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The Daily News - May 1981

[NOTE: Some of the events described in a day's news may have occurred on the previous day.] Funeral procession for Bobby Sands in Belfast, May 7 Friday, 1 May 1981 U.S. and Japan reach agreement on Japanese voluntarily restricting auto exports to America.....House Speaker Tip O'Neill criticizes Reagan administration for pressure tactics used in lobbying Congress to pass its budget proposals.....Celebration of May Day in Moscow boycotted by diplomats of some non-Communist nations to protest Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.....British air traffic controllers go on strike.....U.S. tourists advised to avoid Bermuda due to strike of government workers there.....Billie Jean King admits to lesbian relationship with former secretary Marilyn Barnett, who has filed palimony suit.....Due to illness, Frank Fitzsimmons decides not to run for reelection as Teamsters Union president....Prince Charles meets with President Reagan at White House.....State Dept. declines to confirm reports of Soviet military advisers aiding Syrians in Lebanon.....Northern Ireland braces for violence anticipated following imminent death of imprisoned IRA member Bobby Sands, on hunger strike.....Sen. Harrison Williams convicted in Abscam trial. Saturday, 2 May 1981 Air Lengus flight to France from Northern Ireland hijacked by man claiming to be defrocked Trappist monk; hijacking ends at Le Touqet airport.....Demonstrations reported across Northern Ireland in support of jailed IRA member Bobby Sands.....Democratic Senator Robert Byrd says he supports Reagan budget plan.....CBS-New York Times poll shows Republican Party gaining in popularity versus Democratic Party.....Sen. Harrison Williams, convicted yesterday in Abscam trial, not resigning from Congress as Senate Ethics Committee begins investigation.....Pleasant Colony wins Kentucky Derby.....Widespread strikes said to be crippling Bermudan tourist trade.....Prince Charles continues U.S. visit with tour of USS Nimitz and Williamsburg, VA; ends visit with White House dinner tonight.....Secretary of State Alexander Haig traveling to Rome for conference of NATO foreign ministers.....U.S. Trade Representative Bill Brock dismisses fears that restrictions on Japanese auto exports to U.S. will lead to higher car prices.....Funeral held today for 26th victim of Atlanta child killer.....Largest antiwar demonstration since Vietnam era held in Washington to protest Reagan administrations policies re: El Salvador and military buildup. Sunday, 3 May 1981 Jailed IRA member Bobby Sands, on hunger strike in Belfast prison, said to be in coma and near death; his mother pleads for calm on the streets.....Japanese Prime Minister Zenko Suzuki warns U.S. Congress re: legislation to restrict Japanese auto imports; Suzuki rejects Reagan administration's Japanese defense proposal.....French President Giscard d'Estaing agrees to debate Socialist opponent Francois Mitterand in presidential campaign.....Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin critical of U.S. mediation in Lebanon crisis.....Reagan reiterates pledge to loosen current gun control laws.....Poland holds first public observation of Constitution Day since World War II. Monday, 4 May 1981 House debates Reagan budget plan.....Treasury Secretary Donald Regan criticizes Federal Reserve for tightening money supply; Federal Reserve increases discount rates.....Anti-fascist group Grapo suspected in terrorist assassinations of police and military personnel in Madrid and Barcelona.....Attorney General William French Smith introducing new regulations curbing public access to government documents.....Justice Dept. offers free college tuition to St. Louis high school students who voluntarily participate in busing program.....General Motors introduces new J-cars.....U.S., Egyptian and Israeli representatives meet re: peacekeeping force following Israel's withdrawal from Sinai, scheduled to take place next year.....President Reagan asks Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin for time to negotiate with Syrians re: their missiles in Lebanon; Syria says it won't remove missiles.....Pawnshops said to be thriving due to U.S. economy.....Deaths of elderly patients in Riverside County, CA hospitals described as mysterious.....Senate Ethics Committee begins hearing on Sen. Harrison Williams, recently convicted in Abscam trial.....At NATO conference in Rome, Secretary of State Alexander Haig announces U.S.