On This Day for May 10 - Nelson Mandela inaugurated as president of South Africa, Fred Astaire is featured, and more

This message contains graphics. If you do not see the graphics, click here to view. May 10 FEATURED BIOGRAPHY Fred Astaire READ MORE   FEATURED EVENT 1994 Nelson Mandela inaugurated as president of South Africa READ MORE   Advertisement Advertisement   MORE EVENTS ON THIS DAY 2002: American FBI agent Robert Hanssen was sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty to spying for Moscow; he was one of the Soviet Union's and Russia's most-valuable double agents and the most-damaging spy ever to penetrate the FBI. [ Read about 10 famous names in the espionage game.] 1999: American cartoonist, children's author, poet, and playwright Shel Silverstein, who was best known for his light verse and quirky cartoons, died in Florida. [Test your knowledge of children's authors.] 1994: American serial killer John Wayne Gacy—whose murders of 33 boys and young men in the 1970s shocked his suburban Chicago community, where he was known for his performances as a clown at charitable events and children's parties—was executed. [ Discover seven of history's most notorious serial killers.] 1960: Irish musician and human rights activist Bono, who was the lead singer of the popular rock band U2, was born. [Take our quiz about pop music.] 1940: Germany invaded Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands during World War II. [Test your knowledge of Germany and World War II.] 1940: After losing the support of many Conservatives in the House of Commons, British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain resigned his office and was replaced by Winston Churchill. SEE ALL EVENTS ON THIS DAY ALSO BORN ON THIS DAY 1960 Bono Irish singer 1899 Fred Astaire American dancer and singer 1838 John Wilkes Booth American actor and assassin 1946 Donovan Scottish singer-songwriter 1965 Linda Evangelista Canadian fashion model 1890 Alfred Jodl German general SEE ALL BIOS ON THIS DAY   Advertisement   FOLLOW: To unsubscribe from Britannica e-mails, click here. Encyclopædia Britannica 325 N. LaSalle Street, Suite 200 Chicago, Illinois 60654 United States © 2020 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. Privacy Policy • Help