On This Day in History — May 20

Highlights of May 20

• 2022 — Russo-Ukrainian war: Russia claimed full control of Mariupol after a nearly three-month siege. Read more
• 2013 — A tornado struck Moore, Oklahoma, United States, killing 24 people and causing an estimated $2 billion of damage. Read more
• 2012 — The first of two major earthquakes struck Northern Italy, resulting in seven deaths. Read more
• 1996 — In deciding Romer v. Evans, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a constitutional amendment in Colorado that prevented protected status under the law for homosexuals or bisexuals. Read more
• 1993 — "One for the Road", the series finale of American television sitcom Cheers, was watched by 42.4 million American households on its original airing. Read more
• 1983 — A team of researchers led by French virologist Luc Montagnier published their discovery of HIV, but were not then certain that it caused AIDS. Read more
• 1965 — While attempting to land at Cairo International Airport, Pakistan International Airlines Flight 705 crashed for unknown reasons, killing all but 6 of the 121 people on board. Read more
• 1947 — The first session of the National Diet opened in Tokyo, Japan. Read more
• 1943 — The Luttra Woman (skull pictured), a bog body from the Early Neolithic period, was discovered near Luttra, Sweden. Read more
• 1941 — World War II: German paratroopers began the Battle of Heraklion on the island of Crete, capturing the airfield and port in Heraklion ten days later. Read more
• 1927 — With the signing of the Treaty of Jeddah, the United Kingdom recognized the sovereignty of Ibn Saud over Hejaz and Nejd, which later merged to become Saudi Arabia. Read more
• 1875 — Representatives from seventeen countries signed the Metre Convention, which set up an institute for the purpose of coordinating international metrology and for coordinating the development of the metric system. Read more
• 1811 — A British squadron under Charles Marsh Schomberg defeated a French force off Tamatave, Madagascar, that was attempting to reinforce the French garrison on Mauritius. Read more
• 1714 — J. S. Bach led the first performance of his Pentecost cantata Erschallet, ihr Lieder at the chapel of Schloss Weimar. Read more
• 1609 — Thomas Thorpe published the first copies of Shakespeare's sonnets, possibly without William Shakespeare's consent. Read more
• 1515 — Ulysses, who would be famously depicted in a posthumous woodcut, landed in Lisbon, becoming the first of his species to visit Europe in a thousand years. Read more
• 1217 — First Barons' War: English forces under William Marshal defeated French troops at the Battle of Lincoln. Read more
• 794 — According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, King Æthelberht II of East Anglia was beheaded on the orders of Offa of Mercia. Read more
• 685 — The Picts defeated the Northumbrians at the Battle of Dun Nechtain, severely weakening the latter's power in northern Great Britain. Read more
• 325 — The First Council of Nicaea, the first ecumenical council of the Christian Church, was formally opened by Constantine the Great. Read more

