Moments in time 5/12/11

MOMENTS IN TIME - The History Channel

On May 23, 1701, at London’s Execution Dock, British privateer William Kidd, popularly known as Captain Kidd, is hanged for five charges of piracy and one charge of murdering a crewman. A colorful Kidd legend included reports of lost buried treasure that fortune seekers have pursued for centuries.

On May 24, 1883, after 14 years and 27 deaths while being constructed, the Brooklyn Bridge in New York is opened, the largest suspension bridge ever built to that date.

* On May 27, 1894, Dashiell Hammett, author of “The Maltese Falcon,” is born in Maryland. He worked as a Pinkerton detective for eight years and turned his experiences into fiction. The novel was filmed three times: once in 1931; again in 1936 under the title “Satan Met a Lady,” starring Bette Davis; and finally in 1941, starring Humphrey Bogart.

* On May 26, 1927, the final and 15 millionth Model T Ford rolls out of the factory, on the official last day of production. Introduced in October 1908, the Model T — also known as the “Tin Lizzie” — got about 13 to 21 miles per gallon of gasoline and could travel up to 45 mph.

* On May 29, 1953, Edmund Hillary of New Zealand and Tenzing Norgay, a Sherpa of Nepal, become the first explorers to reach the summit of Mount Everest, the highest point on earth. At 29,035 feet above sea level, the low-oxygen summit of Everest reaches two-thirds of the way through the air of earth’s atmosphere — at about the cruising altitude of jet airliners.

* On May 25, 1977, George Lucas’ blockbuster movie “Star Wars” opens in American theaters. With its groundbreaking special effects, “Star Wars” was soon a bona-fide pop culture phenomenon, spawning five more feature films, five TV series and an entire industry’s worth of comic books, toys and video games.

* On May 28, 1983, Irene Cara’s song “Flashdance (What a Feeling)”, from the “Flashdance” movie soundtrack, goes to the top of the U.S. pop charts. The song helped propel the relatively low-budget film to the No. 3 spot on the total box-office revenue list for the year.

(c) 2011 King Features Synd., Inc.