SATURDAY, MAY 17, 2008

Today is Saturday, May 17, the 138th day of 2008. There are 228 days left in the year.

1814 _ Denmark cedes Norway to Sweden (National Day)

1846 _ Saxophone is patented by Antoine Joseph Sax

1881 _ Revised version of the New Testament published

1884 _ Alaska becomes a U.S. territory

1921 _ Belgian-Luxembourg sign a customs union

1949 _ The British government recognizes the Republic of Ireland

1969 _ Russian probe Venera 6 landed on Venus

1971 _ The Washington State bans sex discrimination

1973 _ The Senate Watergate Committee begins its hearings

1989 Vincent Van Gogh's ``Portrait of Dr. Gachet" auctioned for $825 million