Today in History - History - May 20th

1873Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis patent first blue jeans with copper rivets

1988Mike Schmidt hits his 535th HR, moving into 8th place

1927At 7:40 AM, pilot Charles Lindbergh takes off from NY to cross Atlantic for Paris

1983Michael Dokes & Mike Weaver fight to a draw in 15 for hw boxing title

1927Charles Lindbergh begins NY flight (Spirit of St Louis)

1984Boston's Roger Clemens beats Twins, 5-4, for his 1st victory

1991Chic Bull Michael Jordan, named NBA's MVP

1997US President Clinton signs an executive order barring new US investment in Burma (also known as Myanmar), effective May 21 and renewable annually

201220th Billboard Music Awards: Adele, 21 win

1983Larry Holmes beats Tim Witherspoon in 12 for heavyweight boxing title

1806John Stuart Mill, UK, philosopher/political economist/Utilitarian

1944Joe Cocker, Sheffield England, rock vocalist (Little Help From My Friends)

1970Louis Theroux, Singapore, English television broadcaster (Louis Theroux's Weird Weekends, When Louis Met....)

1908Jimmy Stewart [James], Indiana Pennsylvania, American actor (Mr Smith Goes to Washington, It's a Wonderful Life)

1506Christopher Columbus, explorer, dies in poverty, in Spain at 55

2002Stephen Jay Gould, American paleontologist (b. 1941)