Monday, May 8, 2006

Spotlight
There are over 300 varieties of sharks, found mostly in warm waters. Like other fishes, sharks breathe by taking in water and passing it over their gills, but since — because of their great weight — they need more oxygen than most fishes, most sharks must keep swimming in order to breathe and to stay afloat. Their keen senses of hearing and smell allow them to track prey from miles away. Peter Benchley, the author of Jaws – the book and movie that made so many afraid to go into the water – was born on this date in 1940.

Quote
"You're much more likely to be attacked by lightning or by your own toilet than you are by a shark." – Peter Benchley

Word of the day
white shark: large, aggressive shark, one of the few known to attack humans without provocation; Jaws was based on the presence of a great white shark in the ocean near Martha's Vineyard. (© )

Today's News

• Michael Hayden: faces obstacles if chosen by President Bush to head the CIA (story)
• AOL: offers Internet telephony solution (story)
• The Da Vinci Code: top cardinal urges legal action due to offenses against Christianity (story)

Today's History

• Joan of Arc: broke the siege of Orléans (1429)
• pyroclastic flow: Martinique's Mt. Pelée erupted a cloud of hot gas, ash and rock, killing 40,000 (1902)
• VE Day: UK, US celebrated defeat of the Third Reich in WWII; Soviets celebrated one day later (1945)

Today's Birthdays

• Harry S. Truman: 33rd POTUS, 1945-53 (1884-1972)
• Roberto Rossellini: Italian director (1906-1977)
• Ronnie Lott: American football hall-of-famer (47)