Today is the 147th day of 2012 and the 68th day of spring.

TODAY'S HISTORY: In 1865, the last Confederate forces fighting the Civil War surrendered.

In 1868, the Senate failed to convict President Andrew Johnson in his impeachment trial by only one vote.

In 1994, President Bill Clinton announced that the United States would no longer link China's trade status with its human rights record.

TODAY'S BIRTHDAYS: Al Jolson (1886-1950), singer; Dorothea Lange (1895-1965), photographer; John Wayne (1907-1979), actor; Peggy Lee (1920-2002), singer; Miles Davis (1926-1991), jazz musician; Stevie Nicks (1948- ), singer/songwriter; Sally Ride (1951- ), astronaut; Lenny Kravitz (1964- ), singer/songwriter; Helena Bonham Carter (1966- ), actress; Matt Stone (1971- ), screenwriter/TV producer.

TODAY'S SPORTS: In 1959, Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Harvey Haddix pitched the longest perfect game in history -- 12 innings -- only to lose 1-0 in the 13th.

TODAY'S FACT: Only two U.S. presidents in history went on to serve in Congress following their time in the nation's highest office: John Quincy Adams and Andrew Johnson.

TODAY'S QUOTE: "Photography takes an instant out of time, altering life by holding it still." -- Dorothea Lange

TODAY'S NUMBER: 28,231 -- parole passes given to Confederate soldiers by Gen. Ulysses S. Grant after their 1865 surrender at Appomattox Court House in Virginia.

TODAY'S MOON: Between new moon (May 20) and first quarter (May 28).

Today is the 146th day of 2012 and the 67th day of spring.

TODAY'S HISTORY: In 1787, the Constitutional Convention convened in Philadelphia, with George Washington presiding.

In 1961, President John F. Kennedy announced his plan to put a man on the moon by the end of the decade.

In 1977, the first "Star Wars" movie was released in American theaters.

In 2011, the final episode of Oprah Winfrey's long-running TV talk show aired.

TODAY'S BIRTHDAYS: Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882), poet/essayist/philosopher; Bill "Bojangles" Robinson (1878-1949), dancer/actor; Gene Tunney (1897-1978), boxer; Robert Ludlum (1927-2001), author; Sir Ian McKellen (1939- ), actor; Mike Myers (1963- ), actor/comedian; Miguel Tejada (1974- ), baseball player; Lauryn Hill (1975- ), singer; Brian Urlacher (1978- ), football player.

TODAY'S SPORTS: In 1935, just a week before playing in his last major league game, Babe Ruth went 4-for-4 with three home runs, including his major league record 714th, in an 11-7 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates at Forbes Field.

TODAY'S FACT: With $4.4 billion in worldwide box office sales as of January 2012, "Star Wars" is the third highest-grossing film franchise of all time, after "Harry Potter" ($7.7 billion) and "James Bond" ($5.1 billion).

TODAY'S QUOTE: "First, I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the Earth." -- John F. Kennedy

TODAY'S NUMBER: 4,561 -- episodes of "The Oprah Winfrey Show" that aired during the celebrated daily talk show's 25-year run.

TODAY'S MOON: Between new moon (May 20) and first quarter (May 28).

Today is the 145th day of 2012 and the 66th day of spring.

TODAY'S HISTORY: In 1844, Samuel Morse sent the first electrical telegraph message, "What hath God wrought?" from the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., to an assistant in Baltimore.

In 1883, the Brooklyn Bridge opened in New York City.

In 1994, the four men convicted of the 1993 bombing of New York's World Trade Center were each sentenced to 240 years in prison.

TODAY'S BIRTHDAYS: Queen Victoria (1819-1901), British monarch; Margaret Wise Brown (1910-1952), children's author; Tommy Chong (1938- ), actor/comedian; Bob Dylan (1941- ), singer/songwriter; Patti LaBelle (1944- ), singer; Priscilla Presley (1945- ), actress; Kristen Scott Thomas (1960- ), actress; John C. Reilly (1965- ), actor; Joey Logano (1990- ), race car driver.

TODAY'S SPORTS: In 1935, the first Major League Baseball night game was played between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Cincinnati Reds at the latter's Crosley Field.

TODAY'S FACT: In 1864, a telegram containing the 16,543-word Nevada Constitution was sent from Carson City, Nev., to Washington, D.C. It is thought to be the longest telegram ever sent, and it cost $4,313.27.

TODAY'S QUOTE: "Morality has nothing in common with politics." -- Bob Dylan

TODAY'S NUMBER: 14,680 -- the total weight, in tons, of the Brooklyn Bridge.

TODAY'S MOON: Between new moon (May 20) and first quarter (May 28).