5-17-13

 

Tucson Weather Today

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TRIVIA

By the reckoning of one scientist, a single pencil can draw a line 731 miles (1178 kilometers) long.

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HISTORICAL EVENT

On May 17 in 1954 the U.S. Supreme Court handed down an unanimous decision in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, ruling that racial segregation in public educational facilities is unconstitutional. The historic decision, which brought an end to federal tolerance of racial segregation, specifically dealt with Linda Brown, a young African American girl who had been denied admission to her local elementary school in Topeka, Kansas, because of the color of her skin.

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CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS

Leven Alice Rambin
(born May 17, 1990)

Leven Rambin is an American actress. She is best known for playing look-alike half-sisters Lily Montgomery and Ava Benton on All My Children (2004–2008) and her recurring roles in; Grey's Anatomy, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, One Tree Hill, Wizards of Waverly Place and CSI: Miami. She co-starred in the 2012 movie The Hunger Games as the District 1 tribute Glimmer.

Sugar Ray Leonard
(born May 17, 1956)

Sugar Ray Leonard is an American retired professional boxer and occasional actor. He was named Ray Charles Leonard, after his mother's favorite singer, Ray Charles. Leonard was the first boxer to earn more than $100 million in purses, won world titles in five weight divisions and defeated future fellow International Boxing Hall of Fame inductees Wilfred Benítez, Thomas Hearns, Roberto Durán and Marvin Hagler. Leonard was named "Boxer of the Decade" for the 1980s.

Dennis Lee Hopper
(May 17, 1936 - May 29, 2010)

Dennis Hopper was an American actor, filmmaker and artist. He made his first television appearance in 1954 and appeared in two films featuring James Dean, Rebel Without a Cause (1955) and Giant (1956). Hopper directed and starred in Easy Rider (1969).

A featured role, that of the American Photojournalist, in Apocalypse Now (1979) brought him attention. He subsequently appeared in Rumble Fish (1983) and The Osterman Weekend (1983), and received critical recognition for his work in Blue Velvet and Hoosiers. He directed Colors (1988), played the lead character named after the movie title in Paris Trout, and played the villain in Speed (1994). He played another villain, King Koopa, in Super Mario Bros. (1993). Hopper also played heroes, such as John Canyon in Space Truckers. Hopper's later work included a leading role in the television series Crash.

William "Bill" Paxton
(born May 17, 1955)

Bill Paxton is an American actor and film director. He gained popularity after starring roles in the films Apollo 13, Weird Science, Twister, Aliens, True Lies, and Titanic. Paxton starred in the HBO series Big Love (2006–2011) and was nominated for an Emmy Award for the miniseries Hatfields & McCoys.