May, 20th in History

[Spiritus Temporis]

Events

Monday 20, 2002:
East Timor becomes independent from Indonesian rule.

Monday 20, 1996:
Gay 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 homosexuals.

Thursday 20, 1993:
The television sitcom, Cheers ends an 11-year run on NBC.

Sunday 20, 1990:
The first post-Communist presidential and parliamentary elections are held in Romania.

Saturday 20, 1989:
The Chinese authorities declare martial law in the face of pro-democracy demonstrations, setting the scene for the Tiananmen Square massacre.

Monday 20, 1985:
Radio Martí, part of the Voice of America service, begins broadcasting to Cuba.

Friday 20, 1983:
First publications of the discovery of the virus that causes AIDS in the journal Science by Luc Montagnierhttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=6189183&query_hl=65 and Robert Gallohttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=6601823&query_hl=62 individually.

Tuesday 20, 1980:
In a Referendum in Quebec, the population rejects by a 60% vote the proposal from its government to move towards independence from Canada.

Tuesday 20, 1969:
The Battle of Hamburger Hill in Vietnam ends.

Thursday 20, 1965:
A Pakistani Airlines Boeing 720-B crashes on landing at Cairo airport, killing 121 people.

Thursday 20, 1954:
Chiang Kai-shek is selected for another term as President of the Republic of China by the National Assembly

Friday 20, 1949:
In the United States of America, the AFSA (the predecessor of the NSA) is established.

Tuesday 20, 1941:
World War II: Battle of Crete – German paratroops invade Crete.

Monday 20, 1940:
Holocaust: The first prisoners arrive at a new concentration camp at Auschwitz.

Friday 20, 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.

Friday 20, 1927:
At 07:52 Charles Lindbergh takes off from Roosevelt Field in Long Island, New York, on the world's first solo nonstop flight across the Atlantic Ocean, touching down at Le Bourget Field in Paris at 22:22 the next day).

Thursday 20, 1920:
Montreal Quebec station XWA broadcasts the first regularly scheduled radio programming in North America.

Monday 20, 1918:
For the third consecutive year on this date, the U.S. town of Codell, Kansas, is struck by a tornado.

Sunday 20, 1917:
The U.S. town of Codell, Kansas, is struck by an F3 tornado.

Saturday 20, 1916:
The U.S. town of Codell, Kansas, is struck by an F2 tornado.

Tuesday 20, 1902:
Cuba gains independence from the United States.

Wednesday 20, 1891:
History of cinema: First public display of Thomas Alva Edison's prototype kinetoscope (shown at Edison's Laboratory for a convention of the National Federation of Women's Clubs).

Sunday 20, 1883:
The eruption of Krakatoa begins, leading ultimately to the volcano's destruction three months later.

Saturday 20, 1882:
The Triple Alliance between Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy is formed.

Tuesday 20, 1873:
Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis receive a US patent for blue jeans with copper rivets.

Friday 20, 1864:
In the Virginia Bermuda Hundred Campaign, 10,000 troops fight in this Confederate victory.

Tuesday 20, 1862:
U.S. President Abraham Lincoln signs the Homestead Act into law.

Monday 20, 1861:
American Civil War: The state of Kentucky proclaims its neutrality, which will last until September 3 when Confederate forces enter the state.

Tuesday 20, 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.

Thursday 20, 1841:
Chi Psi Fraternity is founded at Union College in Schenectady, New York.

Thursday 20, 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.

Saturday 20, 1690:
England passes the Act of Grace, forgiving followers of Catholic James II.

Tuesday 20, 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.

Wednesday 20, 1570:
Cartographer Abraham Ortelius issues the first modern atlas.

Friday 20, 1521:
Battle of Pampeluna.

Friday 20, 1498:
Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama arrives at Kozhikode (previously known as Calicut), India.

Thursday 20, 1497:
John Cabot sets sail from Bristol, England, on his ship The Mathew looking for a route to the west (other documents give a 2 May date).

Wednesday 20, 1293:
King Sancho IV of Castile creates the Study of General Schools of Alcalá.

Saturday 20, 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.

