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William Daniel Leahy (6 May 1875 – 20 July 1959) was the most senior United States military officer on active duty duringWorld War II, and the first to hold afive-star rank in theU.S. Armed Forces. An 1897 graduate ofAnnapolis, Leahy saw active service in theSpanish–American War, thePhilippine–American War, theBoxer Rebellion in China, theBanana Wars in Central America, andWorld War I, and wasChief of Naval Operations from 1937 to 1939. After retiring from the Navy, he was appointed thegovernor of Puerto Rico. In his most controversial role, he served as theambassador 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 thede facto firstchairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, he presided over the American delegation to theCombined 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...)

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Inthe Singaporean general election, thePeople's Action Party retains asupermajority of seats.
TheAustralian Labor Party increases its majority inthe federal election.
In Trinidad and Tobago, theUnited National Congress wins a majority inthe general election.

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On this day

May 6

The Grand Palace in the 1860s

1536 –Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire:Sapa Inca emperorManco Inca Yupanqui's army begana ten-month siege ofCusco against a garrison of Spanishconquistadors andIndian auxiliaries led byHernando Pizarro.
1782 – Construction began on theGrand Palace(pictured) in Bangkok, the official residence of theking of Thailand.
1915 –Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition:SY Aurora, anchored inMcMurdo Sound,broke loose during a gale, beginning a 312-day ordeal in theRoss Sea andSouthern Ocean for her 18-man crew.
2004 – Thefinal episode of the television sitcomFriends was aired.
2013 – Amanda Berry escaped from theCleveland, Ohio, home of her captor,Ariel Castro, having been held there with two other women for ten years.

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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 theFederal Theatre Project at the age of 21. These included theVoodooMacbeth (1936) andThe Cradle Will Rock (1937). His first film wasCitizen Kane (1941),which he co-wrote, produced, directed and starred in as the title character,Charles Foster Kane. It has been consistently ranked asone of the greatest films ever made. Welles directed twelve other features, includingThe Magnificent Ambersons (1942),The Lady from Shanghai (1947),Othello (1951),Touch of Evil (1958),The Trial (1962),Chimes at Midnight (1966), andF for Fake (1973). Welles's distinctive directorial style featured layered andnonlinear narrative forms, dramatic lighting, unusual camera angles, sound techniques borrowed from radio,deep focus shots andlong takes. He received anAcademy Award and threeGrammy 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 realMartian invasion was taking place.

Photograph credit:Acme News Photos

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