-USSR arms talks will begin by year's end. Tuesday, 5 May 1981 Death of imprisoned IRA member Bobby Sands leads to violence in Northern Ireland, as anticipated.....Queen Elizabeth met with pro-IRA demonstration upon arrival in Oslo, Norway.....Reagan budget proposal expected to pass in the House.....Mormon Church president asks President Reagan not to base MX missile system in Utah or Nevada.....Syria increases its arsenal of missiles in Lebanon.....Philip Habib to leave on Mideast mission as Reagan's special envoy, charged with preventing Israeli-Syrian war.....Trial of Yorkshire Ripper Peter Sutcliffe resumes.....U.S. Navy officers deliver report on last month's collision between nuclear sub and Japanese freighter to Japan's Prime Minister Zenko Suzuki.....Investigation continues into mysterious deaths of elderly patients in Riverside County, CA hospitals.....London's Old Vic Theatre to close its doors for good later this month.....Conrail and union leaders agree on cuts in pay hikes in effort to keep rail line open.....E.R. Squibb Co. says decision not to renew ad contract with Billie Jean King not result of King's disclosure of lesbian relationship.....The Mets beat the Yankees 4-1 in the 16th and final Mayor's Trophy Game, New York City. Wednesday, 6 May 1981 USAF plane, a satellite-tracking EC135, explodes and crashes in western Maryland, killing all 21 crewmembers aboard.....State Dept. orders Libyan diplomats to leave U.S. due to Libya's support of international terrorism.....Teamsters Union President Frank Fitzsimmons dies.....Pro-IRA demonstrations in Paris; IRA claims responsibility for attack on British patrol; letter bombs addressed to Prince Charles discovered in London; funeral preparations for Bobby Sands underway in Belfast; Britain sends Royal Welsh Battalion to Belfast in anticipation of more violence at Sands' funeral tomorrow.....House begins hearings on extending Voting Rights Act of 1965, set to expire in 1982.....Parade held in Chicago for shuttle astronauts John Young and Robert Crippen.....Winning design for Vietnam war memorial belongs to architecture student Maya Ying Lin.....Veterans Administration begins study on effects of Agent Orange on Vietnam vets.....Freighter and ferry collide near Statue of Liberty.....Bess Truman hospitalized with broken hip. Thursday, 7 May 1981 House votes approval of President Reagan's budget plan, 270-154.....Protestants object to attention given Bobby Sands, IRA member buried today in Belfast, N. Ireland.....Reagan welcomes Japanese Prime Minister Zenko Suzuki to White House.....U.S. envoy Philip Habib in Beirut attempting mediation of crisis in Lebanon; Syria increases its military presence on Lebanese soil.....Adviser to Spanish King Juan Carlos is target of terrorist bomb.....Senate Rules Committee begins hearings on media coverage of national elections.....In El Salvador, Duarte government has reportedly arrested National Guardsmen allegedly involved in murders of four American church workers last year.....Search underway in Atlanta for another missing black youth.....Wives of two crewmen said to have been aboard USAF intelligence plane that crashed yesterday in Maryland.....Japan rejects Canadian request that it voluntarily restrict auto exports to Canada; European Common Market makes similar request.....Increase reported in FHA and VA home loan rates.....Billie Jean King talks about homosexuality in women's sports on 20/20. Friday, 8 May 1981 Energy prices on decline due to oil glut and reduced gasoline consumption.....Investigation into deaths of elderly patients in Riverside County, CA hospitals expanded to include Los Angeles; two bodies exhumed.....U.S. Army Pvt. Joseph Christopher extradited from Georgia to New York re: racial murders in Buffalo.....President Reagan and Japanese Prime Minister Zenko Suzuki conclude meetings; Reagan says two nations in agreement on Japan's increased role in its own defense.....Socialist Francois Mitterand said to be leading President Giscard d'Estaing in