May 20

Scott Winters May 20, 2025 1 Comment

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:

1774 – Britain’s Parliament passed the Coercive Acts to punish the American colonists for their increasingly anti-British behavior

1830 – The fountain pen was patented by H.D. Hyde.

1861 – North Carolina became the eleventh state to secede from the Union.

1873 – Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis received a patent for blue jeans with copper rivets.

1875 – The International Bureau of Weights and Measures was established.

1891 – Thomas Edison’s prototype kinetoscope was first shown to the public.

1899 – Taxi driver Jacob German of New York, NY, became the first driver to be arrested for speeding. The posted speed limit was 12 miles per hour.

1905 – Louis Chevrolet (who designed the Chevy for General Motors in 1911) won his first race on a cinder track in Morris Park, NY.

1916 – A Norman Rockwell painting appeared on the cover of “The Saturday Evening Post” for the first time. The painting was “Boy with a Baby Carriage”.

1916 – A small town in Kansas called Codell was struck by a tornado. The same town was also hit by a tornado in 1917 and 1918 all on the exact same date.

1926 – Congress passed the Air Commerce Act. The act gave the Department of Commerce the right to license pilots and planes.

1927 – Malcolm “Mac” Wood, took his wife Mable on her first dune ride in a Model A Ford after a 3-day downpour had packed down the sand on the Silver Lake sand dunes in Michigan. A few years later he had developed the first of his famous “dune scooters” by converting a Ford Model A into a four-seat dune buggy. He charged 25 cents for rides.

1927 – Charles Lindbergh took off from Roosevelt Field in Long Island, NY, to cross the Atlantic non-stop for Paris aboard his airplane the “Spirit of St. Louis.” He touched down at Le Bourget Field in Paris the next day. The trip took 33 1/2 hours.

1930 – The first airplane was catapulted from a dirigible.

1932 – Amelia Earhart took off from Newfoundland to fly solo nonstop across the Atlantic Ocean. She landed in Ireland the next day to become the first woman to achieve the feat.

1939 – The first telecast over telephone wires was sent from Madison Square Garden to the NBC-TV studios at 30 Rockefeller Center in Manhattan. The event was a bicycle race.

1939 – The first regular air-passenger service across the Atlantic Ocean began with the take-off of the “Yankee Clipper” from Port Washington, NY.

1942 – The song “I’ve Got A Gal in Kalamazoo” was recorded by Glenn Miller and His Orchestra.

1969 – Peter Cetera, of the band Chicago, was beaten up by four men at a Chicago Cubs-Dodgers baseball game. The men objected to the length of his hair. Cetera underwent four hours of emergency surgery.

1978 – Mavis Hutchinson, at age 53, became the first woman to run across America. It took Hutchinson 69 days to run the 3,000 miles.

1980 – The submarine Nautilus was designated as a National Historic Landmark by the U.S. Secretary of the Interior.

1982 – The final episode of TV’s “Barney Miller” aired on ABC-TV.

1985 – The Dow Jones industrial average broke the 1300 mark for the first time. The Dow closed at 1304.88.

1985 – Radio Marti, part of the Voice of America service, began broadcasting to Cuba.

1990 – The Hubble Space Telescope sent back its first photographs.

1993 – The final episode of TV’s “Cheers” aired on NBC. Approximately 42.4 million households were watching.

1996 – After six seasons, the final episode of “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air”, starring Will Smith, aired on NBC.

2003 – A cow in British Columbia, Canada was diagnosed with mad cow disease. As a result, the U.S. banned imports of Canadian beef, cattle and animal feed.

2007 – The Lundberg survey set a new high for gasoline prices in the United States at $3.18 per gallon.

2009 – Kris Allen was declared the winner of the eighth season of TV’s “American Idol”. Adam Lambert finished in second place.

2010 – Five paintings worth 100 million Euro were stolen from the Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris.

2015 – David Letterman hosted “The Late Show with David Lettermen” for the final time.

