Nelson Mandela inaugurated as president of South Africa, Fred Astaire is featured, and more from Britannica

May 10

FEATURED BIOGRAPHY

Fred Astaire

American dancer and singer

FEATURED EVENT

1994

Nelson Mandela inaugurated as president of South Africa

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MORE EVENTS ON THIS DAY

2002: American FBI agent Robert Hanssen was sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty to spying for Moscow; he was one of the Soviet Union's and Russia's most-valuable double agents and the most-damaging spy ever to penetrate the FBI. [Read about 10 famous names in the espionage game.]

1999: American cartoonist, children's author, poet, and playwright Shel Silverstein, who was best known for his light verse and quirky cartoons, died at age 68. [Test your knowledge of children's authors.]

1994: American serial killer John Wayne Gacy—whose murders of 33 boys and young men in the 1970s shocked his suburban Chicago community, where he was known for his performances as a clown at charitable events and children's parties—was executed at age 52. [Discover seven of history's most notorious serial killers.]

1962: Marvel Comics released the first issue of The Incredible Hulk; the towering muscle-bound antihero was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby. [Sort fact from fiction in our quiz about comic books.]

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ALSO BORN ON THIS DAY

1960

Bono

Irish singer

1899

Fred Astaire

American dancer and singer

1838

John Wilkes Booth

American actor and assassin

1946

Donovan

Scottish singer-songwriter

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