Mario Cuomo, American lawyer and politician, 52nd Governor of New York (b. 1932)
Mario Matthew Cuomo (, Italian: [ˈkwɔːmo]; June 15, 1932 – January 1, 2015) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 52nd Governor of New York for three terms, from 1983 to 1994. A member of the Democratic Party, Cuomo previously served as Lieutenant Governor of New York from 1979 to 1982 and Secretary of State of New York from 1975 to 1978. He was the father of former New York governor Andrew Cuomo and former CNN news anchor Chris Cuomo.
Cuomo was known for his liberal views and public speeches, particularly his keynote speech address at the 1984 Democratic National Convention in which he sharply criticized the policies of the Reagan administration, saying, "Mr. President, you ought to know that this nation is more a 'Tale of Two Cities' than it is just a shining 'city on a hill.'" He was widely considered a potential front-runner for the Democratic nomination for president in both 1988 and 1992, though he declined to seek the nomination in both instances. His legacy as a reluctant standard-bearer for the Democrats in presidential elections led to his being dubbed "Hamlet on the Hudson".Cuomo was defeated for a fourth term as governor by George Pataki in the Republican Revolution of 1994. His loss was mainly caused by his lack of support outside New York City, where he carried only one county, however, local legend is that the proximate cause of Cuomo's defeat was because people were ready for a change. He subsequently retired from politics and joined the New York law firm of Willkie Farr & Gallagher.
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Events on 2015
- 29Apr
2015 Baltimore protests
A baseball game between the Baltimore Orioles and the Chicago White Sox sets the all-time low attendance mark for Major League Baseball. Zero fans were in attendance for the game, as the stadium was officially closed to the public due to the 2015 Baltimore protests. - 3May
Charlie Hebdo shooting
Two gunmen launch an attempted attack on an anti-Islam event in Garland, Texas, which was held in response to the Charlie Hebdo shooting. - 14Jul
New Horizons
NASA's New Horizons probe performs the first flyby of Pluto, and thus completes the initial survey of the Solar System. - 20Jul
Cuba-United States relations
The United States and Cuba resume full diplomatic relations after five decades. - 14Aug
Cuba-United States relations
The US Embassy in Havana, Cuba re-opens after 54 years of being closed when Cuba-United States relations were broken off.