Wednesday 20, 685:
The Battle of Nechtansmere is fought between a Pictish army under King Bridei III and the invading Northumbrians under King Ecgfrith, who are decisively defeated.

Monday 20, 526:
An earthquake kills about 300,000 people in Syria and Antiochia.

Wednesday 20, 325:
The First Council of Nicaea – the first Ecumenical Council of the Christian Church – is held.

Source: http://www.spiritus-temporis.com/20-may/on-this-day.html


People born on May 20

1981:
Lindsay Taylor, American basketball player (b: May 20, 1981) (Biography of Lindsay Taylor)
Íker Casillas, Spanish footballer (b: May 20, 1981) (Biography of Íker Casillas)

1977:
Miriam Parrish, American actress (b: May 20, 1977) (Biography of Miriam Parrish)

1976:
Ramón Hernández, Venezuelan Major League Baseball player (b: May 20, 1976) (Biography of Ramón Hernández)

1972:
Tina Hobley, British actress (b: May 20, 1972) (Biography of Tina Hobley)
Busta Rhymes, American singer and rapper (b: May 20, 1972) (Biography of Busta Rhymes)

1971:
Tony Stewart, American race car driver (b: May 20, 1971) (Biography of Tony Stewart)

1970:
Louis Theroux, British television presenter (b: May 20, 1970) (Biography of Louis Theroux)

1968:
Timothy Olyphant, American actor (b: May 20, 1968) (Biography of Timothy Olyphant)

1966:
Mindy Cohn, American actress (b: May 20, 1966) (Biography of Mindy Cohn)

1962:
Mike Jeffries, American soccer coach (b: May 20, 1962) (Biography of Mike Jeffries)

1960:
John Billingsley, American actor (b: May 20, 1960) (Biography of John Billingsley)
Tony Goldwyn, American actor (b: May 20, 1960) (Biography of Tony Goldwyn)

1959:
Bronson Pinchot, American actor (b: May 20, 1959) (Biography of Bronson Pinchot)
Israel Kamakawiwo'ole, American singer (b: May 20, 1959 ; d: June 26, 1997) (Biography of Israel Kamakawiwo'ole)

1958:
Ron Reagan, American dancer and talk show host (b: May 20, 1958) (Biography of Ron Reagan)
Jane Wiedlin, American singer (The Go-Go's) (b: May 20, 1958) (Biography of Jane Wiedlin)

1956:
Ingvar Ambjørnsen, Norwegian author (b: May 20, 1956) (Biography of Ingvar Ambjørnsen)

1955:
Zbigniew Preisner, Polish film composer (b: May 20, 1955) (Biography of Zbigniew Preisner)

1953:
Robert Doyle, Australian politician (b: May 20, 1953) (Biography of Robert Doyle)

1952:
Roger Milla, Cameroonian footballer (b: May 20, 1952) (Biography of Roger Milla)

1947:
Greg Dyke, British broadcast executive (b: May 20, 1947) (Biography of Greg Dyke)

1946:
Cher, American actress and singer (b: May 20, 1946) (Biography of Cher (entertainer))

1944:
Joe Cocker, British singer (b: May 20, 1944) (Biography of Joe Cocker)
Boudewijn de Groot, Dutch singer (b: May 20, 1944) (Biography of Boudewijn de Groot)
Dietrich Mateschitz, Austrian businessman (b: May 20, 1944) (Biography of Dietrich Mateschitz)

1940:
Stan Mikita, Slovak-born hockey player (b: May 20, 1940) (Biography of Stan Mikita)
Sadaharu Oh, Japanese baseball player (b: May 20, 1940) (Biography of Sadaharu Oh)

1936:
Anthony Zerbe, American actor (b: May 20, 1936) (Biography of Anthony Zerbe)

1935:
Marinella, Greek singer (b: May 20, 1935) (Biography of Marinella)

1931:
Ken Boyer, baseball player (b: May 20, 1931 ; d: September 7, 1982) (Biography of Ken Boyer)

1927:
Bud Grant, American football coach (b: May 20, 1927) (Biography of Bud Grant)

1926:
Bob Sweikert, American race car driver (b: May 20, 1926) (Biography of Bob Sweikert)

