Notable Historical Events on May 20th
May 20th Historical Events
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
325 |
1st Christian ecumenical council opens at Nicaea, Asia Minor |
1217 |
The Second Battle of Lincoln is fought near Lincoln, England, resulting in the defeat of Prince Louis of France by William Marshal, 2nd Earl of Pembroke. |
1293 |
Earthquake strikes Kamakura Japan, 30,000 killed |
1293 |
King Sancho IV of Castile creates the Study of General Schools of Alcalá. |
1303 |
Treaty of Paris restores Gascony to the English and arranges for marriage of English Prince Edward to French Princess Isabella |
1310 |
Shoes were made for both right & left feet |
1347 |
Rienzo calls Rome for people's tribunal |
1495 |
French King Charles VIII leaves Naples |
1498 |
Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama arrives at Calicut, India - first European to reach India by sea |
1501 |
Joao da Nova Castell discovers Ascension Islands |
1521 |
Ignatius Loyola seriously wounded by a cannon ball |
1524 |
Duke of Albany leaves Scotland |
1571 |
Venice, Spain & Pope Pius form anti-Turkish Saint League |
1591 |
Spanish troops in Zutphen surrenders to Willem Louis/Mauritius |
1609 |
Shakespeare's Sonnets are first published in London, perhaps illicitly, by the publisher Thomas Thorpe. |
1631 |
Magdeburg in Germany seized by forces of the Holy Roman Empire under earl Johann Tilly, most inhabitants massacred, one of the bloodiest incidents of the Thirty Years' War. |
1639 |
Dorchester Mass, forms 1st school funded by local taxes |
1690 |
England passes Act of Grace, forgiving followers of James II |
1704 |
Elias Neau forms school for slaves in NY |
1734 |
1st Jockey Club forms in SC |
1774 |
Britain gives Quebec, Labrador & territory north of Ohio |
1775 |
Citizens of Mecklenburg County, NC declare independence from Britain |
1784 |
Britain & Netherlands sign peace treaty (Peace of Paris) |
1825 |
Charles X becomes King of France |
1830 |
1st railroad timetable published in newspaper (Baltimore American) |
1830 |
D Hyde patents fountain pen |
1835 |
Otto is named the first modern king of Greece. |
1840 |
York Minster badly damaged by fire |
1845 |
1st legislative assembly convenes in Hawaii |
1845 |
HMS Erebus and HMS Terror with 134 men under John Franklin sail from the River Thames in England, beginning a disastrous expedition to find the Northwest Passage. All hands are lost. |
1861 |
Cornerstone of University of Washington laid in Seattle |
1861 |
Kentucky proclaims its neutrality in Civil War |
1861 |
North Carolina becomes 11th & last state to secede from Union |
1861 |
US marshals appropriate previous year's telegraph dispatches, to reveal prosecessionist evidence |
1862 |
Homestead Act provides cheap land for settlement of West |
1864 |
Battle at Ware Bottom Church, Virginia, 1,400 killed or injured |
1864 |
Spotsylvania campaign ends after 10,920 killed/injured |
1867 |
British parliament rejects John Stuart Mills' proposals on women's suffrage |
1867 |
Royal Albert Hall of Arts & Sciences foundation laid by Queen Victoria |
1868 |
Republican National Convention, meets in Chicago, nominates Grant |
1870 |
Second Chamber of the Dutch Parliament abolishes capital punishment in The Netherlands |
1873 |
Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis patent first blue jeans with copper rivets |
1875 |
International Bureau of Weights & Measures forms by treaty |
1879 |
5th Kentucky Derby: Charlie Shauer aboard Lord Murphy wins in 2:37 |
1882 |
Germany/Austria-Hungary/France sign Triple Alliance |
1882 |
Henrik Ibsen's "Ghosts" (Gengangere) premieres in Chicago |
1882 |
St Gotthard rail tunnel between Switzerland & Italy opens |
1891 |
History of cinema: The first public display of Thomas Edison's prototype kinetoscope. |
1892 |
George Sampson patents clothes dryer |
1892 |
Triple Alliance between Germany, Italy & Austria forms |
