■ On May 12, 1896, New York City passed America’s first anti-spitting law in an effort to combat tuberculosis, imposing fines and even jail time on unruly protesters who demonstrated their discontent by expectorating on antispitting signs. By 1910, more than 2,500 arrests had been made.
■ On May 13, 1846, in response to a request by President James Polk, the U.S. Congress declared war on Mexico. Th…