polls; presidential election on Sunday.....FCC approves rate increase on interstate calls and rate reduction on overseas calls.....Center for Disease Control said to have discovered new strain of pneumonia that is drug-resistant.....USAF closing Titan missile site in Arkansas damaged by explosion last year.....Riot reported near Warsaw, Poland.....Syria refuses to remove its missiles from Lebanon.....New York Daily News columnist Michael Daly resigns after allegedly writing fraudulent article on death of IRA member Bobby Sands. Saturday, 9 May 1981 Soviet President Leonid Brezhnev expresses desire for end of arms race in speech at ceremony in Kiev marking 36th anniversary of end of World War II.....Police building burned by Warsaw youths during riot.....Salvadoran defense minister confirms that six military personnel have been arrested in connection with murders of four American church workers last year.....VP George Bush speaks at Howard University commencement; student association urges protest.....Muhammad Ali donates $400,000 reward for arrest and conviction of Atlanta child killer.....Thunderbird aerobatics team plane crashes at Hill AFB, Ogden, UT.....Jimmy Carter receives Truman Public Service Award for his attempts to free American hostages in Iran.....More fighting between Syrian troops and Christian militia reported in Lebanon.....Violence continues in Northern Ireland with fire bombs and sniper fire following death of IRA member Bobby Sands; funeral of policeman killed on duty takes place in Belfast.....Senate votes to cut cost of living increases in Social Security benefits. Sunday, 10 May 1981 Socialist Francois Mitterand defeats Valery Giscard d'Estaing in French presidential election, ending 23 years of conservative government.....Reagan's special envoy Philip Habib meets with Syrian President Hafez al-Assad in continuing effort to end violence in Lebanon.....Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin says Israel's air force will strike if Syrians don't remove missiles from Lebanon.....Drought blamed for large sinkhole in Winter Park, FL.....Record low temperatures reported in some western states.....Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger urging NATO allies to help more in defending Persian Gulf region.....Democratic Rep. Dan Rostenkowski (Face the Nation) and Rep. Tom Foley (Meet the Press) say Reagan tax cut plan is unsound.....U.S. Navy said to be rescuing Vietnamese boat people almost daily in South China Sea.....Mother's Day demonstration in Washington DC protests nuclear weapons. Mehmet Ali Agca (in red circle) takes aim at Pope John Paul II, May 13 Monday, 11 May 1981 Israel requests that Syria remove its missiles from Lebanon.....IRA claims responsibility for shooting of British soldiers in Belfast, N. Ireland.....Yorkshire Ripper Peter Sutcliffe claims God chose him to kill prostitutes.....Roy Williams, likely to be new president of Teamsters Union, allegedly linked to organized crime.....Bess Truman said to be in critical condition due to kidney failure.....Trial underway re: Oakland Raiders move to Los Angeles.....First test-tube pregnancy in U.S. reported at Norfolk, VA clinic.....Office of Management and Budget Director David Stockman says proposed Social Security cuts will make fund solvent.....Banks increase prime lending rate.....French stock market jittery following election of socialist Francois Mitterand as president of France.....Reggae great Bob Marley dies from cancer at age 36.....U.S. Steel to increase prices next month.....Record cold wave strikes Midwest.....Drought blamed for fire in Florida's Everglades.....The Andrew Lloyd Webber musical Cats debuts in London. Tuesday, 12 May 1981 Syrian missiles fired at Israeli reconnaissance planes over Lebanon.....Reagan administration admits Mideast peace mission is a longshot.....IRA hunger striker Francis Hughes dies.....Administration officials meet with House leaders re: proposed Social Security reform.....Another black child found dead in Atlanta, possibly 27th victim of serial killer.....Investigators looking into mysterious deaths of elderly patients recommend closing California hospital.....Condition of Bess Truman said to be worsening.....Senate Commerce Committee approves extension of