Today In History: Ozzy Osbourne Attends Correspondents Dinner; Oliver North Shreds Iran Contra Documents

May 4, 2017, is the 124th day of the year, with 241 days remaining. The moon is in a waxing gibbous phase, and illumination is at 65 percent.

Convicted: White House aide Oliver North starts shredding documents

In 1986, National Security Council staff member Oliver North and his secretary, Fawn Hall, began shredding documents that would have exposed their participation in illegal activities surrounding the sale of arms to Iran and the diversion of the proceeds to a rebel Nicaraguan group.

On Nov. 25, North was fired, but Hall continued to sneak documents to him by hiding them in her skirts and boots.

Six years earlier, Iran had become an enemy of the United States after taking hostages at the U.S. embassy in Tehran, Iran’s capital. During televised Iran-Contra hearings, the public learned that the money received through the arms sale was sent to support the Contras in Nicaragua, right-wing militant groups active from 1979 to the early 1990s who acted in opposition to the left-wing, socialist Sandinista Junta of Nicaragua’s National Reconstruction government.

Ozzy Osbourne attends annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner

The Daily Show’s Hasan Minhaj recently made headlines for his controversial quips at the 2017 White House Correspondents Dinner, but Minhaj isn’t the only celebrity to steal the show at the annual event.

In 2002, Fox News invited Ozzy Osbourne to Nerd Prom and saw a warm, tongue-in-cheek welcome from President George W. Bush.

“The thing about Ozzy,” said Bush,” “is he’s made a lot of big hit recordings — 'Party With The Animals,' 'Sabbath Bloody Sabbath,' 'Face In Hell,' 'Black Skies' and 'Bloodbath in Paradise.'

“Ozzy,” the president directly addressed the musician, “Mom loves your stuff.”

Comedian Drew Carey was also in attendance, offering his own brand of witticism.

“[Ozzy and Bush] both partied a little too hard when they were younger,” said Carey. “Half the time, you can’t understand a word either one of them are saying.”

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Photo credit: Alberto Cabello via Flickr