What Happened On This Day In History?

1492

King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain issued an edict expelling those Jews unwilling to convert to Christianity.

1889

French engineer Alexandre Gustave Eiffel unfurled the French tricolor from atop the Eiffel Tower, officially marking its completion.

1917

The United States took possession of the Virgin Islands from Denmark.

1923

The first U.S. dance marathon, held in New York City, ended with Alma Cummings setting a world record of 27 hours on her feet.

1933

Congress authorized the Civilian Conservation Corps.

1943

Rodgers and Hammerstein's musical ''Oklahoma!'' opened on Broadway.

1945

The Tennessee Williams' play ''The Glass Menagerie'' opened on Broadway.

1949

Newfoundland enteredn the confederation as Canada's 10th province.

1968

President Johnson stunned the country by announcing he would not run for another term of office.

1976

The New Jersey Supreme Court ruled that coma patient Karen Anne Quinlan could be disconnected from her respirator. Quinlan, who remained comatose, died in 1985.

1986

A Mexicana Airlines Boeing 727 crashed in a remote mountainous region of Mexico, killing 167 people on board.

1995

Singer Selena, 23, was shot to death in Corpus Christi, Texas, by the founder of her fan club. Yolanda Saldivar was convicted of murder and sentenced to life inprison.

1995

Baseball players agreed to end their 232-day strike after a judge granted a preliminary injunction against club owners.

1999

Three U.S. Army soldiers were captured by Serb forces near the Yugoslav-Macedonia border. Staff Sgt. Christopher J. Stone, Staff Sgt. Andrew A. Ramirez and Spc. Steven M. Gonzales were released on May 2.

1999

Four New York City police officers were charged with murder for killing Amadou Diallo, an unarmed African immigrant, in a hail of bullets. (The officers were later acquitted.)

1998

Former New York Congresswoman Bella Abzug died at age 77.