Today is Monday, May 19, the 140th day of 2008. There are 226 days left in the year.
1588 _ Spanish Armada sets sail for Lisbon, bound to England
1780 _ About midday, near-total darkness descends on much of New England to this day its cause is still unexplained
1905 _ Italian King Victor Emmanuel and Swiss President open world's longest railroad tunnel (Simplon) links Iselle Italy and Brig Switzerland
1943 _ Berlin is declared ``Judenrien" (free of Jews)
1944 _ German defense line in Italy collapsed
1951 _ U.N. begins counter offensive in Korea
1958 _ ``South Pacific" soundtrack album goes to No.1 and stays No. 1 for 31 weeks
1960 _ Belgian parliament requires rest day for self employed
1967 _ U.S. bombs Hanoi
1982 _ Sophia Loren jailed in Naples for tax evasion