May 25, 2012 – Smriti "Simmi" D. Isaac

Updated May 24, 2012, 2:28 pm

On May 25, 1925, John T. Scopes was indicted in Tennessee for teaching Darwin’s theory of evolution.
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On May 25, 1926, Miles Davis, the American trumpeter who had a strong influence on jazz music, was born. Following his death on Sept. 28, 1991, his obituary appeared in The Times.

Go to obituary » | Other birthdays »

On This Date

By The Associated Press

1787 The Constitutional Convention was convened in Philadelphia.

1878 Song-and-dance man Bill “Bojangles” Robinson was born in Richmond, Va.

1895 Playwright Oscar Wilde was convicted of a morals charge in London and sentenced to prison.

1935 Baseball Hall of Famer Babe Ruth hit the 714th and final home run of his career.

1946 Transjordan became a kingdom as it proclaimed its new monarch, Abdullah I.

1951 Baseball Hall of Famer Willie Mays made his major league debut with the New York Giants.

1968 The Gateway Arch in St. Louis was dedicated.

1977 The science-fiction movie “Star Wars” was released.

1979 An American Airlines DC-10 crashed during takeoff at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, killing all 271 people on board and two on the ground.

1981 Daredevil Dan Goodwin, wearing a Spiderman costume, scaled the outside of Chicago’s Sears Tower in 71/2 hours.

1986 An estimated 7 million people participated in “Hands Across America,” forming a line across the country to raise money for the nation’s hungry and homeless.

1992 Jay Leno debuted as host of NBC’s “Tonight Show,” succeeding Johnny Carson.

2005 Carrie Underwood won the fourth season of “American Idol.”

2006 Former Enron Corp. chiefs Kenneth Lay and Jeffrey Skilling were convicted in Houston of conspiracy and fraud for the company’s downfall. (Skilling faces resentencing after his original 24-year sentence was overturned; Lay died before he could be sentenced.)

2011 A judge in Salt Lake City sentenced street preacher Brian David Mitchell to life in prison for kidnapping and raping Elizabeth Smart, who was 14 at the time of her abduction in 2002.

2011 A judge in Tucson, Ariz., ruled that Jared Lee Loughner, the man accused of wounding U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and killing six in a shooting rampage, was mentally incompetent to stand trial.

2011 After a 25-year run, “The Oprah Winfrey Show” aired its final broadcast.

Current Birthdays

By The Associated Press

Actress Octavia Spencer (“The Help”) turns 42 years old years old today.

AP Photo/Chris Pizzello

Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher turns 34 years old today.

AP Photo/Jim Prisching

1921 Hal David, Songwriter, turns 91

1932 K.C. Jones, Basketball Hall of Famer, turns 80

1936 Tom T. Hall, Country singer, songwriter, turns 76

1939 Ian McKellen, Actor, turns 73

1943 Leslie Uggams, Singer-actress, turns 69

1944 Frank Oz, Movie producer, “muppeteer”, turns 68

1947 Karen Valentine, Actress (“Room 222”), turns 65

1955 Connie Sellecca, Actress, turns 57

1958 Paul Weller, Rock musician (The Jam, Style Council), turns 54

1960 Amy Klobuchar, U.S. senator, D-Minn., turns 52

1963 Mike Myers, Actor, comedian (“Saturday Night Live,” “Austin Powers” movies), turns 49

1969 Anne Heche, Actress, turns 43

1973 Molly Sims, Actress, turns 39

1974 Miguel Tejada, Baseball player, turns 38

1975 Lauryn Hill, R&B singer, turns 37

1976 Cillian Murphy, Actor, turns 36

1984 Shawne Merriman, Football player, turns 28

Historic Birthdays

Miles Davis 5/25/1926 – 9/28/1991 American jazz trumpeter, bandleader and composer.Go to obituary »

75 Claude Buffier 5/25/1661 – 5/17/1737
French Jesuit philosopher, historian and educator

78 Ralph Waldo Emerson 5/25/1803 – 4/27/1882
American poet and essayist; important figure in Transcendentalism

71 Bill “Bojangles” Robinson 5/25/1878 – 11/25/1949
American stage and screen dancer

85 Sir William Beaverbrook 5/25/1879 – 6/9/1964
Canadian-born English politician, journalist and newspaper proprietor

66 Phillip Murray 5/25/1886 – 11/9/1952
Scottish-born American labor leader

83 Igor Sikorsky 5/25/1889 – 10/26/1972
Russian-born American aircraft designer; developed the helicopter

73 Bennett Cerf 5/25/1898 – 8/27/1971
American publisher, businessman and founder of Random House Publishers

81 Gene Tunney 5/25/1897 – 11/7/1978
American boxer; defeated Jack Dempsey in 1926

52 Richard Dimbleby 5/25/1913 – 12/22/1965
English reporter and pioneering broadcast journalist

1787	The Constitutional Convention was convened in Philadelphia.
1878	Song-and-dance man Bill “Bojangles” Robinson was born in Richmond, Va.
1895	Playwright Oscar Wilde was convicted of a morals charge in London and sentenced to prison.
1935	Baseball Hall of Famer Babe Ruth hit the 714th and final home run of his career.
1946	Transjordan became a kingdom as it proclaimed its new monarch, Abdullah I.
1951	Baseball Hall of Famer Willie Mays made his major league debut with the New York Giants.
1968	The Gateway Arch in St. Louis was dedicated.
1977	The science-fiction movie “Star Wars” was released.
1979	An American Airlines DC-10 crashed during takeoff at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, killing all 271 people on board and two on the ground.
1981	Daredevil Dan Goodwin, wearing a Spiderman costume, scaled the outside of Chicago’s Sears Tower in 71/2 hours.
1986	An estimated 7 million people participated in “Hands Across America,” forming a line across the country to raise money for the nation’s hungry and homeless.
1992	Jay Leno debuted as host of NBC’s “Tonight Show,” succeeding Johnny Carson.
2005	Carrie Underwood won the fourth season of “American Idol.”
2006	Former Enron Corp. chiefs Kenneth Lay and Jeffrey Skilling were convicted in Houston of conspiracy and fraud for the company’s downfall. (Skilling faces resentencing after his original 24-year sentence was overturned; Lay died before he could be sentenced.)
2011	A judge in Salt Lake City sentenced street preacher Brian David Mitchell to life in prison for kidnapping and raping Elizabeth Smart, who was 14 at the time of her abduction in 2002.
2011	A judge in Tucson, Ariz., ruled that Jared Lee Loughner, the man accused of wounding U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and killing six in a shooting rampage, was mentally incompetent to stand trial.
2011	After a 25-year run, “The Oprah Winfrey Show” aired its final broadcast.

1921	Hal David, Songwriter, turns 91
1932	K.C. Jones, Basketball Hall of Famer, turns 80
1936	Tom T. Hall, Country singer, songwriter, turns 76
1939	Ian McKellen, Actor, turns 73
1943	Leslie Uggams, Singer-actress, turns 69
1944	Frank Oz, Movie producer, “muppeteer”, turns 68
1947	Karen Valentine, Actress (“Room 222”), turns 65
1955	Connie Sellecca, Actress, turns 57
1958	Paul Weller, Rock musician (The Jam, Style Council), turns 54
1960	Amy Klobuchar, U.S. senator, D-Minn., turns 52
1963	Mike Myers, Actor, comedian (“Saturday Night Live,” “Austin Powers” movies), turns 49
1969	Anne Heche, Actress, turns 43
1973	Molly Sims, Actress, turns 39
1974	Miguel Tejada, Baseball player, turns 38
1975	Lauryn Hill, R&B singer, turns 37
1976	Cillian Murphy, Actor, turns 36
1984	Shawne Merriman, Football player, turns 28

75	Claude Buffier 5/25/1661 – 5/17/1737 French Jesuit philosopher, historian and educator
78	Ralph Waldo Emerson 5/25/1803 – 4/27/1882 American poet and essayist; important figure in Transcendentalism
71	Bill “Bojangles” Robinson 5/25/1878 – 11/25/1949 American stage and screen dancer
85	Sir William Beaverbrook 5/25/1879 – 6/9/1964 Canadian-born English politician, journalist and newspaper proprietor
66	Phillip Murray 5/25/1886 – 11/9/1952 Scottish-born American labor leader
83	Igor Sikorsky 5/25/1889 – 10/26/1972 Russian-born American aircraft designer; developed the helicopter
73	Bennett Cerf 5/25/1898 – 8/27/1971 American publisher, businessman and founder of Random House Publishers
81	Gene Tunney 5/25/1897 – 11/7/1978 American boxer; defeated Jack Dempsey in 1926
52	Richard Dimbleby 5/25/1913 – 12/22/1965 English reporter and pioneering broadcast journalist