Today in History: Thursday, May 01, 2014

AP Highlight in History:  On May 1, 1931, the 102-story Empire State Building in New York City was dedicated.   AP Photo
On this date in: 1707 The Kingdom of Great Britain was created as a treaty merging England and Scotland took effect. 1786 Mozart's opera "The Marriage of Figaro" premiered in Vienna. 1941 The Orson Welles film "Citizen Kane" premiered in New York. AP Photo/Marty Lederhandler 1948 The People's Democratic Republic of Korea (North Korea) was proclaimed. 1960 The Soviet Union shot down an American U-2 reconnaissance plane near Sverdlovsk and captured its pilot, Francis Gary Powers. 1962 The first Target discount store opened in Roseville, Minn. 1967 Singer Elvis Presley married Priscilla Beaulieu in Las Vegas. 1971 Amtrak went into service, combining and streamlining the operations of 18 intercity passenger railroads. 1992 On the third day of the Los Angeles riots, Rodney King appeared in public to appeal for calm, asking "Can we all get along?" 2003 President George W. Bush landed in a jet on the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln off the California coast and, in a speech to the nation, declared major combat in Iraq over. AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite 2011 Pope Benedict XVI beatified Pope John Paul II, moving his predecessor a step closer to sainthood.		Video HIGHLIGHTS OF THIS DAY IN HISTORY Today's Birthdays: Country singer Tim McGraw turns 47 years old today. AP Photo/Evan Agostini Name Profession Age Chuck Bednarik Football Hall of Famer 89 Judy Collins Folk singer 75 Rita Coolidge Singer 69 Dann Florek Actor ("Law and Order: SVU") 63 Ray Parker Jr. R&B singer 60 Wes Anderson Director 45 Curtis Martin Football Hall of Famer 41 Actress Julie Benz ("No Ordinary Family") turns 42 years old today. AP Photo/Chris Pizzello