Consumer Products Safety Commission; Reagan administration had called for its elimination.....Poland's Rural Solidarity is formally recognized.....Senate and House committees agree to cut food stamp program....Los Angeles judge reduces award given Carol Burnett in suit against National Enquirer.....Salvadoran guerrillas reportedly down U.S. helicopter. Wednesday, 13 May 1981 Police detain Mehmet Ali Agca after attempted assassination of Pope John Paul II at Vatican City; American woman and Jamaican woman also hit in shooting; Vatican secretary of state Cardinal Agostino Casaroli will head church affairs until pontiff recovers; special Mass held for Pope at St. Mathews Cathedral in DC, attended by Secretary of State Alexander Haig and Speaker of the House Tip O'Neill.....USSR describes U.S. customs detention and search of Aeroflot plane at Dulles International Airport a criminal act.....Customs agents seize arms shipment from Austrian jetliner in Houston, TX.....Treasury Secretary Donald Regan defends Reagan tax cut before Senate Finance Committee.....Violence continues in Northern Ireland following death of IRA hunger striker Francis Hughes.....Western allies pledge increase in defense spending to Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger at NATO meeting in Brussels, Belgium.....Riverside County, CA hospital closed after mysterious deaths of elderly patients; Lidocaine found in eight bodies.....Connecticut state senate reverses itself and votes for handgun control legislation following news of Pope's shooting. Thursday, 14 May 1981 U.S. envoy Philip Habib meets with Syrian President Assad in continuing effort to mediate crisis between Israel and Syria.....Syrian missiles knock down Israeli reconnaissance aircraft.....Controversy surrounds letters by President Reagan's son Michael to California military bases requesting consideration for contracts.....Defense budget approved by full Senate.....Joint House/Senate budget committee approve compromise 1982 budget plan.....Reagan will not request delay in increase of Social Security cost-of-living benefits.....Another black youth reported missing in Atlanta.....Tornado strikes Emberson, TX, causing widespread destruction.....Services held in St. Peter's Square for Pope John Paul II, wounded yesterday in assassination attempt; American woman wounded in shooting said to be in serious condition.....U.S. concedes that cargo seized from Soviet plane at Dulles International Airport is not defense related.....Competition between Vietnamese and American shrimp fishermen in Galveston Bay, TX allegedly involves intimidation against the former.....USSR launches Soyuz 40....Boston Celtics win basketball's national championship, defeating Houston Rockets. Friday, 15 May 1981 Tensions grow in Mideast as USSR moves several warships into region; USS Forrestal and USS Independence, with Marine task force, also in area.....U.S. special envoy Philip Habib meets with Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin; Begin agrees to give Syria more time to remove missiles from Lebanon.....Violence continues in Northern Ireland as IRA hunger striker is buried along with several riot victims; IRA guerrillas attack police vehicle.....Teamsters Union executive board names Roy Williams new president; Williams allegedly linked to organized crime.....Severe drought causing sinkholes to appear in central Florida.....President Reagan reportedly willing to compromise on tax cut proposal.....Reagan meets with South Africa's foreign minister.....David Joseph Carpenter arrested as suspected "Trailside Killer" in San Francisco, CA.....Would-be-assassin of Pope John Paul II, Mehmet Ali Agca, claims to be Marxist associated with PLO. Saturday, 16 May 1981 State Dept. reports U.S. embassy dependents evacuated from Lebanon.....Protesting Palestinian students clash with Israeli police on West Bank.....At Rome's Gemelli Hospital, Pope John Paul II said to be recovering from wounds suffered during recent assassination attempt.....Puerto Rican nationalists suspected in bomb explosion at Pan Am terminal, Kennedy International Airport.....President Reagan becomes nation's oldest sitting president today.....Marine Robert Garwood, convicted of collaborating with enemy during Vietnam War, found