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1949: Soviets lift blockade in Berlin
Traffic into Berlin was restored today when the Soviets lifted their 11-month-old blockade. In one of the major Cold War crises, the Soviet Union had blocked railroad and street access to West Berlin in hopes that the Allies would abandon the city. Instead, British and American planes flew in vital supplies like food and fuel to help West Berliners survive. Although the blockade was lifted today, air lifts did not stop until September 30. This was done as a precautionary measure to build up adequate supplies in case the Soviets issued another blockade.
"Thus-ended the dependence of 2,000,000 west Berliners on British and American planes for food and fuel," reported the Galveston Daily News on May 12, 1949. "But the air lift was going ahead at full schedule, and pilots said their instructions were to keep right on for at least 80 days."
NOTE: Despite uneasiness regarding whether the lift would last, there was a celebratory mood in Berlin. Schools closed for a holiday, and newspapers said that Berlin was in "a carnival mood." The blockade had began on June 24, 1948, and the Berlin Airlift supplied food for the city throughout the entire winter, dropping a total of 2,326,406 tons of food and supplies.
1970: Banks becomes member of 500 home run club
Ernie Banks hit the 500th home run of his National League career today, making him the ninth member of the 500-homer club. The milestone hit was made at Wrigley Field in Chicago with the Cubs playing the Atlanta Braves. "The 39-year-old Mr. Cub lined a Pat Jarvis 1-1 pitch into the leftfield bleachers in the second inning for his third homer of the season and joined eight others in the coveted 500-homer club, headed by Babe Ruth with 714," explained The Stars and Stripes on May 14, 1970. NOTE: After making the hit, Banks admitted to feeling pressure to reach his 500th.
1965: Soviet spacecraft crash-lands on moon
Russia failed to achieve the first "soft" lunar landing today when its spacecraft crashed on the moon's surface. On May 12, 1965, an article in The Sheboygan Press informed, "The observers said if Luna 5 landed successfully, the mission might encompass collecting samples of the Lunar surface and radioing back information, or scanning the moon with a camera and transmitting pictures." NOTE: Although a "soft" landing was not achieved, the Soviets still called the mission a success because they gathered information for future lunar landings.
1932: Lindbergh baby found dead
The infant son of Charles Lindbergh was found dead just miles away from the Lindbergh home today. "Charles Augustus Lindbergh, Jr., was kidnapped on the night of March 1 from the crib in which it was sleeping peacefully. The only clues that could be found on the following morning were a home-made ladder, footprints of a man and a woman, a blanket and an abandoned blue sedan," reported The Coshocton Tribune on May 12, 1932. NOTE: The body was discovered about six weeks after the family paid a ransom of $50,000 in exchange for what proved to be false information on the baby's location.
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