Events

• 2022 — Russo-Ukrainian war: Russia claims full control of the Ukrainian city of Mariupol after a nearly three-month siege. Read more
• 2019 — The International System of Units (SI): The base units are redefined, making the international prototype of the kilogram obsolete. Read more
• 2016 — The government of Singapore authorises the controversial execution of convicted murderer Kho Jabing for the murder of a Chinese construction worker despite international pleas for clemency, notably from Amnesty International and the United Nations. Read more
• 2013 — An EF5 tornado strikes the Oklahoma City suburb of Moore, killing 24 people and injuring 377 others. Read more
• 2012 — At least 27 people are killed and 50 others injured when a 6.0-magnitude earthquake strikes northern Italy. Read more
• 2011 — Mamata Banerjee is sworn in as the Chief Minister of West Bengal, the first woman to hold this post. Read more
• 2009 — An Indonesian Air Force Lockheed L-100 Hercules crashes in Magetan Regency, killing 99. Read more
• 2002 — The independence of East Timor is recognized by Portugal, formally ending 23 years of Indonesian rule and three years of provisional UN administration (Portugal itself is the former colonizer of East Timor until 1976). Read more
• 1996 — Civil rights: The Supreme Court of the United States rules in Romer v. Evans against a law that would have prevented any city, town or county in the state of Colorado from taking any legislative, executive, or judicial action to protect the rights of gays and lesbians. Read more
• 1990 — The first post-Communist presidential and parliamentary elections are held in Romania. Read more
• 1989 — The Chinese authorities declare martial law in the face of pro-democracy demonstrations, setting the scene for the Tiananmen Square massacre. Read more
• 1985 — Radio Martí, part of the Voice of America service, begins broadcasting to Cuba. Read more
• 1983 — First publications of the discovery of the HIV virus that causes AIDS in the journal Science by a team of French scientists including Françoise Barré-Sinoussi, Jean-Claude Chermann, and Luc Montagnier. Read more
• 1983 — Church Street bombing: A car bomb planted by UMkhonto we Sizwe explodes on Church Street in South Africa's capital, Pretoria, killing 19 people and injuring 217 others. Read more
• 1980 — In a referendum in Quebec, the population rejects, with 60% of the vote, a government proposal to move towards independence from Canada. Read more
• 1971 — In the Chuknagar massacre, Pakistani forces massacre thousands, mostly Bengali Hindus. Read more
• 1969 — The Battle of Hamburger Hill in Vietnam ends. Read more
• 1967 — The Popular Movement of the Revolution political party is established in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Read more
• 1965 — One hundred twenty-one people are killed when Pakistan International Airlines Flight 705 crashes at Cairo International Airport. Read more
• 1964 — Discovery of the cosmic microwave background radiation by Robert Woodrow Wilson and Arno Penzias. Read more
• 1958 — Capital Airlines Flight 300 collides in mid-air with a United States Air Force Lockheed T-33 over Brunswick, Maryland, killing 12. Read more
• 1956 — In Operation Redwing, the first United States airborne hydrogen bomb is dropped over Bikini Atoll in the Pacific Ocean. Read more
• 1949 — In the United States, the Armed Forces Security Agency, the predecessor to the National Security Agency, is established. Read more
• 1948 — Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek wins the 1948 Republic of China presidential election and is sworn in as the first President of the Republic of China at Nanjing. Read more
• 1943 — The Luttra Woman, a bog body from the Early Neolithic period (radiocarbon-dated c. 3928–3651 BC), is discovered near Luttra, Sweden. Read more
• 1941 — World War II: Battle of Crete: German paratroops invade Crete. Read more
• 1940 — The Holocaust: The first prisoners arrive at a new concentration camp at Auschwitz. Read more
• 1932 — Amelia Earhart takes off from Newfoundland to begin the world's first solo nonstop flight across the Atlantic Ocean by a female pilot, landing in Ireland the next day. Read more
• 1932 — The American Friends of Lafayette is founded at Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania Read more
• 1927 — Treaty of Jeddah: The United Kingdom recognizes the sovereignty of King Ibn Saud in the Kingdoms of Hejaz and Nejd, which later merge to become the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Read more
• 1927 — Charles Lindbergh takes off for Paris from Roosevelt Field in Long Island, N.Y., aboard the Spirit of St. Louis on the first nonstop solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean, landing 33+1⁄2 hours later. Read more
• 1902 — Cuba gains independence from the United States. Tomás Estrada Palma becomes the country's first President. Read more
• 1891 — History of cinema: The first public display of Thomas Edison's prototype kinetoscope. Read more
• 1883 — Krakatoa begins to erupt; the volcano explodes three months later, killing more than 36,000 people. Read more
• 1882 — The Triple Alliance between the German Empire, Austria-Hungary and the Kingdom of Italy is formed. Read more
• 1875 — Signing of the Metre Convention by 17 nations leading to the establishment of the International System of Units. Read more
• 1873 — Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis receive a U.S. patent for blue jeans with copper rivets. Read more
• 1864 — American Civil War: Battle of Ware Bottom Church: In the Virginia Bermuda Hundred campaign, 10,000 troops fight in this Confederate victory. Read more
• 1862 — U.S. President Abraham Lincoln signs the Homestead Act into law, opening eighty-four million acres (340,000 km2) of public land to settlers. Read more
• 1861 — American Civil War: The state of Kentucky proclaims its neutrality, which will last until September 3 when Confederate forces enter the state. Read more
• 1861 — American Civil War: The State of North Carolina secedes from the Union. Read more
• 1813 — Napoleon Bonaparte leads his French troops into the Battle of Bautzen in Saxony, Germany, against the combined armies of Russia and Prussia. The battle ends the next day with a French victory. Read more
• 1802 — By the Law of 20 May 1802, Napoleon Bonaparte reinstates slavery in the French colonies, revoking its abolition in the French Revolution. Read more
• 1775 — The Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence is allegedly signed in Charlotte, North Carolina. Read more
• 1741 — The Battle of Cartagena de Indias ends in a Spanish victory and the British begin withdrawal towards Jamaica with substantial losses. Read more
• 1714 — Johann Sebastian Bach leads the first performance of his cantata for Pentecost, Erschallet, ihr Lieder, BWV 172, at the chapel of Schloss Weimar. Read more
• 1645 — Yangzhou massacre: The ten day massacre of the residents of the city of Yangzhou, part of the Transition from Ming to Qing. Read more
• 1631 — The city of Magdeburg in Germany is seized by forces of the Holy Roman Empire and most of its inhabitants massacred, in one of the bloodiest incidents of the Thirty Years' War. Read more
• 1609 — Shakespeare's sonnets are first published in London, perhaps illicitly, by the publisher Thomas Thorpe. Read more
• 1570 — Cartographer Abraham Ortelius issues Theatrum Orbis Terrarum, the first modern atlas. Read more
• 1521 — Ignatius of Loyola is seriously wounded in the Battle of Pampeluna. Read more
• 1520 — Hernan Cortés defeats Pánfilo de Narváez, sent by Spain to punish him for insubordination. Read more
• 1498 — Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama discovers the sea route to India when he arrives at Kozhikode (previously known as Calicut), India. Read more
• 1497 — John Cabot sets sail from Bristol, England, on his ship Matthew looking for a route to the west (other documents give a May 2 date). Read more
• 1449 — The Battle of Alfarrobeira is fought, establishing the House of Braganza as a principal royal family of Portugal. Read more
• 1426 — King Mohnyin Thado formally ascends to the throne of Ava. Read more
• 1293 — King Sancho IV of Castile creates the Estudio de Escuelas de Generales in Alcalá de Henares. Read more
• 1217 — The Second Battle of Lincoln is fought near Lincoln, England, resulting in the defeat of Prince Louis of France by William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke. Read more
• 1202 — A major earthquake hits Syria, widely felt between Sicily and Iraq. Read more
• 942 — A Magyar raiding army defeats forces of the Muslim frontier state of Fraxinetum. Read more

