Milestones: May 7, 1984

William Basie: 1904-1984The rotund man with the barrel chest and impeccable mustache would sit down at the piano, pop his fingers a couple of times to get the rhythm just right and, boom, his band would take off. Reeds and brasses would blast out in an ensemble sharp enough to shave with, trombones explosively punctuating the seductive murmurs of the saxophones

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All-male college cracks down on cross-dressing

An all-male college in Atlanta, Georgia, has banned the wearing of women’s clothes, makeup, high heels and purses as part of a new crackdown on what the institution calls inappropriate attire. No dress-wearing is part of a larger dress code launched this week that Morehouse College is calling its “Appropriate Attire Policy.” The policy also bans wearing hats in buildings, pajamas in public, do-rags, sagging pants, sunglasses in class and walking barefoot on campus

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November execution date set for D.C. sniper

A November 10 execution date was set Wednesday for John Allen Muhammad, convicted in a series of sniper-style shootings that terrorized the Washington area in 2002. Prince William County, Virginia, Circuit Judge Mary Grace O’Brien set the date at a teleconference hearing Wednesday, according to the Web site of Muhammad’s attorney, Jonathan Sheldon

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Backgrounder: The Dutch royal family

Two people were killed and 12 wounded when a car careered into a crowd of people watching the Dutch royal family riding past in an open-top bus Thursday. The accident occurred during Queen’s Day, a national holiday celebrated every April 30 to mark the queen’s birthday. Queen Beatrix’s, the current monarch, birthday is actually January 31

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