Niccolo Machiavelli, the philosopher who gave new meaning to what's now known as the political hardball， is born in Florence, Italy.

1948:

The U.S. Supreme Court rules covenants barring the sale of real estate to blacks or members of other racial groups are legally unenforceable.

1936:

Baseball Hall of Famer Joe DiMaggio makes his Major League debut with the New York Yankees. DiMaggio gets three hits as the Yankees beat what's then the St. Louis Browns, now the Baltimore Orioles, 14 to 5.

1990:

Folk singer Pete Seeger, an icon during the genre's revival in the 1960s， is born in New York City.

And 1933:

Singer James Brown, known as “the Godfather of Soul”, is born in Barnwell, South Carolina.

Today in History, May 3rd, Sandy Kozel, the Associated Press.