2022 – More than 40 people were injured and one person was killed after a tornado ripped through Gaylord, Michigan in the afternoon.

BIRTHDAYS:

Constance Towers – 92 years old (1933) – Actress (“Bring Your Smile Along”, “The Horse Soldiers”, “Sergeant Rutledge”, “Shock Corridor”, “The Naked Kiss”)

Anthony Zerbe – 89 years old (1936) – Actor (“The Omega Man”, “Farewell, My Lovely”, “Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park”, “Licence to Kill”, “The Turning Point”, “Star Trek: Insurrection”, “The Matrix Reloaded”, “The Matrix Revolutions”, “American Hustle”)

Cher – 79 years old (1946) – Singer, actress (“Moonstruck”, “The Witches of Eastwick”, “Silkwood”, “Mask”)

Dave Thomas – 76 years old (1949) – Comedian, actor (SCTV cast member, “Strange Brew”)

Dean Butler – 69 years old (1956) – Actor (TV’s “The Streets of San Francisco”, “Little House on the Prairie”, “The New Gidget”, “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”, movies “Desert Hearts”, “The Final Goal”)

Ron Reagan Jr. – 67 years old (1958) – Dancer, talk show host, son of President Ronald Reagan

Jane Wiedlin – 67 years old (1958) – Singer, guitarist (The Go-Go’s)

Susan Cowsill – 66 years old (1959) – Singer (The Cowsills)

Bronson Pinchot – 66 years old (1959) – Actor (“Courage Under Fire”, “Beverly Hills Cop”, “Risky Business”, TV’s “Perfect Strangers”, “Step By Step”, “The Surreal Life”)

Tony Goldwyn – 65 years old (1960) – Actor (“The Pelican Brief”, “Ghost”, “Gaby: A True Story”)

Brian Nash – 62 years old (1963) – Guitarist (Frankie Goes to Hollywood)

Ted Allen – 60 years old (1965) – TV host (TV’s “Chopped”, “Food Detective”, “Queer Eye”)

Mindy Cohn – 59 years old (1966) – Actress (Played Natalie on TV’s “The Facts of Life”)

Busta Rhymes – 53 years old (1972) – Rapper, record executive, actor

Rachel Platten – 44 years old (1981) – Singer (“Fight Song”)

TODAY IS:

World Bee Day: Support bee conservation by donating or purchasing from companies that work to save these crucial members of the ecosystem, or start your own bee hive.
National Rescue Dog Day: Wag your tail for rescue dogs! These lovable pups bring joy, loyalty, and unconditional love to every home they enter. Adopt a furry friend and experience the happiness that only a rescue dog can bring.
National Streaming Day: Gone are the days of missing out on, or even having to record and re-watch, a favorite television show because it was on at an inconvenient time. Today’s world allows almost anything to be accessed through streaming, almost instantly, and often at just the touch of a button. National Streaming Day...
National Be a Millionaire Day: No, you can’t become a millionaire in a day. But by taking stock of your financial health and taking steps to improve it, you just might get there someday.
National Quiche Lorraine Day: A shortcrust pastry, bacon, eggs, cream, milk, cheese, and a little time in the oven; that’s all it takes to make the delicious and fancy-sounding Quiche Lorraine.
National Band Director’s Day: National Band Director's Day, celebrated each year, is a special occasion to recognize the dedication and impact of band directors across the United States. These educators not only teach music but also foster creativity, discipline, and a sense of community among their students. Their relentless effort and passion for nurturing musical...
International Clinical Trials Day: Volunteer for a clinical trial to help scientists and professionals create new products that will help society with everything from medical treatments to sunscreen.
Weights & Measures Day: Learn about the history of weights and measures in the past, as well as how we’ve come to use the various systems of measurement we use today.
National Pick Strawberries Day: Juicy, red, and sweet, for many people strawberries are practically synonymous with summer. Get outside and pick your own fresh, tasty strawberries.
National Women in Aerospace Day: National Women in Aerospace Day shines a light on the achievements of women in aviation and space. From pilots to engineers, women have played key roles in shaping the skies and beyond. This day celebrates their contributions and encourages more women to explore careers in this exciting field. It highlights...
National High Heel Day: High heels are more than shoes—they’re statements. They lift not just height but mood, posture, and sometimes even confidence. National High Heel Day shines a light on this bold fashion icon. From glossy pumps to strappy stilettos, heels bring drama, style, and a little magic to every step. Whether spotted...
International Academic Freedom Day: Exploring ideas without bounds, fostering intellectual liberty to ignite curiosity and shape a limitless realm of learning.
National Stop Nausea Day: Nobody likes the feeling of their stomach turning upside down. National Stop Nausea Day puts that awkward, queasy sensation front and center. Whether it hits on a wild car ride, during a medical treatment, or out of the blue, nausea can throw off your whole day. This day gets people...
World Autoimmune Arthritis Day: Imagine waking up with aching joints, swollen fingers, and a body that feels like it's fighting itself. That's the daily reality for millions living with autoimmune and autoinflammatory arthritis. These conditions cause the immune system to attack healthy tissues, leading to pain and inflammation. World Autoimmune Arthritis Day shines a...
Eliza Doolittle Day: Eliza Doolittle Day springs from a playful moment in the musical My Fair Lady. In one scene, Eliza imagines a future where the king honors her with a day bearing her name. Fans embraced this idea, turning it into a real celebration. The day highlights Eliza's journey from a flower seller...
National Sugarbee® Apple Day: Imagine biting into an apple so crisp and sweet, it feels like nature's candy. That's the SugarBee® apple, a delightful result of a honeybee's chance encounter between a Honeycrisp blossom and an unknown apple variety. This happy accident led to an apple bursting with honeyed sweetness and a satisfying crunch...
International Red Sneakers Day: International Red Sneakers Day, celebrated annually, sparks a vibrant wave of red across communities worldwide. It's a day to wear red sneakers and support those impacted by food allergies. This celebration is not just about making a fashion statement. It's vital to increase awareness and educate the public about the severity...
International Heritage Breeds Week: Support the survival of classic livestock breeds like Oberhasli goats, Wiltshire Wild Horn sheep, and Gloucester Old Spot pigs during Heritage Breeds Week.
Be Nice to Nettles Week: Be Nice to Nettles Week is a vibrant annual event that shines a spotlight on the humble nettle plant. Celebrated in mid-May, this period encourages us to appreciate the ecological and health benefits of nettles. How to Celebrate Be Nice to Nettles Week Here are five quirky and playful ways to dive...
Dementia Action Week: Dementia Action Week is a key time of action. It’s time to step up your game on behalf of those who live with the disease. This event means different things while being significant to many different people. But one thing about it is the same -- it should bring us all...
Noise Action Week: Noise Action Week is an exciting event dedicated to raising awareness about the impact of noise pollution on our daily lives. This week-long initiative encourages everyone to think about the noise they create and how it affects others. It's a time for communities to come together, learn about noise reduction...
Walk to School Week in the UK: Walk to School Week in the UK is a vibrant event encouraging kids to embrace walking as part of their daily routine. This week-long initiative highlights the benefits of walking over driving, making it an engaging and fun experience for children! How to Celebrate Walk to School Week Host a...
National Safe Sun Week: National Safe Sun Week is a special time dedicated to educating people about the dangers of too much sun and how to stay safe. Held in the last week of May, right before the Memorial Day holiday, it marks the beginning of summer. This is when folks often start spending...
Tracky Dack Day: Tracky Dack Day is a funny name for a serious cause. This annual event, run by TLC for Kids, encourages people to wear their favorite track pants (aka 'tracky dacks'!) to support children in hospitals! The name brings a smile, but the mission is profound. It raises awareness and funds...
Italian Beef Week: What's better than sinking your teeth into a juicy sandwich piled high with tender beef, topped with sweet peppers?