11 May:

By The Associated Press 2 hrs 35 mins ago Today is Monday, May 11, the 131st day of 2009. There are 234 days left in the year. AP. A/V. UPI Almanac. Today's Highlight in History: On May 11, 1946, the first CARE packages arrived in Europe, at Le Havre, France. On this date: In 1502, Christopher Columbus left Cadiz, Spain, on his fourth and final trip to the Western Hemisphere. In 1647, Peter Stuyvesant arrived in New Amsterdam to become governor of New Netherland. In 1858, Minnesota became the 32nd state of the Union. In 1904, artist Salvador Dali was born in Figueras, Spain. In 1910, Glacier National Park in Montana was established. In 1944, Allied forces launched a major offensive against German lines in Italy. In 1949, Siam changed its name back to Thailand. In 1973, charges against Daniel Ellsberg for his role in the "Pentagon Papers" case were dismissed by Judge William M. Byrne, who cited government misconduct. In 1981, legendary reggae artist Bob Marley died in a Miami hospital at age 36. In 1985, 56 people died when a flash fire swept a jam-packed soccer stadium in Bradford, England. In 1996, an Atlanta-bound ValuJet DC-9 caught fire shortly after takeoff from Miami and crashed into the Florida Everglades, killing all 110 people on board. Ten years ago: Stung by an espionage scandal, Energy Secretary Bill Richardson said he would halt the Clinton administration's aggressive declassification of Cold War-era nuclear documents. In Beijing, protests outside the U.S. Embassy over NATO's bombing of the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade eased after state-run television aired U.S. and NATO apologies for the attack. Five years ago: A video on an al-Qaida-linked Web site showed the beheading of businessman Nick Berg, an American who'd been kidnapped in Iraq. Six Israeli soldiers were killed when their armored personnel carrier was blown up by Palestinian militants in Gaza City. Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant pleaded not guilty in a Colorado court to a rape charge. (Prosecutors later dropped the case.) One year ago: Serbia's pro-Western president, Boris Tadic, declared victory in parliamentary elections — a stunning upset over ultranationalists. A cease-fire ended weeks of bloody fighting in Baghdad's Sadr City district. Parvati Shallow was the last woman standing on CBS' "Survivor: Micronesia — Fans vs. Favorites." (Shallow had previously come in sixth place on "Survivor: Cook Islands.") Today's Birthdays: Comedian Mort Sahl is 82. Rock singer Eric Burdon (The Animals; War) is 68. Actress Shohreh Aghdashloo is 57. Actress Frances Fisher is 57. Actor Boyd Gaines is 56. Country musician Mark Herndon (Alabama) is 54. Actress Martha Quinn is 50. Country singer-musician Tim Raybon (The Raybon Brothers) is 46. Actor Jeffrey Donovan is 41. Country musician Keith West (Heartland) is 41. Actor Coby Bell is 34. Cellist Perttu Kivilaakso is 31. Today In Entertainment History -- In 1970, the three-record "Woodstock" soundtrack was released. It went gold within two weeks. In 1972, John Lennon said on "The Dick Cavett Show" that he thought he had been followed and had had his phone tapped the past few months. In 1979, Peaches and Herb received a platinum record for "Reunited." In 1981, musician Bob Marley died in a Miami hospital of a brain tumor at the age of 36. The previous fall, he had collapsed on stage. In 1990, singer Richie Valens was posthumously awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 1991, Pearl Jam first started recording their debut album, "Ten." In 1996, a 17-year-old fan was crushed to death at a Smashing Pumpkins concert in Dublin. In 2002, Aerosmith bassist Tom Hamilton's home on Cape Cod caught fire and was burned to the ground. No one was hurt. Thought for Today: "Ability hits the mark where presumption overshoots and diffidence falls short." — Golda Meir, Israeli prime minister (1898-1978). Copyright ©2009 The Associated Press. All rights reversed. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Copyright ©2009 Yahoo! Inc. All rights reversed.