Moments in time
. On May 5, 1914, Erwin "Cannonball" Baker begins a cross-continental motorcycle trip on his 1,000cc V-twin Stutz Indian motorcycle. Starting in California, Baker traveled 3,379 miles across the U.S. Due to the poor roads and primitive "cradle-spring" shock absorption of his bike, he rode most of the way standing up.
. On April 30, 1927, the Federal Industrial Institute for Women, the first women's federal prison, opens in Alderson, W.Va. The vast majority of the women were imprisoned for drug and alcohol charges imposed during the Prohibition era. Only one of the inmates was imprisoned for murder.
. On May 6, 1940, John Steinbeck is awarded the Pulitzer Prize for his novel "The Grapes of Wrath." The book traces the fictional Joad family of Oklahoma as they lose their family farm and move to California in search of a better life. One of Steinbeck's most effective works of social commentary, the novel also won the National Book Award.
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