By The Associated Press
                - Today is Monday, May 24, the 144th day of 1999. There are 221 days
                  left in the year.

                - On May 24, 1844 Samuel F.B. Morse transmitted the message, "What
                  hath God wrought?" from Washington to Baltimore as he formally
                  opened America's first telegraph line.
                - In 1819 Queen Victoria was born in London.
                - In 1830 the first passenger railroad in the U.S. began service
                  between Baltimore and Elliott's Mills, Md.
                - In 1881 some 200 people died when the Canadian ferry "Princess
                  Victoria" sank near London, Ontario.
                - In 1883 the Brooklyn Bridge, linking Brooklyn and Manhattan, was
                  opened to traffic.
                - In 1941 the German battleship "Bismarck" sank the British
                  dreadnought "Hood" in the North Atlantic.
                - In 1958 United Press International was formed through a merger of
                  the United Press and the International News Service.
                - In 1976 Britain and France opened transatlantic Concorde service to
                  Washington.
                - In 1977 in a surprise move, the Kremlin ousted Soviet President
                  Nikolai Podgorny from the Communist Party's ruling Politburo.
                - In 1980 Iran rejected a call by the World Court in The Hague to
                  release the American hostages.
                - Ten years ago China's top army command published a letter strongly
                  supporting hardline Premier Li Peng, who was reportedly locked in a
                  power struggle with rival factions who opposed his strong stance
                  against student protesters.
                - Five years ago four men convicted of bombing New York's World Trade
                  Center were each sentenced to 240 years in prison. The U.S. and
                  Japan agreed to revive efforts to pry open Japanese markets to U.S.
                  goods.
                - One year ago a Greek film, "Eternity and a Day," won the Golden Palm
                  at the 51st Cannes Film Festival, while the runner-up Grand Prize
                  went to "Life is Beautiful" directed by and starring Italy's Roberto
                  Benigni.

                *Happy Birthday*
                - Comedian Tommy Chong is 61.
                - Singer Bob Dylan is 58.
                - Actor Gary Burghoff is 56.
                - Singer Patti LaBelle is 55.
                - Actress Priscilla Presley is 54.
                - Country singer Mike Reid is 52.
                - Actor Alfred Molina is 46.
                - Singer Rosanne Cash is 44.
                - Actress Kristin Scott Thomas is 39.
                - Actor-dancer Gene Anthony Ray is 36.
                - Rock musician Vivian Trimble is 36.
                - Rapper-recording executive Heavy D is 32.
                - Rock musician Rich Robinson (The Black Crowes) is 30.
                - Actor Billy L. Sullivan ("Something So Right") is 19.