not guilty of molesting 7-year-old girl.....Elizabeth Taylor hospitalized after collapsing before appearance in play.....Pleasant Colony wins Preakness race.....Last rites given Poland's Stefan Cardinal Wyszynski.....West German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt said to support U.S. nuclear missiles in western Europe. Sunday, 17 May 1981 President Reagan gives speech at Notre Dame graduation.....Pope John Paul II records message from hospital bed that is played in St. Peter's Square.....Another bomb found at Kennedy International Airport; Puerto Rican Armed Resistance claims responsibility for yesterday's deadly bombing.....Egypt promises to remain neutral if war breaks out between Israel and Syria; Syrian said to be moving more missiles into Lebanon.....Muammar Qadhafi withdraws Libyan forces from Chad.....New York Daily News says U.S. is plotting to overthrow Qadhafi; State Dept. has no comment.....Drought continues in Florida, more sinkholes appear. Monday, 18 May 1981 Pope John Paul II is 61 today, condition said to be good, removed from intensive care.....Police doubt Mehmet Ali Agca is part of international conspiracy to kill Pope.....Pipe bomb mailed to U.S. mission at UN, another to Honduran consulate in New York City; Puerto Rican terrorist group claims responsibility for pipe bombs at Kennedy International Airport over weekend.....Prime rate increased to 20%.....Democrats object to Reagan nominee Ernest Lefever for post of Assistant Secretary of State for Human Rights; Lefever denies he supports repressive regimes.....Commerce Dept. reports housing starts rose in April.....U.S. said planning to vote against UN action to prohibit ads for baby formula in Third World countries.....U.S. Supreme Court rules murder defendants must be warned in advance if psychiatric tests might be used in determining sentences. Tuesday, 19 May 1981 Mehmet Ali Agca, would-be-assassin of Pope John Paul II, reportedly claims to have planned killing of Queen Elizabeth, UN Secretary General Kurt Waldheim, and others.....IRA claims responsibility for bomb attack on British troops.....U.S. special envoy Philip Habib meets with Syrian President Hafez al-Assad in continuing effort to defuse Lebanon crisis.....Israel denies Syria downed Israeli reconnaissance plane over Lebanon.....President Reagan meets with Saudi Arabian intelligence chief re: Syrian/Israeli crisis.....Centralia, PA residents voting on whether to relocate entire town due to underground coal fire.....Reagan presents Distinguished Service Medals to space shuttle astronauts John Young and Robert Crippen in White House ceremony.....China and Vietnam accuse each other of unprovoked attacks along common border.....Senate Judiciary Committee approves proposed constitutional amendment requiring balanced federal budget.....Reagan administration said to be backing away from controversial Social Security reform proposals.....New York City's Chrysler Building evacuated due to bomb threat.....NEA warns that Ku Klux Klan is actively recruiting school children.....George F. Kennan proposes reducing nuclear arsenals, accepts Einstein International Peace Prize....Commerce Dept. reports GNP grew at 8.4% annual rate in first quarter of 1981, best showing in three years. Wednesday, 20 May 1981 Syrian Hafez al-Assad says missiles are in Lebanon because of Israeli aggression and will not be removed; claims Israeli downing of two Syrian helicopters caused Syrian missile deployment.....Israel and Syria reportedly agree on terms re: peacekeeping force on Golan Heights.....Rider banning federally funded abortions may cause liberal filibuster of appropriations bill in House.....Centralia, PA votes 2-1 to move Iowa away from underground coal fires.....Seatbelts in some GM models said to be faulty.....West German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt arrives in Washington meets with Secretary of State Alexander Haig, urges renewed U.S.-USSR arms talks.....Valery Giscard d'Estaing spends last day as France's president.....U.S. not attending UN conference on South African boycott.....Senate rejects administrations proposed cuts in Social Security benefits.....House approves compromise budget.....U.S.