The U.S. Census Bureau announced that April sales of merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers’ sales branches and offices, after adjustment for seasonal variations and trading-day differences but not for price changes, were $434.2 billion, up 1.0% from the revised March level, but down 2.6% from the April 2015 level. April sales of durable goods were up 0.4% from March, but were down 1.4% from a year ago. Sales of motor vehicle and motor vehicle parts and supplies were up 1.6% from March, while sales of electrical and electronic goods were down 2.7%. Sales of nondurable goods were up 1.5% from March, but were down 3.8% from last April. Sales of petroleum and petroleum products were up 9.0% from March.

In the week ending June 4, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims for unemployment insurance was 264,000, a decrease of 4,000 from the previous week’s revised level of 268,000, the Labor Department reported. The four-week moving average was 269,500, a decrease of 7,500 from the previous week’s revised average of 277,000.

Major U.S. stock indices closed lower Thursday. According to the Associated Press, banks led the declines as long-term interest rates fell, which will make lending money less profitable. The Dow lost 19.86 points (0.11%) to finish at 17,985.19, the NASDAQ closed 16.03 points (0.32%) lower at 4,958.62, and the S&P 500 was down 3.64 points (0.17%) at 2,115.48. The Russell 2000 decreased 7.75 points (0.65%) to 1,181.20, and the Wilshire 5000 fell 64.35 points (0.29%) to 21,920.77.

On the NYSE, 3.1 billion shares changed hands, with 1.6 declining issues for every advancing issue. On the NASDAQ, 2.7 billion shares traded, with a more than 2 to1 lead for decliners.

ON THIS DATE: In 1776, the Continental Congress appointed a committee to write a Declaration of Independence. In 1793, the Jardin des Plantes zoo opened in Paris. It was the first public zoo. In 1854, the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, held its first graduation. In 1898, U.S. Marines landed in Cuba during the Spanish-American War. In 1902, the “outlook” or “see-through” envelope was patented by Americus F. Callahan. In 1903, Binney & Smith Company began developing a product line of wax crayons. The product was named Crayola. In 1925, the State of Tennessee adopted a new biology text book that denied the theory of evolution. In 1935, Alcoholics Anonymous was founded by William G. Wilson and Dr. Robert Smith. In 1943, Laszlo Biro, a Hungarian journalist, patented his ballpoint pen. In 1948, Chuck Yeager exceeded the speed of sound in the Bell XS-1. In 1984, the United States and the Vatican established full diplomatic relations for the first time in 117 years.

In Draguseni, Romania, Vasile Cepoi defeated Vasile Cepoi and Vasile Cepoi in a mayoral election. The victor told The Associated Press: “I added my middle name, and ran as Vasile Lica Cepoi.” He was also the incumbent, who secured his fourth term as mayor of Draguseni. He said the coincidence of three candidates having the same name was an attempt by political parties to confuse residents. The news report says both names are common in Romania; Cepoi means “big onions.” The mayor won 1,200 votes, Vasile Cepoi won 100 votes and Vasile Cepoi trailed with 10. The three are not related.

Somewhere in Texas, a family decided to remodel a trailer that had been sitting unoccupied for at least a decade in their backyard. A man walked in the trailer to help clean it out and found a misshapen brown mess—nearly 6 feet long—which seemed to have sprouted up from the couch and out the window. “It looks like a cocoon, it looks unreal, it looks like mold,” one of the family members told the local CBS News station. The boyfriend suspected it was a hive or something, and after a Google search, realized it was a gigantic hornets’ nest. The family has called an exterminator.

In Sydney, Australia, a Virgin Australia airlines flight attendant was caught sleeping on the job—by Virgin owner Richard Branson. Branson took a photo next to the sleeping employee, posted it online then woke the employee up. “To be fair, he was on standby, getting some much needed rest,” Branson said, according to the Daily Mail Australia.

In Brandon, Manitoba, Canada, police were called to a restaurant where a couple ran up a tab of $135 then bolted. However, they left behind one thing—their 10-year-old daughter, according to the Canadian Press. Police caught up with the into.xicated couple and arrested them.