May 1

Scott Winters May 1, 2025 0 Comments

A quick look at Today in History, check out some Celebrity Birthdays, and find out what Days of the Year to celebrate.

TODAY IN HISTORY:

1805 – The state of Virginia passed a law requiring all freed slaves to leave the state, or risk either imprisonment or deportation.

1867 – Reconstruction in the South began with black voter registration.

1877 – President Rutherford B. Hayes withdrew all Federal troops from the South, ending Reconstruction.

1883 – William F. Cody (Buffalo Bill) had his first Wild West Show.

1884 – The construction of the first American 10-story building began in Chicago, IL.

1889 – Asa Candler published a full-page advertisement in The Atlanta Journal, proclaiming his wholesale and retail drug business as “sole proprietors of Coca-Cola … Delicious. Refreshing. Exhilarating. Invigorating.” Mr. Candler did not actually achieve sole ownership until 1891 at a cost of $2,300.

1905 – In New York, NY, radium was tested as a cure for cancer.

1915 – The city of Detroit, MI, mandated at all milk be pasteurized.

1920 – Babe Ruth hit his first home run as a Yankee and did it facing his former team, the Boston Red Sox.

1922 – Charlie Robertson, of the Chicago White Sox, pitched a perfect no-hit, no-run game against the Detroit Tigers. The Sox won 3-0. Another perfect game did not come along until 46 years later.

1926 – Henry Ford announced a five day work week. Ford Motor Company became one of the first companies in American to adopt a 5 day, 40 hour work week for workers.

1930 – The dwarf planet Pluto was officially named.

1931 – The Empire State Building in New York, NY, was dedicated and opened. It was 102 stories tall and was the tallest building in the world at the time.

1939 – A new crime fighter named “Batman” debuted in the May issues of Detective Comics #27.

1940 – The 1940 Summer Olympics were cancelled due to war.

1941 – “Citizen Kane,” directed and starring Orson Welles, premiered in New York, NY.

1951 – Mickey Mantle hits his first home run in the Major Leagues.

1952 – Production of Mr. Potato Head began.

1956 – The polio vaccine, developed by Jonas Salk, was made available to the public.

1958 – James Van Allen reported that two radiation belts encircled Earth.

1961 – Fidel Castro announced there would be no more elections in Cuba.

1969 – Leonard Tose bought the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles for $16,155,000.

1970 – Students at Kent State University rioted in downtown Kent, OH, in protest of the American invasion of Cambodia.

1971 – The National Railroad Passenger Corp. (Amtrak) went into service. It was established by Congress to run the nation’s intercity railroads.

1981 – The Japanese government announced that it would limit passenger car exports to the United States over the next three years.

1986 – The Tass News Agency reported the Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident.

1986 – Bill Elliott set a stock car speed record with his Ford Thunderbird in Talladega, AL. Elliott reached a speed of 212.229 mph.

1989 – Police in California were called to a jewelry store after employees reported a suspicious person. The person turned out to be Michael Jackson shopping in disguise.

1989 – Disney-MGM Studios (now called Hollywood Studios) opened at Walt Disney World near Orlando, FL.

1991 – Charles Osborne of Anthon, IA, died at the age of 97. He hiccupped continuously every few seconds for 69 years.

1992 – On the third day of the Los Angeles, CA riots resulting from the Rodney King beating trial, King appeared in public to appeal for calm. He asked, “Can we all just get along?”

1999 – On Mount Everest, a group of U.S. mountain climbers discovered the body of George Mallory. Mallory had died in June of 1924 while trying to become the first person to reach the summit of Everest. At the time of the discovery it was unclear whether or not Mallory had actually reached the summit.

1999 – The cartoon “Spongebob Squarepants” first aired on TV.

2000 – ABC aired the first celebrity “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.”

2000 – The “Barbie for President” doll was released in stores.

2001 – Chandra Levy was last seen in Washington, DC. Her remains were found in Rock Creek Park on May 22, 2002. California Congressman Gary Condit was questioned in the case due to his relationship with Levy.

2003 – In what has become known as the “Mission Accomplished” speech, on board the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln (off the coast of California), President George W. Bush declared that “major combat operations in Iraq have ended”.

2008 – Bruce Springsteen and Peter Gabriel appear on Time magazine’s list of the world’s most influential people.

2010 – Flood waters took over Nashville, TN, leaving thousands of its citizens temporarily homeless. In the following days, country stars would hold fundraising concerts, help clear out victims’ homes, and deliver food and supplies to devastated neighborhoods.

2010 – Michigan banned smoking in public places, places of employment, and food service establishments.

2011 – President Barack Obama made a late evening TV announcement that the U.S. military has killed terror mastermind Osama bin Laden in a compound not far from the Pakistani capital of Islamabad. The President called it “the most significant achievement to date in our nation’s effort to defeat al Qaeda.”

2011 – Pope John Paul II was beatified by his successor, Pope Benedict XVI.

2015 – The movie “Avengers: Age of Ultron” premiered in theaters. With a budget of $365 million, at the time is was the second most expensive movie ever made.