-Japan diplomatic problems said to include U.S. warships blamed for interfering with Japanese fishing, charges that American warships carried nuclear weapons into Japanese ports; Secretary of State Haig cancels visit to Japan.....Poland's Stefan Cardinal Wyszynski said recovering from gastric ailment.....U.S. may be only country at Geneva conference voting against World Health Organization regulations re: baby formula in Third World countries. Peter Sutcliffe, the Yorkshire Ripper, sentenced to life imprisonment, May 22 Thursday, 21 May 1981 Senate approves amendment against federally funded abortions and passes Reagan budget proposals; okays resuming production of biological weapons.....U.S. said to be funding mercenaries reportedly in Laos searching for MIAs.....Francois Mitterand inaugurated as Socialist president of France.....White House reception held for West German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt.....President Reagan's son Michael resigns position with defense subcontractor following criticism of his use of father's name in seeking contracts.....Jailed IRA member Raymond McCreesh, on hunger strike, dies; news spawns more violence in Northern Ireland.....Sixth pipe bomb discovered at UN building in New York City.....Reggae singer Bob Marley buried in Jamaica.....Reagan administration said to be willing to compromise on tax cut and Social Security benefits cuts.....Nomination of Ernest Lefever for Assistant Secretary of State for Human Rights said to be in trouble in Senate.....Undersecretary of State James Buckley repeals Carter policy linking arms sales with client country's human rights record.....Senate subcommittee recommends legal action against Roy Williams of Teamsters Union unless he answers charges linking him to organized crime.....Attorney General William French Smith requests revocation of Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, saying law hampers U.S. business in overseas dealings....New York Islanders win hockey's Stanley Cup....World Health Organization votes 118-1 to discourage use of baby formula in Third World countries; U.S. only dissenting vote.....Miss Ohio, Kim Seelbrede, crowned Miss USA. Friday, 22 May 1981 Roy Williams, President of Teamsters Union, indicted by federal grand jury on bribery charges re: Sen. Howard Cannon and trucking legislation; four others named in conspiracy.....April inflation rate the lowest in three years; gas and food prices down.....Freight train derailed in Lompoc, CA.....Israeli frogmen sink ship in Sidon harbor; unmanned plane downed by Syrian missiles in Lebanon.....Arab foreign ministers meet in Tunis, show of support for Syria.....Inmates riot in Jackson, MI prison.....Yorkshire Ripper Peter Sutcliffe sentenced to life imprisonment.....Senate expected to reject nomination of Ernest Lefever for Assistant Secretary of State for Human Rights.....Soviet President Leonid Brezhnev calls for international peace conference re: Mideast.....Street violence increases in Northern Ireland following death of IRA hunger striker Patsy O'Hara; four hunger strikers and 14 others now dead.....Leak causes reactor shutdown at Browns Ferry nuclear power plant in Alabama.....Former Agriculture Secretary Earl Butz pleads guilty to income tax evasion. Saturday, 23 May 1981 Right wing terrorists hold 200 hostages in Barcelona, Spain bank, demand release of those involved in February coup attempt.....Prison uprisings reported in Jackson and Ionia, MI and Carson City, NV.....In Northern Ireland, funeral held for IRA hunger striker Raymond McCreesh.....Vietnam vets demonstrate in Washington DC re: health problems and Agent Orange; three vets on hunger strike in Los Angeles, protesting alleged lack of government concern for veterans.....Atlanta officials seek federal funds for summer program to keep children off streets in wake of child killings.....Attorney for John Hinckley, Jr., would-be-assassin of President Reagan, offer a plea bargain.....Flooding reported in Montana.....Reagan administration decides no human rights review required prior to sale of military equipment to Guatemala. Sunday, 24 May 1981 Government commandos end hostage situation in Barcelona, Spain bank.....Turkish hijackers of plane to Bulgaria threaten to kill hostages.....Ecuadorian President Jaime Aguilera, wife and defense minister killed in plane crash.....Another body found in Atlanta, GA; may be 28th victim of serial killer.....Supreme Court Chief Justice Warren Burger proposes major changes in criminal justice system in speech at George Washington University Law School.....Pope John Paul II expected to leave hospital soon, recuperating from wounds received in recent assassination attempt.....OPEC conference to begin in Geneva this week; Saudi Arabian oil minister calls for price freeze.....Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin says Soviet advisers are with Syrian troops in Lebanon.....Bobby Unser wins Indianapolis 500.....Some students and faculty protest bestowing of honorary degree on Secretary of State Alexander Haig at Fairfield Univ., object to U.S. involvement in El Salvador and Haig association with Nixon White House.....NEA critical of proficiency tests required of California high school seniors prior to graduation. Monday, 25 May 1981 Mario Andretti declared winner of Indy 500 after videotape shows Bobby Unser used pit exit lane to pass other cars; Unser is first Indy 500 winner to be disqualified (The ruling will be overturned by the U.S. Auto Club a few months later).....Young black man found in Chattahoochee River said to be 28th victim of Atlanta serial killer.....Jesse Jackson preaches at ceremony for Atlanta victims held at Lincoln Memorial.....Passengers on Turkish airliner overcome four hijackers, ending standoff in Burgas, Bulgaria.....IRA ambushes Ulster defense regiment vehicle.....Former Polish government minister and mayor of Krakow said to have committed suicide.....Mass protests reported in Polish cities.....Black nationalist guerrillas attack police station and blow up railroad lines on 20th anniversary of South African independence.....Ten dead, eight missing in floods in Austin, TX.....Syrians claim to have shot down another unmanned Israeli reconnaissance plane in Lebanon.....Pravda says no Soviet military advisers are aiding Syrian troops in Lebanon.....Saudi Arabia criticized for heavy oil production at OPEC meeting in Geneva; other members want reduced production and price hikes.....Lt. Col. Emilio Lanza reportedly in control of city in Bolivia after escaping from prison; Lanza said to be seeking overthrow of present government.....Clad in Spiderman outfit, Dan Goodwin climbs Chicago's Sears Tower, is arrested at top.....VP George Bush places wreath at Tomb of Unknown Soldier in Memorial Day ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery.....Carl Yastrzemski becomes 4th major league baseball player ever to get 3,000 hits. Tuesday, 26 May 1981 OPEC agrees on price freeze through end of year.....Rioting continues in Jackson, MI prison.....Major League baseball strike may be averted as National Labor Relations Board accepts players' allegations against owners.....United Mine Workers reject proposed settlement of soft coal strike.....Government of Italian Prime Minister Forlani collapsing due to relationship of some cabinet members with secret Masonic organization, P-2.....Funeral held for two British soldiers killed in recent IRA terrorist attack in Northern Ireland.....Joseph Christopher, charged with murders of black men in Buffalo, NY, indicted for racial attacks that occurred in New York City last year.....28th victim of Atlanta, GA serial killer identified.....Dan Goodwin released after being arrested for climbing Chicago's Sears Tower yesterday.....Police said to have foiled anti-Semitic bomb plot by KKK in Nashville, TN.....Last two cosmonauts to visit Salyut 6 space station return to USSR.....President Reagan orders cost-benefit analysis of Postal Service's proposed zip code change.....Saudi Arabia and five other Persian Gulf nations form Gulf Cooperation Council. Wednesday, 27 May 1981 Marine Corp jet landing on carrier USS Nimitz during night crashes, causing fire and killing 14.....U.S. special envoy Philip Habib returning to States after three weeks of Mideast diplomacy to end Israeli-Syrian missile crisis.....President Reagan gives commencement address to West Point graduating class.....VP George Bush present at Annapolis graduation ceremonies; Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger addresses Air Force Academy graduating class.....Federal judge