Today is Wednesday, May 23, the 144th day of 2012. There are 222 days left in the year.

1430 ― Joan of Arc captured by Burgundians at Compiegne, who sell her to the British

1785 ― Benjamin Franklin announces his invention of bifocals

1883 ― Baseball game between one-armed and one-legged players

1900 ― Associated Press News Service forms in New York

1934 ― Wallace Carothers manufactures first nylon (polymer 66)

1945 ― Heinrich Himmler, German Nazi leader & Chief of Police, commits suicide

1945 ― Winston Churchill resigns as British P.M.

1958 ― Mao Tse Tung starts ``Great leap forward" movement in China

1990 ― Cost of rescuing savings & loan failures is put at up to $130 billion

1994 ― Star Trek The Next Generation, finale airs this week in syndication