1921:
Wolfgang Borchert, German writer (b: May 20, 1921) (Biography of Wolfgang Borchert)
Hal Newhouser, baseball player (b: May 20, 1921) (Biography of Hal Newhouser)

1920:
Betty Driver, English singer and actress (b: May 20, 1920) (Biography of Betty Driver)

1919:
George Gobel, American comedian (b: May 20, 1919 ; d: February 24, 1991) (Biography of George Gobel)

1917:
Bergur Sigurbjörnsson, Icelandic politician (b: May 20, 1917) (Biography of Bergur Sigurbjörnsson)

1916:
Trebisonda Valla, Italian athlete (b: May 20, 1916) (Biography of Trebisonda Valla)

1915:
Moshe Dayan, Israeli general and politician (b: May 20, 1915 ; d: October 16, 1981) (Biography of Moshe Dayan)

1913:
William Hewlett, American engineer and computer manufacturer (b: May 20, 1913 ; d: January 12, 2001) (Biography of William Hewlett)

1911:
Gardner Fox, American writer (b: May 20, 1911 ; d: December 24, 1986) (Biography of Gardner Fox)

1908:
James Stewart, American actor (b: May 20, 1908) (Biography of James Stewart (actor))

1906:
Giuseppe Cardinal Siri, Italian Catholic cardinal (b: May 20, 1906 ; d: May 2, 1989) (Biography of Giuseppe Cardinal Siri)

1903:
Barbara Hepworth, British sculptor (b: May 20, 1903) (Biography of Barbara Hepworth)

1901:
Max Euwe, Dutch chess player (b: May 20, 1901 ; d: November 26, 1981) (Biography of Max Euwe)

1895:
R. J. (Reginald Joseph) Mitchell, British aircraft designer (b: May 20, 1895 ; d: June 11, 1937) (Biography of R. J. Mitchell)

1883:
King Faisal I of Iraq (b: May 20, 1883) (Biography of Faisal I of Iraq)

1882:
Sigrid Undset, Norwegian author, Nobel Prize laureate (b: May 20, 1882 ; d: June 10, 1949) (Biography of Sigrid Undset)

1860:
Eduard Buchner, German chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (b: May 20, 1860 ; d: August 13, 1917) (Biography of Eduard Buchner)

1851:
Emil Berliner, German-born telephone and recording pioneer (b: May 20, 1851 ; d: August 3, 1929) (Biography of Emil Berliner)

1838:
Jules Méline, French statesman (b: May 20, 1838) (Biography of Jules Méline)

1830:
Hector Malot, French writer (b: May 20, 1830 ; d: July 17, 1917) (Biography of Hector Malot)

1806:
John Stuart Mill, English philosopher (b: May 20, 1806 ; d: May 8, 1873) (Biography of John Stuart Mill)

1799:
Honoré de Balzac, French novelist (b: May 20, 1799 ; d: August 18, 1850) (Biography of Honoré de Balzac)

1772:
Sir William Congreve, English inventor (b: May 20, 1772) (Biography of William Congreve (inventor))

1768:
Dolley Madison, First Lady of the United States (b: May 20, 1768) (Biography of Dolley Madison)

1759:
William Thornton, West Indian-born architect (b: May 20, 1759) (Biography of William Thornton)

1737:
William Petty Fitzmaurice, British statesman (b: May 20, 1737) (Biography of William Petty, 2nd Earl of Shelburne)

1726:
Francis Cotes, English painter (b: May 20, 1726 ; d: July 16, 1770) (Biography of Francis Cotes)

1706:
Seth Pomeroy, American gunsmith and soldier (b: May 20, 1706 ; d: February 9, 1777) (Biography of Seth Pomeroy)

1663:
William Bradford, British-born printer (b: May 20, 1663 ; d: May 23, 1752) (Biography of William Bradford (1663-1752))

1660:
Andreas Schlüter, German sculptor (b: May 20, 1660) (Biography of Andreas Schlüter)

1554:
Paolo Bellasio, Italian composer (b: May 20, 1554 ; d: July 10, 1594) (Biography of Paolo Bellasio)

1470:
Pietro Bembo, Italian cardinal (b: May 20, 1470 ; d: January 18, 1547) (Biography of Pietro Bembo)

