The string of tornadoes that ripped across the central United States in the past week did between $2 billion and $5 billion in damage, according to an initial estimate from Eqecat, a catastrophe risk modeler.

"Mary Had a Little Lamb" is first published, the Brooklyn Bridge opens, Major League Baseball gets lit up, Bob Dylan is born, and "Thelma & Louise" and "Braveheart" premiere in theaters, all on this day.

President Barack Obama's counterterrorism speech Thursday did not deliver any radical policy changes or huge revelations, but it was well done nonetheless. It explained his reasoning behind the use of certain techniques of warfare including drone str...