May 10: Facts & Historical Events On This Day

Uber became a public company, opening on the New York Stock Exchange.

US Geological Survey issued a statement revealing that 39 Montana glaciers have reduced in size from 39 to 85 percent in the last 50 years.

West Ham United played their final match at the Boleyn Ground soccer stadium.

Upton Park, as the stadium was often called, was West Ham United's home ground for 112 years. The club then moved to Olympic Stadium, where the 2012 Olympics were held.

An assassination attempt was made on President George W. Bush.

While giving a speech in Tbilisi, Georgia, a man threw a grenade that landed just 65 feet away from the President. It malfunctioned and did not explode, and the attacker was arrested.

The disaster movie “Twister” by Michael Crichton premiered.

Nelson Mandela was sworn in as South Africa’s first black president.

The USSR attempted to launch an uncrewed spacecraft to Mars.

The mission, dubbed Kosmos 419, was intended to overtake NASA's Mariner 8 and 9 probes which were already well on their way to Mars. Mariner 8 failed to launch two days before Kosmos 419's launch. Kosmos 419 wasn't successful either, failing to leave Earth's orbit due to an error in the spacecraft's code. In the end, Mariner 9 became the first to reach Mars.

An atomic submarine circumnavigated the globe.

The USS Triton completed its journey around the globe, making it the first submerged craft to circle the earth. It arrived at Groton, Connecticut, after finishing the trip.

Mother’s Day was officially celebrated for the first time in Grafton, West Virginia.

Anna Jarvis established this maternal holiday in honor of her mother, who died in 1905. While the first official Mother's Day celebrations happened in 1908, Anna held a small service the year before in Grafton, in the same church where her mother used to teach.

The first telephone was installed in the telegraph room in the White House, thanks to President Rutherford B. Hayes.

The Golden Spike was driven.

The ceremonious final spike, a 17.6-karat gold spike, was driven into join the rails, which completed the first US Transcontinental Railroad at Promontory Summit, Utah. It connected the Central Pacific Railroad with the Union Pacific.

The parliament of Great Britain passed the Tea Act, a piece of legislation that ultimately led to the Boston Tea Party.

Christopher Columbus spotted the Cayman Islands.

He named them Las Tortugas after he sighted several sea turtles swimming around the islands.