Born on May 20

• 2012 — Doug the Pug, American celebrity dog Read more
• 1998 — Jamie Chadwick, English race car driver Read more
• 1998 — Nam Nguyen, Canadian figure skater Read more
• 1997 — Kaoru Mitoma, Japanese footballer Read more
• 1996 — Brian Kelly, Australian rugby league player Read more
• 1993 — Ramy Rabia, Egyptian footballer Read more
• 1993 — Caroline Zhang, American figure skater Read more
• 1992 — Cate Campbell, Malawian-Australian swimmer Read more
• 1992 — Jack Gleeson, Irish actor Read more
• 1992 — Enes Kanter, Turkish basketball player Read more
• 1992 — Fanny Smith, Swiss freestyle skier Read more
• 1991 — Bastian Baker, Swiss singer, songwriter, and performer Read more
• 1991 — Emre Çolak, Turkish footballer Read more
• 1990 — Josh O'Connor, British actor Read more
• 1989 — Siosia Vave, Australian-Tongan rugby league player Read more
• 1988 — Joel Moon, Australian rugby league player Read more
• 1987 — Mike Havenaar, Japanese footballer Read more
• 1987 — Julian Wright, American basketball player Read more
• 1986 — Dexter Blackstock, English footballer Read more
• 1986 — Stéphane Mbia, Cameroonian footballer Read more
• 1986 — Jiřina Svobodová, Czech pole vaulter Read more
• 1985 — Chris Froome, Kenyan-English cyclist Read more
• 1985 — Brendon Goddard, Australian footballer Read more
• 1984 — Mauro Rafael da Silva, Brazilian footballer Read more
• 1984 — Patrick Ewing Jr., American basketball player Read more
• 1984 — Keith Grennan, American football player Read more
• 1983 — N. T. Rama Rao Jr., Indian Film Actor Read more
• 1983 — Óscar Cardozo, Paraguayan footballer Read more
• 1983 — Matt Langridge, English rower Read more
• 1982 — Petr Čech, Czech footballer Read more
• 1982 — Imran Farhat, Pakistani cricketer Read more
• 1982 — Jessica Raine, English actress Read more
• 1982 — Daniel Ribeiro, Brazilian director, producer, and screenwriter Read more
• 1981 — Iker Casillas, Spanish footballer Read more
• 1981 — Rachel Platten, American singer and songwriter Read more
• 1981 — Lindsay Taylor, American basketball player Read more
• 1981 — Mark Winterbottom, Australian race car driver Read more
• 1980 — Austin Kearns, American baseball player Read more
• 1980 — Kassim Osgood, American football player Read more
• 1979 — Andrew Scheer, Canadian politician, 28th Leader of the Conservative Party of Canada Read more

