| This Day in History |
Ecuador Gains Independence from Greater Columbia
 Prior to the arrival of the Spaniards, Ecuador was controlled by the Inca empire. Francisco Pizarro's subordinate, Benalcazar, entered the area in 1533. Not finding the wealth of the mythical El Dorado, he and other conquistadors moved restlessly on, and the region became a colonial backwater. After an abortive independence movement in 1809, the region remained under Spanish control. It was liberated by Antonio Jose de Sucre and was joined to Greater Colombia by what famous revolutionary?
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Crashes on the Moon
 Luna 5 was an unmanned Soviet spacecraft designed to continue investigations of a lunar soft landing. On May 10, the spacecraft began spinning around its main axis due to a problem in a flotation gyroscope in the I-100 guidance system unit. An attempt to fire the main engine failed because of a ground control error, and Luna 5 crashed into the moon. It was the second investigatory Soviet spacecraft to "land" on the Moon. What was the first?
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Bob Marley Succumbs to Cancer at Age 36
 Born in a small Jamaican village and raised in the slums of Kingston's Trenchtown, Marley overcame tremendous hardship to become a groundbreaking singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He propelled reggae to worldwide popularity, creating music that reflects his commitment to nonviolence and the Rastafarian religion. In 1975, Marley released "No Woman, No Cry," a song that brought him international success. Marley was diagnosed with cancer in 1977 but refused the recommended medical treatment; why?
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