Today is the 149th day of 2015 and the 71st day of spring.

TODAY'S HISTORY: In 1453, Ottoman armies captured Constantinople after a 53-day siege, effectively crushing the Byzantine Empire.

In 1790, Rhode Island became the last of the original 13 Colonies to ratify the U.S. Constitution.

In 1848, Wisconsin was admitted as the 30th U.S. state.

In 1953, Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay became the first climbers known to have reached the summit of Mount Everest.

TODAY'S BIRTHDAYS: Patrick Henry (1736-1799), attorney/politician; G.K. Chesterson (1874-1936), writer; Bob Hope (1903-2003), comedian/actor; John F. Kennedy (1917-1963), 35th U.S. president; Bob Simon (1941-2015), journalist; Danny Elfman (1953- ), composer; Annette Bening (1958- ), actress; Rupert Everett (1959- ), actor; Melissa Etheridge (1961- ), singer-songwriter; Daniel Tosh (1975- ), comedian/TV personality; Carmelo Anthony (1984- ), basketball player.

TODAY'S FACT: Rhode Island's constitution identifies the state's official name as the "State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations."

TODAY'S SPORTS: In 1990, Rickey Henderson stole his 893rd base, breaking Ty Cobb's American League career stolen base record.

TODAY'S QUOTE: "A good novel tells us the truth about its hero; but a bad novel tells us the truth about its author." -- G.K. Chesterson, "Heretics"

TODAY'S NUMBER: 18 -- Academy Awards ceremonies for which legendary entertainer Bob Hope served as host or co-host.

TODAY'S MOON: Between first quarter moon (May 25) and full moon (June 2).

Today is the 148th day of 2015 and the 70th day of spring.

TODAY'S HISTORY: In 1588, the first of 130 ships in the Spanish Armada set sail from Lisbon, Portugal, bound for the English Channel.

In 1830, President Andrew Jackson signed the Indian Removal Act into law.

In 1937, the government of Germany formed the automobile company that would later be known as Volkswagen.

In 1961, English lawyer Peter Benenson's article "The Forgotten Prisoners" was published in London, forming the basis for the human rights organization Amnesty International.

TODAY'S BIRTHDAYS: Thomas Moore (1779-1852), poet; Jim Thorpe (1888-1953), multisport athlete; Ian Fleming (1908-1964), author; Jerry West (1938- ), basketball player/executive; Rudy Giuliani (1944- ), politician; Gladys Knight (1944- ), singer-songwriter; John Fogerty (1945- ), singer-songwriter; Kylie Minogue (1968- ), singer-songwriter; Marco Rubio (1971- ), politician; Elisabeth Hasselbeck (1977- ), TV personality; Carey Mulligan (1985- ), actress.

TODAY'S FACT: Between 1939 and 2003, Volkswagen produced more than 21 million Beetles, maing the car second only to the Toyota Corolla (40 million+ units) as the most-produced vehicle model of all time.

TODAY'S SPORTS: In 1957, Major League Baseball's National League owners unanimously approved the moves of the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants to Los Angeles and San Francisco, respectively.

TODAY'S QUOTE: "'Surround yourself with human beings, my dear James. They are easier to fight for than principles.' He laughed. 'But don't let me down and become human yourself. We would lose a wonderful machine.'" -- Ian Fleming, "Casino Royale"

TODAY'S NUMBER: 7 million -- members and supporters of Amnesty International in more than 150 nations.

TODAY'S MOON: Between first quarter moon (May 25) and full moon (June 2).

Today is the 147th day of 2015 and the 69th day of spring.

TODAY'S HISTORY: In 1937, San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge opened to pedestrian traffic.

In 1941, recent German victories in World War II prompted President Franklin D. Roosevelt to proclaim an "unlimited national emergency."

In 1999, a United Nations tribunal indicted Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic for crimes against humanity.

In 2006, a 6.3-magnitude earthquake on the island of Java, Indonesia, killed nearly 6,000 people and injured more than 38,000.

TODAY'S BIRTHDAYS: "Wild Bill" Hickok (1837-1876), lawman/gambler; Dashiell Hammett (1894-1961), author; Rachel Carson (1907-1964), biologist/environmentalist; Hubert Humphrey (1911-1978), politician; Vincent Price (1911-1993), actor; Sam Snead (1912-2002), golfer; Henry Kissinger (1923- ), politician; Adam Carolla (1964- ), TV personality/radio host; Paul Bettany (1971- ), actor; Jack McBrayer (1973- ), actor; Andre 3000 (1975- ), rapper/actor; Jamie Oliver (1975- ), chef/activist; Chris Colfer (1990- ), actor.

TODAY'S FACT: President Franklin D. Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill were not only Allied leaders in World War II; they were seventh cousins once removed, through Roosevelt's mother.

TODAY'S SPORTS: In 1968, Major League Baseball awarded Montreal, Canada, the first MLB franchise outside the United States (Montreal Expos).

TODAY'S QUOTE: "Intellectuals are cynical, and cynics have never built a cathedral." -- Henry Kissinger

TODAY'S NUMBER: 1,046 -- height (in feet) of the Chrysler Building in New York City, the tallest building in the world when it opened to the public on this day in 1930.

TODAY'S MOON: Between first quarter moon (May 25) and full moon (June 2).