Died on May 20

• 2025 — George Wendt, American actor and comedian (born 1948) Read more
• 2024 — Ivan Boesky, American stock trader (born 1937) Read more
• 2022 — Roger Angell, American sportswriter and author (born 1920) Read more
• 2022 — Susan Roces, Filipino actress (born 1941) Read more
• 2021 — Gary Wilson, American anti-pornography activist (born 1956) Read more
• 2019 — Niki Lauda, Austrian race car driver (born 1949) Read more
• 2016 — Kho Jabing, Malaysian convicted murderer who was executed by hanging in Singapore (born 1984) Read more
• 2015 — Bob Belden, American saxophonist, composer, and producer (born 1956) Read more
• 2015 — Femi Robinson, Nigerian actor and playwright (born 1940) Read more
• 2014 — Sandra Bem, American psychologist and academic (born 1944) Read more
• 2014 — Ross Brown, New Zealand rugby player (born 1934) Read more
• 2014 — Robyn Denny, English-French painter (born 1930) Read more
• 2014 — Arthur Gelb, American journalist, author, and critic (born 1924) Read more
• 2014 — Prince Rupert Loewenstein, Spanish-English businessman (born 1933) Read more
• 2014 — Barbara Murray, English actress (born 1929) Read more
• 2013 — Flavio Costantini, Italian painter and illustrator (born 1926) Read more
• 2013 — Billie Dawe, Canadian ice hockey player and manager (born 1924) Read more
• 2013 — Anders Eliasson, Swedish composer (born 1947) Read more
• 2013 — Miloslav Kříž, Czech basketball player and coach (born 1924) Read more
• 2013 — Ray Manzarek, American singer-songwriter, keyboard player, and producer (born 1939) Read more
• 2013 — Denys Roberts, English judge and politician (born 1923) Read more
• 2013 — Zach Sobiech, American singer-songwriter (born 1995) Read more
• 2012 — Leela Dube, Indian anthropologist and scholar (born 1923) Read more
• 2012 — Robin Gibb, Manx-English singer-songwriter and producer (born 1949) Read more
• 2012 — David Littman, English-Swiss historian, author, and academic (born 1933) Read more
• 2012 — Ken Lyons, American bass guitarist (born 1953) Read more
• 2012 — Eugene Polley, American engineer, invented the remote control (born 1915) Read more
• 2012 — Andrew B. Steinberg, American lawyer (born 1958) Read more
• 2011 — Randy Savage, American wrestler and actor (born 1952) Read more
• 2009 — Arthur Erickson, Canadian architect and urban planner, designed Roy Thomson Hall (born 1924) Read more
• 2009 — Lucy Gordon, American actress and model (born 1980) Read more
• 2009 — Pierre Gamarra, French author, poet, and critic (born 1919) Read more
• 2008 — Hamilton Jordan, American politician, 8th White House Chief of Staff (born 1944) Read more
• 2007 — Norman Von Nida, Australian golfer (born 1914) Read more
• 2005 — Paul Ricœur, French philosopher and academic (born 1913) Read more
• 2005 — William Seawell, American general (born 1918) Read more
• 2002 — Stephen Jay Gould, American paleontologist, biologist, and academic (born 1941) Read more
• 2001 — Renato Carosone, Italian singer-songwriter and pianist (born 1920) Read more
• 2000 — Jean-Pierre Rampal, French flute player (born 1922) Read more
• 2000 — Malik Sealy, American basketball player and actor (born 1970) Read more

Holidays & observances

Christian feast day: Abercius and Helena; Christian feast day: Alcuin of York; Christian feast day: Aurea of Ostia; Christian feast day: Austregisilus; Christian feast day: Baudilus; Christian feast day: Bernardino of Siena; Christian feast day: Columba of Rieti; Christian feast day: Lydia of Thyatira; Christian feast day: Lucifer of Cagliari; Christian feast day: Sanctan; Christian feast day: May 20 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics); Day of Remembrance (Cambodia); Emancipation Day (Florida); European Maritime Day (European Council); Independence Restoration Day, celebrates the independence of East Timor from Indonesia in 2002.; Josephine Baker Day (NAACP); National Awakening Day (Indonesia), and its related observances: Indonesian Doctor Day (Indonesia); National Day (Cameroon); World Bee Day; World Metrology Day; Doug the Pug Day (Nashville, Tennessee)

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