On This Day (May 5th) Multiple Choice

1. 1494 – Christopher Columbus lands on and claims which island for Spain ?

2. 1809 – Mary Kies becomes the first woman awarded a U.S. patent, for inventing a technique of doing what ?

3. 1835 – The first railway in continental Europe opens between which two cities ?

4. 1891 – The Music Hall in New York City (later known as Carnegie Hall) has its grand opening and first public performance, with which composer as the guest conductor ?

5. 1905 – The trial in the Stratton Brothers case begins in London, England; it marks the first time that what type of evidence is used to gain a conviction for murder ?

6. 1936 – Italian troops occupy which city ?

7. 1945 – World War II: Battle of Castle Itter takes place, the only battle in which American and what other troops fought cooperatively ?

8. 1961 – Which astronaut becomes the first American to travel into outer space, on a sub-orbital flight ?

9. 1972 – Alitalia Flight 112 crashes into Mount Longa near which city, killing all 115 aboard, making it the deadliest single-aircraft disaster in Italy. ?

10. 1980 – Operation Nimrod: The British Special Air Service storms which country's embassy in London after a six-day siege ?

11. 1992 – Armand Césari Stadium disaster in Bastia (Corsica): 18 people are killed when one of the terraces collapses at a football match between SC Bastia and what other team ?

12. 1994 – American teenager Michael P. Fay receives what punishment in Singapore for theft and vandalism ?

13. 1959 – Ian McCulloch, English singer-songwriter and guitarist, is born. He is best known as the frontman for which band ?

14. Today is commemorated as "Martyrs' Day" in which European country ?

15. Today is also commemorated internationally as what ?