Today is the 124th day of 2016 and the 45th day of spring.
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TODAY'S HISTORY: In 1802, Washington, D.C., was incorporated as a city.
In 1921, West Virginia approved the first state sales tax.
In 1973, construction was completed on Chicago's Sears Tower (later renamed the Willis Tower), the tallest building in the world at the time.
In 2006, the jury in the trial of Zacarias Moussaoui, convicted of conspiracy in the 9/11 terrorist attacks, recommended a sentence of life in prison.
TODAY'S BIRTHDAYS: Niccolo Machiavelli (1469-1527), statesman/philosopher; Golda Meir (1898-1978), Israeli prime minister; Bing Crosby (1903-1977), singer/actor; Pete Seeger (1919-2014), singer-songwriter; Sugar Ray Robinson (1921-1989), boxer; James Brown (1933-2006), singer-songwriter; Frankie Valli (1934- ), singer; Greg Gumbel (1946- ), sportscaster; Christina Hendricks (1975- ), actress; Dule Hill (1975- ), actor; Cheryl Burke (1984- ), dancer.
TODAY'S FACT: Residents of Washington, D.C., did not receive the right to vote in presidential elections until the 23rd Amendment was passed in 1961.
TODAY'S SPORTS: In 1987, Julius Erving of the Philadelphia 76ers played his final game, finishing with 30,026 points, 10,525 rebounds and 5,176 assists in his professional basketball (ABA and NBA) career.
TODAY'S QUOTE: "When I'm on stage, I'm trying to do one thing: Bring people joy. Just like church does. People don't go to church to find trouble; they go there to lose it." -- James Brown
TODAY'S NUMBER: 23 -- hours of solitary confinement each day for prisoners at the Supermax prison in Florence, Colorado, where Zacarias Moussaoui is imprisoned.
TODAY'S MOON: Between last quarter moon (April 29) and new moon (May 6).