Today in History: May 6, the Hindenburg crashes in flames in New Jersey
Today is Tuesday, May 6, the 126th day of 2025. There are 239 days left in the year.
Today in history:
On May 6, 1937, the hydrogen-filled German airship Hindenburg caught fire and crashed while attempting to dock at Lakehurst, New Jersey; 35 of the 97 people on board and one crew member on the ground were killed.
Also on this date:
In 1882, President Chester Alan Arthur signed the Chinese Exclusion Act, which barred Chinese laborers from immigrating to the U.S. for 10 years. (The act would remain in effect until 1943.)
In 1889, the Eiffel Tower opened to the public as part of the Paris World’s Fair.
In 1935, the Works Progress Administration was established under an executive order signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
In 1954, medical student Roger Bannister broke the four-minute mile during a track meet in Oxford, England, finishing in 3:59.4.
In 1994, former Arkansas state worker Paula Jones filed a suit against President Bill Clinton, alleging he’d sexually harassed her in 1991. (Jones reached a settlement with Clinton in November 1998.)
In 1994, the Channel Tunnel connecting England and France beneath the English Channel was officially opened in a ceremony attended by Queen Elizabeth II and French president François Mitterrand.
In 2004, President George W. Bush apologized for the abuse of Iraqi prisoners by American soldiers at Abu Ghraib prison, calling it “a stain on our country’s honor and reputation,” but rejected calls for Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld’s resignation.
Today’s Birthdays:
- Rock musician Bob Seger is 80.
- Country musician Jimmie Dale Gilmore is 80.
- Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair is 72.
- TV host Tom Bergeron is 70.
- Actor Roma Downey is 65.
- Actor-director George Clooney is 64.
- Hockey Hall of Famer Martin Brodeur is 53.
- Actor Adrianne Palicki is 42.
- Actor Gabourey Sidibe (GA’-bah-ray SIH’-duh-bay) is 42.
- NBA point guard Chris Paul is 40.
- Actor-comedian Sasheer Zamata is 39.
- Rapper Meek Mill is 38.
- Actor-singer Naomi Scott is 32.
- WNBA forward Angel Reese is 23.