Today in History, May 12

1847—While crossing the Plains in a covered wagon, Mormon pioneer William Clayton invents the odometer.

1935--Bill W. and Dr. Bob meet in Akron, Ohio, and form what will become Alcoholics Anonymous.

1937—King George VI is crowned in Westminster Abbey in London.

1949—Largely because of the success of the Berlin airlift, the U.S.S.R. lifts its blockade against West Berlin.

1997—IBM computer Deep Blue defeats Russian chess champion Gary Kasparov in a six-game rematch. C. J. Tan, head of the Deep Blue team, says of the win, "One hundred years from now, people will say this day was the beginning of the information age."