2023

Sunrise/Sunset

RISE: 6:36 a.m.
SET: 8:44 p.m.

High/Low Temperatures:

HIGH: 79 °F
LOW: 63 °F

Today is…

• Free Comic Book Day
• Beer Pong Day
• Kentucky Derby

What Happened On This Day:

• 1994 The Channel Tunnel linking the United Kingdom with France is opened. Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom and French President François Mitterrand inaugurated the “Chunnel”. It measures just over 50 km (31 mi) and is the tunnel with the world’s longest undersea portion.
• 1976 A massive earthquake hits northeast Italy. 939 people died and 157,000 were left homeless in Italy’s worst earthquake, which measured 6.5 on the Richter scale.
1937 The Hindenburg zeppelin filled with hydrogen goes up in flames. The footage showing a colossal fireball engulfing the German airship during a landing attempt in Lakehurst, NJ, has become iconic for the end of the zeppelin era. 35 lives were lost in the crash.

Births On This Day

• 1961 George Clooney
American actor, director, producer, screenwriter
• 1953 Tony Blair
Scottish/English politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

Deaths On This Day

• 1992 Marlene Dietrich
German/American actress, singer

• 1862 Henry David Thoreau
American writer, philosopher