1. In 1896, the Supreme Court of the United States handed down a decision in the case of Plessy v. Ferguson, upholding the legality of racial segregation in public accommodations. The decision was a major blow to the civil rights movement and would not be overturned until 1954.

2. On May 18, 1900, the first underground subway line in New York City opened, running between City Hall and Harlem. The system revolutionized transportation in the city and quickly became a critical component of the city's infrastructure.

3. In 1910, the first airplane to fly from Albany to New York landed at Mineola Field on Long Island. The 150-mile journey marked a major milestone in aviation history and paved the way for the development of commercial air travel.

4. On May 18, 1933, the Tennessee Valley Authority was created as part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal. The agency was responsible for developing the Tennessee River Basin as a source of hydroelectric power and flood control, and it played a critical role in the economic development of the region.

5. In 1953, Jacqueline Bouvier graduated from George Washington University in Washington, D.C. She would go on to become First Lady of the United States when she married John F. Kennedy in 1953, and her style and grace would make her a fashion icon and enduring cultural figure.