temporarily blocks sale of offshore leases in California as proposed by Interior Secretary James Watt.....John Hinckley, Jr., would-be-assassin of president, takes Tylenol overdose, survives.....IRA hunger striker Brendon McLaughlin ends fast; funeral for another British soldier killed by IRA in Londonderry held today.....Texas state legislature becomes first government body in nation to pass bill to assist Vietnam vets exposed to Agent Orange; Veterans Administration denies Agent Orange is harmful.....House and Senate committee chairmen seek compromise tax cut package.....Religious groups challenge new Arkansas law requiring teaching of creationism. Thursday, 28 May 1981 USS Nimitz returning to home port of Norfolk, VA; one crewman still missing following recent crash of plane.....Israel attacks Palestinian stronghold in Lebanon; PLO leader Yasser Arafat declines Libyan leader Muammar Qadhafi's offer of troops.....Press Secretary James Brady, recovering from head wound suffered during assassination attempt on President Reagan, now stricken with pneumonia.....House votes on bill giving steel industry more time to comply with Clean Air Act.....Chase Manhattan Bank lowers prime rate.....Poland's Stefan Cardinal Wyszynkski dies.....British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher visits Belfast, Northern Ireland.....Wealthy businessman Roger Wheeler murdered in Tulsa, OK.....White House admits 1981 budget deficit is exceeding projections.....Reagan tax cut proposals reportedly in trouble as Congressional leaders fail to arrive at compromise.....Senate Foreign Relations Committee recalling Ernest Lefever, nominee for Assistant Secretary of State for Human Rights, for closed session next week.....Recent uprisings in Michigan prisons blamed on overcrowding.....Major League baseball players and owners reach temporary agreement, averting scheduled strike.....Jack Layton wins biggest slot machine payoff in Las Vegas history.....Georgia office of consumer affairs set to prosecute some mothers of Atlanta murder victims for failure to register organization as charity. Friday, 29 May 1981 FBI investigating alleged espionage activities of USAF officer stationed at Titan missile base.....FAA denies Arizona Republic claim that DC-9s may be grounded due to cracks discovered in wings.....U.S. special envoy Philip Habib confers with President Reagan re: Lebanese missile crisis.....Vietnam says recently discovered remains of two MIAs being sent to U.S......Stefan Cardinal Wyszynski lays in state as Poland mourns loss of its spiritual leader.....Reagan seeks bipartisan tax cut compromise.....Woman seizes Ohio TV station and takes hostage.....France temporarily suspends nuclear testing in the Pacific.....Chicago Mayor Jane Byrne said to be facing mass transit shutdown without state funds.....United Mine Workers President Sam Church announces new 40-month contract with soft coal industry, ending two month strike for 160,000 miners.....The U.S. conducts a nuclear test in Nevada. Saturday, 30 May 1981 USAF Lt. Christopher Cooke held on suspicion of espionage due to his unauthorized visit to Soviet embassy in Washington DC.....USS Nimitz returns to sea after recent crash on its flight deck.....Bangladesh President Ziaur Rahman assassinated in coup attempt; VP Abdus Sattar takes control of government.....Six teenagers die during police chase in St. Louis, MO.....Medivac helicopter carrying infant crashes near Beaumont, CA.....Oakland A's manager Billy Martin suspended following last night's game.....ABC's Nightline will be expanded from four to five nights a week. Sunday, 31 May 1981 Funeral held for Poland's Stefan Cardinal Wyszynski.....In Bangladesh, government moves against those responsible for failed coup that led to assassination of President Ziaur Rahman.....Rally held in New York City to support freedom for Russian Jews trapped in USSR.....Radio Damascus warns Syrian citizens of new war with Israel.....U.S. Navy relieves commander of submarine George Washington which recently collided with Japanese freighter.....High homicide rate reported among Cuban refugees in Miami.....Teamster Union convention starts tomorrow in Las Vegas with chief business being election of new president to replace late Frank Fitzsimmons.