Today in History: May 10, golden spike completes transcontinental railway
In 1865, Confederate President Jefferson Davis was captured by Union forces near Irwinville, Ga.
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In 1869, a golden spike was driven in a ceremony in Promontory, Utah, marking the completion of the first transcontinental railroad in the United States.
In 1924, J. Edgar Hoover was named acting director of the Bureau of Investigation (later known as the Federal Bureau of Investigation, or FBI) by President Calvin Coolidge; Hoover would serve as FBI director until 1972.
In 1933, book burnings were held in 34 cities across Germany, targeting authors whose ideologies were in conflict with Nazism.
In 1940, during World War II, German forces began invading the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Belgium, and France. On the same day, British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain resigned, and Winston Churchill formed a new government.
In 1994, Nelson Mandela was inaugurated, becoming the first Black president of South Africa.
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In 1994, the state of Illinois executed serial killer John Wayne Gacy, 52, for the murders of 33 young men and boys.
In 2014, Michael Sam was selected by the St. Louis Rams in the seventh round of the NFL draft, becoming the first openly gay player drafted by a National Football League team.
In 2023, Representative George Santos, the New York Republican infamous for fabricating his life story, was indicted on charges that he duped donors, stole from his campaign, and lied to Congress. (Santos pled guilty in August 2024, and was sentenced to 87 months in prison in April 2025.)
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Hamilton Spectator
43 minutes ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Farewell letter found at the home of the Austrian school shooter but motive remains unclear
GRAZ, Austria (AP) — Investigators found a farewell letter and a non-functional pipe bomb when they searched the home of a man who opened fire at his former school in Austria, killing 10 people and taking his own life, police said Wednesday. As Austria mourned the victims of what appeared to be the deadliest attack in its post-World War II history, with a national minute of silence planned Wednesday morning, questions remained about the motive of the shooter. The 21-year-old Austrian man lived near Graz and was a former student at the BORG Dreierschützengasse high school, in Austria's second-biggest city, who hadn't completed his studies. Police have said that he used two weapons, a shotgun and a handgun, which he appeared to have owned legally. Police didn't elaborate on investigators' findings in a brief post on social network X. But a senior official who acknowledged that the letter had been found on Tuesday night said it hadn't allowed them to draw conclusions. 'A farewell letter in analog and digital form was found,' Franz Ruf, the public security director at Austria's Interior Ministry, told ORF public television. 'He says goodbye to his parents. But no motive can be inferred from the farewell letter, and that is a matter for further investigations.' Asked whether the assailant had attacked victims randomly or targeted them specifically, Ruf said that is also under investigation and he didn't want to speculate. He said that wounded people were found on various levels of the school and, in one case, in front of the building. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
The Hill
44 minutes ago
- The Hill
Farewell letter found at the home of the Austrian school shooter but motive remains unclear
GRAZ, Austria (AP) — Investigators found a farewell letter and a non-functional pipe bomb when they searched the home of a man who opened fire at his former school in Austria, killing 10 people and taking his own life, police said Wednesday. As Austria mourned the victims of what appeared to be the deadliest attack in its post-World War II history, with a national minute of silence planned Wednesday morning, questions remained about the motive of the shooter. The 21-year-old Austrian man lived near Graz and was a former student at the BORG Dreierschützengasse high school, in Austria's second-biggest city, who hadn't completed his studies. Police have said that he used two weapons, a shotgun and a handgun, which he appeared to have owned legally. Police didn't elaborate on investigators' findings in a brief post on social network X. But a senior official who acknowledged that the letter had been found on Tuesday night said it hadn't allowed them to draw conclusions. 'A farewell letter in analog and digital form was found,' Franz Ruf, the public security director at Austria's Interior Ministry, told ORF public television. 'He says goodbye to his parents. But no motive can be inferred from the farewell letter, and that is a matter for further investigations.' Asked whether the assailant had attacked victims randomly or targeted them specifically, Ruf said that is also under investigation and he didn't want to speculate. He said that wounded people were found on various levels of the school and, in one case, in front of the building.
San Francisco Chronicle
an hour ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Farewell letter found at the home of the Austrian school shooter but motive remains unclear
GRAZ, Austria (AP) — Investigators found a farewell letter and a non-functional pipe bomb when they searched the home of a man who opened fire at his former school in Austria, killing 10 people and taking his own life, police said Wednesday. As Austria mourned the victims of what appeared to be the deadliest attack in its post-World War II history, with a national minute of silence planned Wednesday morning, questions remained about the motive of the shooter. The 21-year-old Austrian man lived near Graz and was a former student at the BORG Dreierschützengasse high school, in Austria's second-biggest city, who hadn't completed his studies. Police have said that he used two weapons, a shotgun and a handgun, which he appeared to have owned legally. Police didn't elaborate on investigators' findings in a brief post on social network X. But a senior official who acknowledged that the letter had been found on Tuesday night said it hadn't allowed them to draw conclusions. 'A farewell letter in analog and digital form was found,' Franz Ruf, the public security director at Austria's Interior Ministry, told ORF public television. 'He says goodbye to his parents. But no motive can be inferred from the farewell letter, and that is a matter for further investigations.' Asked whether the assailant had attacked victims randomly or targeted them specifically, Ruf said that is also under investigation and he didn't want to speculate. He said that wounded people were found on various levels of the school and, in one case, in front of the building.