1895 |
1st commercial movie performance (153 Broadway, NYC) |
1896 |
The six ton chandelier of the Palais Garnier opera house in Paris falls on the crowd resulting in the death of one and the injury of many others. |
1900 |
2nd modern Olympic games opens in Paris (lasted 5 months) |
1902 |
Cuba gains independence from Spain |
1902 |
US military occupation of Cuba (since Jan 1, 1899) ends |
1902 |
The United States withdraw its troops from Cuba as its first president, Tomas Estrada Palma, is installed |
1903 |
Britain's House of Commons begins a debate on the charges of poor administration and ill treatment of natives in Belgium's colony in the Congo Free State |
1910 |
Funeral for Britain's King Edward VII |
1911 |
Edwin Boaler Alletson hits 189 in 90 mins Notts v Sussex |
1913 |
38th Preakness: James Butwell aboard Buskin wins in 1:53.4 |
1915 |
Bataafsche Petroleum Me begins oil extraction of Maracaibo |
1916 |
Codell, Kansas hit by tornado (also on same date in 1917 & 1918) |
1916 |
Saturday Evening Post cover features Norman Rockwell painting |
1917 |
Turkish government authorizes Jews to return to Tel Aviv & Jaffa |
1918 |
1st electrically propelled warship (New Mexico) |
1919 |
Volcano Keluit on Java, erupts killing 550 |
1920 |
Policemen raid the Cubs' bleachers & arrest 24 fans for gambling |
1922 |
"Egypt" sinks off Ushant after colliding with "Seine" killing 90 |
1922 |
Babe Ruth & Bob Meusel, suspended on October 16, 1921, by Judge Kennesaw Mountain Landis, return to the NY lineup & go hitless |
1923 |
Stanley Baldwin, becomes PM of UK |
1926 |
Belgian government of Jaspar takes power |
1926 |
Congress passes Air Commerce Act, licensing of pilots & planes |
1926 |
Railway Labor Act became law in USA |
1926 |
Thomas Edison says Americans prefer silent movies over talkies |
1927 |
At 7:40 AM, pilot Charles Lindbergh takes off from NY to cross Atlantic for Paris |
1927 |
Saudi Arabia becomes independent of Great Britain (Treaty of Jedda) |
1927 |
Charles Lindbergh begins NY flight (Spirit of St Louis) |
1930 |
1st airplane catapulted from a dirigible, Charles Nicholson, pilot |
1930 |
University of California dedicates $1,500 to research on prevention & cure of athlete's foot |
1932 |
Amelia Earhart leaves Newfoundland 1st woman fly solo across Atlantic |
1932 |
Engelbert Dollfuss becomes chancellor of Austria |
1939 |
"3 Little Fishies" by Kay Kyser swam to #1 |
1939 |
1st regular transatlantic airmail (Pan Am: NY to Marsseille France) |
1940 |
German General Guderian's tanks reach the English Channel (British expeditionary army) |
1940 |
Soccer team HZVV forms in Hoogeveen |
1940 |
Trailing 7-1 in 9th to Pitts, Phils win 8-7 |
1941 |
Archer's "Christian Calendar & Gregorian Reform" published |
1941 |
Former Dutch PM Colijn says Neth Indies not ready for independence |
1941 |
Germany invades Crete |
1941 |
White Sox Taft Wright sets AL record of RBIs in 13 consecutive games |
1942 |
US Navy 1st permitted black recruits to serve |
1943 |
French, British & US victory parade in Tunis Tunisia |
1944 |
US Communist Party dissolves |
1945 |
Keith Miller scores 105 in the 1st Victory Test Cricket at Lord's |
1946 |
Cubs Claude Passeau makes his 1st error since September 21, 1941, ending pitcher's fielding record of 273 consecutive errorless chances |
1948 |
1st use of Israeli Air Force & 1st war victory, defeating Syrian army |
1948 |
Cleve Indians tie AL record of 18 walks (beat Red Sox 13-4) |
1950 |
76th Preakness: Eddie Arcaro aboard Hill Prince wins in 1:59.2 |
1954 |
Chiang Kai-shek becomes president of Nationalist China |
1955 |
Argentine parliament accepts separation of church & state |
1956 |
Atomic fusion (thermonuclear) bomb dropped from plane-Bikini Atoll |
1956 |
Jordan government of Samir resigns |
1958 |
US performs nuclear test at Enwetak (atmospheric tests) |
1959 |
Ford wins battle with Chrysler to call its new car "Falcon" |
