Today is Monday, May 21, the 142nd day of 2012. There are 224 days left in the year.

143 ― Earliest known date in America; pre Mayan king Harvest-Bergvorst installed

1819 ― First bicycles (swift walkers) in U.S. introduced in NYC

1840 ― New Zealand became a British colony

1891 ― Boxers Peter Jackson and Jim Corbett fight to a draw in 61 rounds

1892 ― Ruggiero Leoncavallo's opera ``I Pagliacci" premieres in Milan

1904 ― Federation Internationale de Football Association (Soccer) forms in Paris, France

1908 ― First horror movie (Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde) premieres in Chicago

1927 ― Lindbergh lands in Paris France, after first solo air crossing of Atlantic

1978 ― 118 Unification church couples wed in England

1994 ― South Yemen secedes from Yemen