By The Associated Press

                - Today is Monday, May 17, the 137th day of 1999. There are 228
                  days left in the year.

                - On May 17, 1954, the Supreme Court issued its landmark "Brown
                  v. Board of Education of Topeka" ruling, which held that racially
                  segregated public schools were inherently unequal.
                - In 1792, the New York Stock Exchange was founded by brokers
                  meeting under a tree located on what is now Wall Street.
                - In 1814, Norway's constitution was signed, providing for a
                  limited monarchy.
                - In 1849, a fire in St. Louis, Mo., destroyed more than 400
                  buildings and two dozen steamships.
                - In 1938, Congress passed the Vinson Naval Act, providing for a
                  two-ocean navy.
                - In 1939, Britain's King George VI and Queen Elizabeth arrived in
                  Quebec on the first visit to Canada by reigning British sovereigns.
                - In 1940, the Nazis occupied Brussels, Belgium, during World War II.
                - In 1946, President Truman seized control of the nation's
                  railroads, delaying a threatened strike by engineers and trainmen.
                - In 1948, the Soviet Union recognized the new state of Israel.
                - In 1973, the Senate opened its hearings into the Watergate scandal.
                - In 1987, 37 American sailors were killed when an Iraqi warplane
                  attacked the U.S. Navy frigate Stark in the Persian Gulf. Iraq and
                  the U.S. called the attack a mistake.
                - Ten years ago: More than 1 million people swarmed into central
                  Beijing to express support for Chinese students fasting for
                  democracy. A court in Frankfurt, West Germany, sentenced Mohammed
                  Ali Hamadi to life in prison for his role in the 1985 TWA
                  hijacking.
                - Five years ago: The U.N. Security Council approved a
                  peacekeeping force and an arms embargo for violence-racked Rwanda.
                - One year ago: Leaders of the Group of Eight nations ended their
                  summit in Birmingham, England, with a plea to Pakistan not to
                  respond in kind to India's five nuclear explosions. New York
                  Yankees pitcher David Wells became the 13th player in modern major
                  league baseball history to throw a perfect game as he retired all
                  27 batters he faced in a 4-0 victory over the Minnesota Twins.

                *** Today's Birthdays

                - Former Watergate special prosecutor Archibald Cox is 87.
                - Opera singer Birgit Nilsson is 81.
                - Actor-director Dennis Hopper is 63.
                - Rhythm-and-blues singer Pervis Jackson (The Spinners) is 61.
                - Singer Taj Mahal is 57.
                - Singer-songwriter Jesse Winchester is 55.
                - Actor Bill Paxton is 44.
                - Boxing Hall-of-Famer Sugar Ray Leonard is 43.
                - Actor-comedian Bob Saget is 43.
                - Singer Enya is 38.
                - Singer-musician Trent Reznor (Nine Inch Nails) is 34.
                - Rhythm-and-blues musician O'Dell (Mint Condition) is 34.
                - Singer Jordan Knight (New Kids on the Block) is 29.
                - Rhythm-and-blues singer Darnell Van Rensalier (Shai) is 29.
                - Rhythm-and-blues singer Kandi Burruss (Xscape) is 23.
                - Actor Tahj Mowry ("Smart Guy") is 13.