- 1879] The world's most famous arena: Madison Square Garden opens to the public at Fifth Avenue and 23rd Street. Harper's Weekly describes it as "Grimy, drafty and combustible" (5/31). Wait till they see the Knicks play...
- 1889] The Johnstown (PA) flood kills more than 2,000 after a damn breaks sending tons of water rushing through the city (5/31)...
- 1907] The 1st taxis in the U.S. arrive in New York City followed by an increase in traffic accidents (5/31)...
- 1925] Lou Gehrig pinch-hits for Yankees shortstop Pee Wee Wanninger and singles in the first of his record 2,130 consecutive games played (6/1). The next day he replaces Wally Pipp who gets the most famous of all headaches. Gehrig's record will stand until broken in 1995...1982] 21-year old Baltimore third baseman Cal Ripken Jr. begins his consecutive game streak (5/30). He will move to shortstop eventually but the streak will last more than 13 years and 3 months and he will break Gehrig's record...
- 1961] New York, California and Illinois radio stations debut FM multiplex stereo (6/1). One year later the FCC makes FM standard...
- 1968] 'Happy Trails': Helen Keller, who earned a college degree despite being blind and deaf most of her life, dies in her sleep in Westport (CT) at the age of 87 (6/1)...1991] David Ruffin, lead singer of the Temptations dies from a cocaine overdose in Philadelphia, at 50 (6/1)...1997] Betty Shabazz, widow of Malcolm X is critically burned in a fire set by her 12-year old grandson in her Yonkers apartment (6/1). Shabazz would die from her burns on June 23 at 61...2000] Latin music performer Tito Puente dies on the operating table as a result of complications following 12 hours of open-heart surgery (5/31). Puente was 77...
- 1970] Baseball's All-Star voting returns to the fans so that they can vote for all their favorite players whether they deserve it or not (5/30)...
- 1980] Ted Turner starts the Cable News Network (CNN) (6/1)...
- 1994] Reggie Miller puts on one of the greatest scoring displays in NBA history when he scores 25 of his 39 points in the 4th quarter to help Indiana beat the Knicks in Game 5 of their East Conference Playoffs (6/1). The Knicks will come back to win the series in seven games...
- 2005] American teen Natalee Holloway is last seen leaving a bar with three young men while vacationing in Aruba before disappearing (5/30). Her body still remains to be found...
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