Today is Thursday, May 24th, the 144th day of 2001. There are 221 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On May 24th, 1819, Queen Victoria was born in London. On this date: In 1830, the first passenger railroad in the United States began service between Baltimore and Elliott's Mills, Maryland. In 1844, Samuel F.B. Morse transmitted the message, "What hath God wrought!" from Washington to Baltimore as he formally opened America's first telegraph line. In 1881, some 200 people died when the Canadian ferry "Princess Victoria" sank near London, Ontario. In 1883, the Brooklyn Bridge, linking Brooklyn and Manhattan, was opened to traffic. In 1941, the German battleship "Bismarck" sank the British dreadnought "Hood" in the North Atlantic. In 1962, astronaut Scott Carpenter became the second American to orbit the Earth as he flew aboard "Aurora Seven." In 1976, Britain and France opened transatlantic Concorde service to Washington. In 1977, in a surprise move, the Kremlin ousted Soviet President Nikolai Podgorny from the Communist Party's ruling Politburo. In 1980, Iran rejected a call by the World Court in The Hague to release the American hostages. In 1995, former British Prime Minister Harold Wilson died in London at age 79. Ten years ago: Israel began airlifting 15,000 Ethiopian Jews to safety as Ethiopian rebels continued to advance on Addis Ababa. The UN Security Council voted unanimously to deplore Israel's deportation of four Palestinians from the occupied territories. The remains of former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, assassinated by a suicide bomber, were cremated. Five years ago: President Clinton underwent his annual physical at Bethesda Naval Medical Center, where he had a precancerous lesion removed from his nose. On the plus side, his weight was the same as the year before -- 216 -- and his cholesterol count had improved from 203 to 191. One year ago: Israeli troops pulled out unilaterally from south Lebanon, ending 18 years of occupation. Gunmen killed five people in a robbery attempt at a Wendy's restaurant in Queens, New York. The state of Maryland dismissed its wiretapping case against Linda Tripp after judge disallowed most of Monica Lewinsky's testimony. Isiah Thomas, Bob McAdoo and Tennessee women's coach Pat Summitt were elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame. Today's Birthdays: Comedian Tommy Chong is 63. Singer Bob Dylan is 60. Actor Gary Burghoff is 58. Singer Patti LaBelle is 57. Actress Priscilla Presley is 56. Country singer Mike Reid is 54. Actor Alfred Molina is 48. Singer Rosanne Cash is 46. Actress Kristin Scott Thomas is 41. Actor-dancer Gene Anthony Ray is 38. Rock musician Vivian Trimble is 38. Actor John C. Reilly is 36. Actor Eric Close is 34. Rapper-recording executive Heavy D is 34. Rock musician Rich Robinson (The Black Crowes) is 32. Actor Billy L. Sullivan is 21. Actor-rapper Big Tyme is 18. Country singer Billy Gilman is 13. "It is the weakness and danger of republics, that the vices as well as virtues of the people are represented in their legislation." -- Helen Maria Hunt Jackson, American author (1830-1885). (Copyright 2001 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)