Today is Sunday, May 7, the 127th day of 2006. There are 238 days left in the year. On this date in 1915, nearly 1,200 people die when a German torpedo sinks the British liner Lusitania off the Irish

Today is Sunday, May 7, the 127th day of 2006. There are 238 days left in the year. On this date in 1915, nearly 1,200 people die when a German torpedo sinks the British liner Lusitania off the Irish coast.
In 1789, the first inaugural ball is held in New York in honor of President and Mrs. Washington. In 1939, Germany and Italy announce a military and political alliance known as the Rome-Berlin Axis. In 1941, Glenn Miller and His Orchestra record "Chattanooga Choo Choo" for RCA Victor. In 1945, Germany signs an unconditional surrender at Allied headquarters in Rheims, France. In 1954, the 55-day Battle of Dien Bien Phu in Vietnam ends with Vietnamese insurgents overrunning French forces. In 1975, President Ford formally declares an end to the "Vietnam era." In Ho Chi Minh City -- formerly Saigon -- the Viet Cong celebrates its takeover. In 1977, Seattle Slew wins the Kentucky Derby, the first of its Triple Crown victories. In 1984, a $180 million out-of-court settlement is announced in the Agent Orange class-action suit brought by Vietnam veterans who charge they'd suffered injury from exposure to the defoliant. In 2002, Seattle Slew dies in Lexington, Ky., at age 28.
May 7, 1981: A potential health hazard exists because of the discharge of untreated human waste into the Pymatuning Reservoir, the Shenango River and its tributaries, says the North and South Shenango Joint Municipal Authority, which is struggling to correct the problem. Spokesmen for the Pymatuning State Park say recent tests have shown no current pollution in the lake.
Youngstown City Council authorizes the sale of 13/4 acres of downtown urban renewal property on Federal Street adjacent to the Tri-East Credit Union to a group of developers that plans a $1.5 million office building.
A University of Cincinnati graduate who says he deserved an A instead of a B in a course files a $50,000 lawsuit against the instructor. Michael Collins, 33, said the B kept him from getting into grad school.
May 7, 1966: Two Youngstown University students are beaten by a gang of youths outside the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity house on Bryson Street. John Wertman and George Petrilla, both 20, are in satisfactory condition in St. Elizabeth Hospital.
The Youngstown University Dana School of Music's production of Puccini's "Gianni Schicchi" opens in Strouss Memorial Auditorium with Andrea Kley, Dale Thompson and James Hughes in key roles.
Mrs. Laura Phillips, mother of 15 children and an active member of Tabernacle Baptist Church, is honored as "Mother of the Year" by the Mothers' Council of the W. Federal YMCA.
Gladys Velez, an eighth grader at St. Patrick School, Oak Hill Ave., wins the Vindicator Spelling Bee after battling in the last rounds against Kathleen Appugliese of St. Patrick, Glenwood. Gladys won on the words cholesterol and apropos.
May 7, 1956: Youngstown district schools will have some teacher vacancies that will be difficult to fill for the 1956-57 school year, but they're in better shape than most of Ohio's schools because schools in the area pay well and the buildings and equipment are in good shape.
More than 750 parents and teachers attending the Northeaster District PTA conference at Warren G. Harding High School are told the future of America or any nation lies with its children. The 35th anniversary of Trumbull County PTA was marked during the convention.
U.S. Rep. Michael J. Kirwan introduces legislation that would authorize construction of a dam and reservoir on the West Branch of the Mahoning River near Ravenna. He virtually guarantees passage.
A hailstorm drops icy stones as large as marbles on Youngstown's South Side following a spectacular display of lightning.
May 7, 1931: Youngstown files a $25,000 lawsuit against Cities Service Oil Co. over a 1929 service station fire, charging the company with negligence in maintaining defective equipment and failing to notify the fire department of the dangers. Several firemen were seriously injured and fire fighting equipment was destroyed fighting the fire.
The belief that candy and other sweets harm the teeth "belongs with other fallacious theories," Dr. W. McKim Marriott of the Washington University School of Medicine, tells a convention of the Maryland State Dental Association.
Pennsylvania Gov. Pinchot signs a bill appropriating $1.5 million for construction of the Pymatuning dam, which is to be built near Jamestown and will back water for 42 miles, creating a lake larger than Lake Chautauqua.
Leonard Skeggs, general chairman of the 1931 Community Fund drive, says the need for funds has increased this year and urges residents to support the campaign.
For more than four hours, downtown Columbus is turned into a jungle scene after 25 monkeys escape from a zoo truck. Monkeys scampered over downtown buildings and climbed trees and flagpoles in the statehouse yard before they were captured by police, firemen and citizens.
Copyright 2006 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.