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William Daniel Leahy (6 May 1875 – 20 July 1959) was the most senior United States military officer on active duty during World War II, and the first to hold a five-star rank in the U.S. Armed Forces. An 1897 graduate of Annapolis, Leahy saw active service in the Spanish–American War, the Philippine–American War, the Boxer Rebellion in China, the Banana Wars in Central America, and World War I, and was Chief of Naval Operations from 1937 to 1939. After retiring from the Navy, he was appointed the governor of Puerto Rico. In his most controversial role, he served as the ambassador to France from 1940 to 1942. He was recalled to active duty as Chief of Staff to the President in 1942, and served in that capacity for the rest of the war. As the de facto first chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, he presided over the American delegation to the Combined Chiefs of Staff. He was a major decision-maker during the war and was second only to the president in authority and influence. (Full article...)
Did you know...
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- ... that Hamdan Taha co-led excavations at Hisham's Palace (pictured), an early Islamic archaeological site in the West Bank?
- ... that according to researcher Treena Clark, indigenous drag performance can be seen as a strategy for cultural survival and resistance?
- ... that Venezuelan-American socialite Reinaldo Herrera's extensive connections led to Vanity Fair employing him to work as a fixer?
- ... that in North America, Europe and New Zealand, research funding is sometimes distributed by lottery?
- ... that Dennis Walker acquired millions of dollars worth of sports memorabilia before being investigated for racketeering and selling unregistered certificates of deposit by the Oregon Attorney General?
- ... that people caught in the 2025 Belgrade stampede experienced a frightening aural sensation, leading to an accusation that the government used a sonic weapon against them?
- ... that Nahuel Carabaña turned around mid-race at the 2022 European Athletics Championships to help an injured competitor?
- ... that one reviewer described Polo by Jilly Cooper as a "frothy brew of sex, class and jodhpurs"?
- ... that LGBTQ people have adopted cutie marks as personal signifiers, with some getting tattoos of their favorite pony's mark as a form of identity expression?
In the news
- Zhao Xintong (pictured) defeats Mark Williams to win the World Snooker Championship.
- In horse racing, Sovereignty, ridden by Junior Alvarado, wins the Kentucky Derby.
- In the Singaporean general election, the People's Action Party retains a supermajority of seats.
- The Australian Labor Party increases its majority in the federal election.
- In Trinidad and Tobago, the United National Congress wins a majority in the general election.
On this day
- 1536 – Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire: Sapa Inca emperor Manco Inca Yupanqui's army began a ten-month siege of Cusco against a garrison of Spanish conquistadors and Indian auxiliaries led by Hernando Pizarro.
- 1782 – Construction began on the Grand Palace (pictured) in Bangkok, the official residence of the king of Thailand.
- 1915 – Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition: SY Aurora, anchored in McMurdo Sound, broke loose during a gale, beginning a 312-day ordeal in the Ross Sea and Southern Ocean for her 18-man crew.
- 2004 – The final episode of the television sitcom Friends was aired.
- 2013 – Amanda Berry escaped from the Cleveland, Ohio, home of her captor, Ariel Castro, having been held there with two other women for ten years.
- Henry David Thoreau (d. 1862)
- Martin Brodeur (b. 1972)
- Reg Grundy (d. 2016)
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Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American actor, director, screenwriter, and producer who is remembered for his innovative work in film, radio, and theatre. After various theatre roles in Ireland, England and the United States as well as acting on radio shows, Welles began directing stage productions for the Federal Theatre Project at the age of 21. These included the Voodoo Macbeth (1936) and The Cradle Will Rock (1937). His first film was Citizen Kane (1941), which he co-wrote, produced, directed and starred in as the title character, Charles Foster Kane. It has been consistently ranked as one of the greatest films ever made. Welles directed twelve other features, including The Magnificent Ambersons (1942), The Lady from Shanghai (1947), Othello (1951), Touch of Evil (1958), The Trial (1962), Chimes at Midnight (1966), and F for Fake (1973). Welles's distinctive directorial style featured layered and nonlinear narrative forms, dramatic lighting, unusual camera angles, sound techniques borrowed from radio, deep focus shots and long takes. He received an Academy Award and three Grammy Awards, among other honors. This photograph, taken in 1938, shows Welles surrounded by reporters and discussing his radio drama "The War of the Worlds", which had induced panic among some listeners who believed that a real Martian invasion was taking place. Photograph credit: Acme News Photos
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