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 From May 17 to May 23May 17, 1792 - - Two dozen merchants and brokers established the New York Stock Exchange. In good weather they operated under a buttonwood tree on Wall Street. In bad weather they moved inside to a coffeehouse to conduct business. May 18, 1998 - - In one of the biggest antitrust lawsuits of the 20th century, American software giant Microsoft Corporation was sued by the U.S. Federal government and 20 state governments charging the company with using unfair tactics to crush competition and restrict choices for consumers. The lawsuits alleged Microsoft used illegal practices to deny personal computer owners the benefits of a free and competitive market and also alleged Microsoft extended its monopoly on operating systems to 'develop a chokehold' on the Internet browser software market. May 19, 1943 - - During World War II in Europe, Royal Air Force bombers successfully attacked dams in the German Ruhr Valley using innovative ball-shaped bouncing bombs that skipped along the water and exploded against the dams. The dams had provided drinking water for 4 million persons and supplied 75% of the electrical power for industry in the area. May 20, 1862 - - President Abraham Lincoln signed the Homestead Act opening millions of acres of government owned land in the West to 'homesteaders" who could acquire up to 160 acres by living on the land and cultivating it for five years, paying just $1.25 per acre. May 21, 1881 - - The American Red Cross was founded by Clara Barton. The organization today provides volunteer disaster relief in the U.S. and abroad. Community services include collecting and distributing donated blood, and teaching health and safety classes. May 22,1947 - - Congress approved the Truman Doctrine, assuring U.S. support for Greece and Turkey to prevent the spread of Communism. May 23, 1810 - - Journalist Margaret Fuller was born in Cambridgeport, Mass. She became the first American woman to serve as a foreign correspondent, reporting for the New York Tribune. Her book, Women in the Nineteenth Century, published in 1845, is considered the first feminist statement by an American writer, and brought her international acclaim. Sailing from Italy to the U.S. in 1850, she died, along with her husband and infant son, in a shipwreck off Fire Island, New York.
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