1959 |
Japanese-Americans regain their citizenship |
1959 |
Shah of Persia visits Netherlands |
1959 |
Yanks sink to last place, 1st time since May 25, 1940 |
1960 |
Baseball game in Milwaukee postponed due to dense fog |
1961 |
87th Preakness: Johnny Sellers aboard Carry Back wins in 1:57.6 |
1961 |
Henzes opera "Elegy for Young Lovers," premieres in Schwetzingen |
1961 |
Mauritania adopts constitution |
1961 |
White mob attacks "Freedom Riders" in Montgomery, Alabama |
1962 |
Patty Berg wins LPGA Muskogee Civitan Golf Open |
1963 |
Sukarno appointed president of Indonesia |
1964 |
Buster Mathis defeats Joe Fraizer to qualify for US Olympic team |
1965 |
Pakistani Boeing 720-B crashes at Cairo Egypt, killing 121 |
1965 |
Yorkshire all out for 23 v Hampshire at Middlesbrough |
1967 |
10,000 demonstrate against war in Vietnam |
1967 |
93rd Preakness: Bill Shoemaker aboard Damascus wins in 1:55.2 |
1967 |
BBC bans the Beatles' "A Day in the Life" because of drug references |
1968 |
Terence O'Neill, then Northern Ireland Prime Minister, is showered with eggs, flour and stones after a meeting of the Woodvale Unionist Association, a loyalist vigilante group |
1969 |
US troop capture Hill 937/Hamburger Hill Vietnam |
1970 |
100,000 march in NY supporting US policies in Vietnam |
1970 |
2 die in a NYC subway accident |
1970 |
Beatles' "Let it Be" movie premieres in UK |
1971 |
Pentagon reports blacks constitute 11% of US soldiers in SE Asia |
1972 |
"Different Times" closes at ANTA Theater NYC after 24 performances |
1972 |
"Hard Job Being God" closes at Edison Theater NYC after 6 performances |
1972 |
5th ABA Championship: Indiana Pacers beat NY Nets, 4 games to 2 |
1972 |
98th Preakness: Eldon Nelson aboard Bee Bee Bee wins in 1:55.6 |
1972 |
Cameroon adopts its constitution |
1972 |
Republic of Cameroon declared as constitution is ratified |
1973 |
"2 Gentlemen of Verona" closes at St James Theater NYC after 613 perfs |
1973 |
25th Emmy Awards: Waltons, All in the Family & Mary Tyler Moore win |
1973 |
Donna Caponi Young wins LPGA Bluegrass Golf Invitational |
1974 |
Soyuz 14 returns to Earth |
1976 |
USSR performs nuclear test at Sary Shagan USSR |
1978 |
104th Preakness: Steve Cauthen aboard Affirmed wins in 1:54.4 |
1978 |
3 PFLP members kill a police officer near El Al airlines in Orly Airport, Paris |
1978 |
US launches Pioneer Venus 1; produces 1st global radar map of Venus |
1979 |
"I Love My Wife" closes at Barrymore Theater NYC after 864 perfs |
1979 |
1st western pop star to tour USSR-Elton John |
1979 |
Nancy Lopez wins LPGA Coca-Cola Golf Classic |
1980 |
710 families in Love Canal area (Niagara Falls NY) are evacuated |
1980 |
Drummer Peter Criss quits Kiss |
1980 |
Fire in nursing home in Kingston Jamaica, kills 157 |
1980 |
In a referendum, 59.5% of Quebec voters reject separatism |
1981 |
Ipswich Town wins 10th UEFA Cup at Amsterdam |
1983 |
Larry Holmes beats Tim Witherspoon in 12 for heavyweight boxing title |
1983 |
Michael Dokes & Mike Weaver fight to a draw in 15 for hw boxing title |
1983 |
Phillies Steve Carlton passes W Johnson with 2nd most strike outs |
1984 |
"On Your Toes" closes at Virginia Theater NYC after 505 performances |
1984 |
Barb Bunkowsky wins LPGA Chrysler-Plymouth Charity Golf Classic |
1984 |
Boston's Roger Clemens beats Twins, 5-4, for his 1st victory |
1985 |
1150 Lebanese/Palestinian prisoners exchanged for 3 Israelis |
1985 |
Dow Jones industrial avg closes above 1300 for 1st time |
1985 |
FBI arrests John A Walker Jr, convicted of spying for USSR |
1985 |
Indians-Brewers game at Cleve Stadium is 1st rain-out of 1985, ends record string of 458 ML games since Opening Day without a rain-out |
1985 |
Israel exchanges 1,100+ Arab prisoners for 3 Israeli soldiers |
1985 |
Larry Holmes beats Carl Williams in 15 for heavyweight boxing title |
1985 |
US began broadcasts to Cuba on Radio Marti |
1986 |
Christy Fichtner, 23, (Texas), crowned 35th Miss USA |
1986 |
Flintstones 25th Anniversary Celebration airs on CBS-tv |
1987 |
Gutenborg wins 16th UEFA Cup at Dundee |
1987 |
Wrestler Jerry Lawler sues WWF & Harley Race for trademark name "king" |
1988 |
Howard Stern fans disrupt WMMR's & John DeBella's "Louie Louie" parade |
1988 |
Mike Schmidt hits his 535th HR, moving into 8th place |
1989 |
115th Preakness: Pat Valenzuela aboard Sunday Silence wins in 1:53.8 |
1989 |
China declares martial law in Beijing |
1989 |
Toonces The Cat takes the wheel on Saturday Night Live |
1989 |
Walter McConnel, 57, is oldest to reach 27,000' Mt Everest top |
1990 |
"Truly Blessed" closes at Longacre Theater NYC after 33 performances |
1990 |
Cindy Rarick wins LPGA Planters Pat Bradley Golf International |
1990 |
Hubble Space Telescope sends 1st photograph's from space |
1991 |
Chic Bull Michael Jordan, named NBA's MVP |
1991 |
Jeff Reardon gains his 300th career save |
1991 |
Soviet parliament approves law allowing citizens to travel abroad |
1992 |
FC Barcelona wins 373 Europe Cup 1 at London |
1992 |
India launches its 1st satellite independently |
1992 |
Rap singer raps 597 syllables in under 60 seconds |
1993 |
10m meteor comes within 150,000 km of Earth (1993KA) |
1993 |
274th & final "Cheers" on NBC |
1993 |
Ukraine Premier Leonid Koetsjma (Kuchma) resigns |
1994 |
Bobcat Goldthwait charged with misdemeanors for fire on Tonight Show |
1994 |
Sushmita Sen from India is crowned the 43rd Miss Universe at 18 years old |
1994 |
Sony Theaters & Cineplex (NYC) hike movie ticket prices to $8.00 |
1995 |
121st Preakness: Pat Day aboard Timber Coutry wins in 1:54.4 |
1995 |
CBS News fires co-anchor Connie Chung |
1995 |
Twins Marty Cordova ties rookie record of HRs in 5 consecutive games |
1996 |
UN and Iraq agree to Resolution 986, which provides Iraq with the opportunity to sell $1 billion of oil for 90 days for a 180-day trial period; proceeds from the sale would be used for humanitarian purposes |
1997 |
Cosmos Zenit-2 Launch (Russia), Failed |
1997 |
Thor-2A Delta 2 Launch (Norway/USA), Successful |
1997 |
White Sox Frank Thomas reaches base safely for 15th straight time |
1997 |
US President Clinton signs an executive order barring new US investment in Burma (also known as Myanmar), effective May 21 and renewable annually |
2002 |
The independence of East Timor is recognized by Portugal, formally ending 23 years of Indonesian rule and 3 years of provisional UN administration (Portugal itself was the former colonizer of East Timor until 1976). |
2003 |
The reality series "America's Next Top Model", created by Tyra Banks, debuts on UPN |
2009 |
Mexico is the first Latin American country to officially enter recession |
2012 |
Tomislav Nikolić elected president of Serbia |
2012 |
6.0 magnitude earthquake kills 6 and injures dozens in northern Italy |
2012 |
20th Billboard Music Awards: Adele, 21 win |
2013 |
133 people are killed and 283 are injured in a continued wave of insurgency in Iraq |
2013 |
2 people are killed and 20 are injured after a hot air balloon crashes in Cappadocia, Turkey |
2013 |
The Church of Scotland votes to allow openly gay men and women to be ministers |
2013 |
Yahoo purchases Tumbler for $1.1 Billion |
2016 |
New Taiwan President Omits One-China Policy in First Speech |
2016 |
Asia Pacific|Taiwan Installs 1st Woman President Amid Tension With China |
2016 |
New Taiwan president pledges peace, urges China to drop historical baggage |
2016 |
Egypt's Sisi orders civil aviation ministry, military, to locate EgyptAir plane debris |
2016 |
Muirfield Golf Club ban on female members upheld |
2016 |
Golfer Mickleson to return insider trading profit |
2017 |
Cavs set NBA record with 41-point halftime lead |
2018 |
Cuba confirms 110 killed in country's deadliest plane crash since 1989 |
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