2017 – Ryan Seacrest joined Kelly Ripa as co-host on TV’s “Live with Kellly and Ryan”

BIRTHDAYS:

Judy Collins – 86 a old (1939) – Singer, songwriter (“Both Sides, Now”)

Bobbie Ann Mason – 85 a old (1940) – Novelist, short story writer, essayist, literary critic

Stephen Macht – 83 a old (1942) – Actor (“Raid on Entebbe”, TV’s “The Immigrants”, “American Dream”, “Knots Landing”, “Strange Voices”)

Rita Coolidge – 80 a old (1945) – Singer (“Your Love Keeps Lifting Me”, “We’re All Alone”, “The Way You Do The Things You Do”)

John Woo – 79 a old (1946) – Director (“Mission: Impossible II”, “Face/Off”, “Hard Target”)

Jerry Heard – 78 a old (1947) – Golfer

Douglas Barr – 76 a old (1949) – Actor, writer, director (TV’s “The Fall Guy”, “The Wizard”, “Designing Women”)

Dann Florek – 75 a old (1950) – Actor (TV’s “Law and Order: SVU”). Born in Flat Rock, MI.

Glen Ballard – 72 a old (1953) – Producer, songwriter (Alanis Morissette, Michael Jackson, Dave Matthews, Goo Goo Dolls, Katy Perry)

Ray Parker Jr. – 71 a old (1954) – Singer (Raydio, “Jack and Jill”, “Ghostbusters”). Born in Detroit, MI.

Nick Feldman – 70 a old (1955) – Musician (Wang Chung)

Wayne Hancock – 60 a old (1965) – Country musician

Johnny Colt – 59 a old (1966) – Bass guitarist (Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Black Crowes)

Charlie Schlatter – 59 a old (1966) – Actor (TV’s “Diagnosis: Murder”)

Tim McGraw – 58 a old (1967) – Country musician

D’Arcy Wreztky – 57 a old (1968) – Bass player (Smashing Pumpkins). Born in South Haven, MI.

Wes Anderson – 56 a old (1969) – Director (“The Grand Budapest Hotel”, “The Royal Tenenbaums”, “Moonrise Kingdom”, “Fantastic Mr. Fox”, “The Darjeeling Limited”, “Rushmore”)

Julie Benz – 53 a old (1972) – Actress (TV’s “Dexter,” “Angel”, “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”)

Darius McCrary – 49 a old (1976) – Actor (TV’s “Family Matters”, “Freedom”, movies “Big Shots”)

Jamie Dornan – 43 a old (1982) – Actor (“Fifty Shades of Grey”, “Marie Antoinette”)

Tim Urban – 36 a old (1989) – Singer (Finished seventh on TV’s “American Idol: Season 9”)

TODAY IS:

National No Pants Day: Leave your restricting pants in their drawer and feel the freedom of No Pants Day. Try skirts, dresses, kilts, or just stay home and relax bare-legged.
Learn to Ride a Bike Day:
National Space Day: Visit an observatory or use a telescope to explore the night sky, or peruse one of NASA’s livestreams to remind yourself how big the universe really is.
National Purebred Dog Day: Many purebred dogs offer invaluable services to mankind, from sheepherding to hunting to guarding and search-and-rescue, so give some love to purebreds.
Sauvignon Blanc Day:
School Principals’ Day: Organize an event or write a card to show your appreciation for the educators that run our schools. School principals work hard to make kids’ lives and educations better.
Save the Rhino Day:
Couple Appreciation Day:
Calan Mai:
National Mother Goose Day: Nursery rhymes and fairy tales like Mother Goose have proven to help kids read, think, and be better, so tell some stories on National Mother Goose Day.
National Black Barber Shop Appreciation Day:
Lei Day: Bring the feeling of sand in your toes and sun on your face to wherever you are by wearing a tropical lei, most commonly associated with beautiful Hawai’i.
National Chocolate Parfait Day: Indulge in a sweet, creamy, and decadent treat with layers of velvety goodness that will leave your taste buds in awe.
International Sunflower Guerrilla Gardening Day:
International Tuba Day: Underappreciated and often mocked, the tuba provides an essential role as bass in a wind or marching band, so dust off your tuba or go see a professional.
Global Love Day: Love yourself, love your friends and family, and love everyone else around you: spread some positivity and joy to an often tough world on World Love Day.
New Home Owners Day: If you’re lucky enough to own your home, throw a housewarming party on New Homeowner’s Day. If not, this may be a good time to start planning for your future.
Frequent Flyer Day:
International Samoyed Day:
National Executive Coaching Day: Send a big thank-you to the executive coaches who help corporate businesses run more effectively and smoothly, benefiting our entire society at the same time.
Therapeutic Massage Awareness Day: It’s easy to think of massages as an unnecessary luxury, but relieving stress and treating your body right is crucial to your well-being, so treat yourself a little.
National Rotate Your Beer Day:
National Loyalty Day:
School Lunch Hero Day: Dedicated individuals ensuring children have nutritious meals, fostering a positive school environment and supporting student well-being.
School Bus Drivers Day: School bus drivers provide a necessary service to our society, helping kids reach their education safely, so give them a big thanks for what they do.
Keep Kids Alive Drive 25 Day:
Phone in Sick Day:
Worthy Wage Day:
International Doodle Dog Day:
Silver Star Service Banner Day:
May Day: With flowers blooming and the sun shining, it's the perfect time to dance around the maypole and celebrate springtime!
International Workers’ Day: Appreciate the many ways you and others build our society, and acknowledge your own hard work by treating yourself kindly on International Worker’s Day.
Law Day: Navigating rules and regulations, understanding legal intricacies, ensures a society built on justice and fairness prevails.
Global Days of Action on Military Spending:
Machynlleth Comedy Festival:
National Stop Snoring Week:
National Youth Violence Prevention Week:
Vallenato Legend Festival:
National Immunization Awareness Week:
Tracky Dack Day:
National Physical Education and Sport Week: