#Middlebury
On May 7, 1824, Ludwig van Beethoven’s ninth and final symphony debuts at Vienna’s Theater am Karntnertor. Having lost his hearing years earlier, the celebrated composer nonetheless appeared to conduct the first performance of his Ninth Symphony, while the real conductor stood in the wings. Beethoven was several bars off the actual music by the time the piece concluded.- On May 5, 1904, Cy Young pitches the first perfect game in modern Major League Baseball history as the Boston Americans defeat the Philadelphia Athletics, 3-0. Young’s perfect game was part of his then-record 45-inning scoreless streak.
- On May 4, 1916, Germany responds to a demand by U.S. President Woodrow Wilson by agreeing to limit its submarine warfare. However, on Feb. 1, 1917, Germany announced the resumption of unrestricted submarine warfare, and the United States formally entered World War I.
- On May 8, 1933, the first police radio system, connecting headquarters to patrol cars and patrol cars to one another, is installed in Eastchester Township, New York. The system consisted of one transmitter of 20 watts for the headquarters and two transmitters of 4.5 volts each for the two patrol cars.
- On May 3, 1952, a ski-modified U.S. Air Force C-47 becomes the first aircraft to land on the North Pole. Aboard the flight was Dr. Albert P. Crary, an American scientist who in 1961 traveled to the South Pole by motorized vehicle, becoming the first person in history to have stood on both poles.
- On May 2, 1972, Steven Spielberg begins filming “Jaws.” The production, which used three mechanical sharks, enthralled audiences and grossed $458 million in its theatrical release.
- On May 6, 1991, 51-year-old race car driver Harry Gant betters his own record as the oldest man ever to win a NASCAR event in the Winston 500 in Talladega, Alabama.
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