Source: http://www.spiritus-temporis.com/20-may/births.html

[Spiritus Temporis]

People who died on May 20

2005:
Paul Ricoeur (d: May 20, 2005) (Biography of Paul Ricoeur)

2002:
Stephen Jay Gould, American paleontologist (b: September 10, 1941 ; d: May 20, 2002) (Biography of Stephen Jay Gould)

2001:
Renato Carosone, Italian musician and singer (b: January 3, 1920 ; d: May 20, 2001) (Biography of Renato Carosone)

2000:
Jean Pierre Rampal (d: May 20, 2000) (Biography of Jean Pierre Rampal)

1996:
Jon Pertwee, British actor (b: July 7, 1919 ; d: May 20, 1996) (Biography of Jon Pertwee)

1989:
Gilda Radner, American actress (b: June 28, 1946 ; d: May 20, 1989) (Biography of Gilda Radner)

1971:
Waldo Williams, Welsh poet (b: September 30, 1904 ; d: May 20, 1971) (Biography of Waldo Williams)

1956:
Max Beerbohm (d: May 20, 1956) (Biography of Max Beerbohm)

1947:
Philipp Lenard, Austrian physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (b: June 7, 1862 ; d: May 20, 1947) (Biography of Philipp Lenard)

1940:
Verner von Heidenstam, Swedish writer, Nobel Prize laureate (b: July 6, 1859 ; d: May 20, 1940) (Biography of Verner von Heidenstam)

1917:
Philipp von Ferrary (d: May 20, 1917) (Biography of Philipp von Ferrary)

1896:
Clara Schumann, German pianist and composer (b: September 13, 1819 ; d: May 20, 1896) (Biography of Clara Schumann)

1873:
George-Étienne Cartier, Canadian politician (b: September 6, 1814 ; d: May 20, 1873) (Biography of George-Étienne Cartier)

1841:
Joseph Blanco White (d: May 20, 1841) (Biography of Joseph Blanco White)

1834:
Gilbert du Motier, marquis de La Fayette (d: May 20, 1834) (Biography of Gilbert du Motier, marquis de La Fayette)

1793:
Charles Bonnet (d: May 20, 1793) (Biography of Charles Bonnet)

1782:
William Emerson, English mathematician (b: May 14, 1701 ; d: May 20, 1782) (Biography of William Emerson)

1732:
Thomas Boston, Scottish church leader (b: March 17, 1676 ; d: May 20, 1732) (Biography of Thomas Boston)

1722:
Sébastien Vaillant, French botanist (b: May 26, 1669 ; d: May 20, 1722) (Biography of Sébastien Vaillant)

1717:
John Trevor (1637-1717) (d: May 20, 1717) (Biography of John Trevor (1637-1717))

1713:
Thomas Sprat (d: May 20, 1713) (Biography of Thomas Sprat)

1677:
George Digby, 2nd Earl of Bristol, English statesman (b: February 22, 1612 ; d: May 20, 1677) (Biography of George Digby, 2nd Earl of Bristol)

1648:
King Wladislaus IV of Poland (b: June 9, 1595 ; d: May 20, 1648) (Biography of Wladislaus IV of Poland)

1622:
Osman II, Ottoman Sultan (b: November 3, 1604 ; d: May 20, 1622) (Biography of Osman II)

1550:
Ashikaga Yoshiharu, Japanese shogun (b: April 2, 1510 ; d: May 20, 1550) (Biography of Ashikaga Yoshiharu)

1506:
Christopher Columbus (d: May 20, 1506) (Biography of Christopher Columbus)

1503:
Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco de' Medici (d: May 20, 1503) (Biography of Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco de' Medici)

1444:
Saint Bernardino of Siena, Italian Franciscan missionary (b: September 8, 1380 ; d: May 20, 1444) (Biography of Bernardino of Siena)

1277:
Pope John XXI (d: May 20, 1277) (Biography of Pope John XXI)

685:
Ecgfrith of Northumbria (d: May 20, 685) (Biography of Ecgfrith of Northumbria)

Source: http://www.spiritus-temporis.com/20-may/deaths.html