Thursday, May 21, 2026
This Day In History
May 25, 2020
George Floyd, an unarmed African American man, was killed during an arrest in Minneapolis, Minnesota, setting off massive protests around the country and generating greater support for the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement; police officer Derek Chauvin was later convicted of his murder. An estimated 15–26 million people participated in protests in the summer of 2020, making BLM the largest protest movement in American history.
Taken from: https://www.britannica.com/on-this-day/May-25
This Day In History
May 24, 1883
Opening of the Brooklyn Bridge
A brilliant feat of 19th-century engineering, the Brooklyn Bridge—spanning the East River from Brooklyn to Manhattan Island in New York City—opened this day in 1883, designed by civil engineer John Augustus Roebling.
Taken from: https://www.britannica.com/on-this-day/May-24
This Day In History
This Day In History
May 22, 1849
Future U.S. president Abraham Lincoln was granted a patent for a boat-lifting device; he was the only U.S. president to have a patent.
Taken from: https://www.britannica.com/on-this-day/May-22
This Day In History
May 21, 1972
Michelangelo's Pietà , a sculpture depicting the Virgin Mary supporting the body of the dead Christ, was attacked and badly damaged in St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican City.
Taken from: https://www.britannica.com/on-this-day/May-20
This Day In History
May 20, 1862
U.S. President Abraham Lincoln signed the Homestead Act, which provided 160 acres of public land virtually free of charge to those who had lived on and cultivated the land for at least five years.
Taken from: https://www.britannica.com/on-this-day/May-20
Monday, May 18, 2026
This Day In History
May 19, 1884
The Ringling brothers opened a small circus in Baraboo, Wisconsin, and by the early 20th century they had transformed it into the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, the leading American circus.
Taken from: https://www.britannica.com/on-this-day/May-19
Thursday, May 14, 2026
This Day In History
May 18, 2001
The comedy Shrek—with voices provided by Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, and Cameron Diaz, among others—had its nationwide release in the United States; it went on to become the first movie to win the Academy Award for best animated feature.
Taken from: https://www.britannica.com/on-this-day/May-18
My favorite scene!:
This Day In History
May 17, 1954
School segregation outlawed by U.S. Supreme Court
On this day in 1954, lawyer Thurgood Marshall scored a landmark victory as the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional.
Taken from: https://www.britannica.com/on-this-day/May-16
42
Last week we watched the movie, 42. It is about Jackie Robinson's 1st year on the Dodgers. I am always worried students had already seen this, but I was surprised. Most had not seen it, and students LOVED it! The movie starts after WW2. African Americans fought bravely, but came to racism and Jim Crow. Mr. Rickey, manager of the Dodgers, wants to bring in an African American player. Everyone thinks he is crazy, but does not care. The movie follows Jackie Robinson's 1st year, and all the discrimination he faced. My favorite thing to see is the team. At first they do not want to play with him, and at the end they are defending him! Watch if you have not seen!
This Day In History
May 16, 1943
Warsaw Ghetto Uprising suppressed
On this day in 1943, Nazi troops quelled the month-long Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, in which Polish Jews and partisan fighters, led by Mordecai Anielewicz and the Jewish Fighting Organization, resisted deportation to the Treblinka extermination camp
Taken from: https://www.britannica.com/on-this-day/May-16
This Day In History
May 15, 1972
While campaigning for the Democratic presidential nomination, Alabama Gov. George Wallace, known for his staunch segregationist views, was shot and left permanently paralyzed below the waist in an assassination attempt.
Taken from: https://www.britannica.com/on-this-day/May-15
Tuesday, May 12, 2026
This Day In History
May 13, 1846
U.S. declaration of war on Mexico approved
Tensions between Mexico and the United States—stemming from the U.S. annexation of Texas (1845)—led the U.S. Congress on this day in 1846 to approve overwhelmingly a declaration of war against Mexico
Taken from: https://www.britannica.com/on-this-day/May-12
Monday, May 11, 2026
Thursday, May 7, 2026
This Day In History
May 9, 1974
The U.S. House Judiciary Committee began formal hearings in the impeachment investigation of President Richard M. Nixon.
Taken from: https://www.britannica.com/on-this-day/May-9
This Day In History
May 8, 2025
Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost was elected the first American pope of the Roman Catholic Church and took the name Leo XIV. He succeeded Francis, who had died the previous month.
Taken from: https://www.britannica.com/on-this-day/May-8
Wednesday, May 6, 2026
This Day In History
May 7, 1915
On this day in 1915, during World War I, a single torpedo fired by a German submarine struck the Lusitania off the coast of Ireland. Less than 20 minutes later, the ship sank, and some 1,200 people (of the nearly 2,000 on board) died. The Germans considered their attack justified: they had warned the Lusitania would be sunk, and it was carrying tons of Allied munitions. With 128 American citizens now dead and submarine warfare apparently without limits, public outrage in the United States ran high. Though the country would not enter World War I until 1917, the seeds of its involvement had been sown.
Taken from: https://www.britannica.com/on-this-day/May-6
Tuesday, May 5, 2026
This Day In History
May 6, 2004
The final episode of the television sitcom Friends aired and was watched by more than 52 million viewers.
Taken from: https://www.britannica.com/on-this-day/May-6
This Day In History
May 5, 1973
American racehorse Secretariat won the Kentucky Derby en route to capturing the U.S. Triple Crown, which also includes the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes.
Taken from: https://www.britannica.com/on-this-day/May-5
Saturday, May 2, 2026
This Day In History
May 4, 1970
An anti-Vietnam War demonstration at Kent State University turned deadly when the Ohio National Guard killed four unarmed students and wounded nine others, further turning public opinion against the war.
Taken from: https://www.britannica.com/on-this-day/May-4
This Day In History
May 3, 1979
Margaret Thatcher, the leader of the Conservative Party, was elected British prime minister, becoming the first woman in Europe to hold that post. She went on to become the longest continuously serving British premier since 1827.
Taken from: https://www.britannica.com/on-this-day/May-3
This Day In History
May 2, 2011
Osama bin Laden—the founder of al-Qaeda and mastermind of numerous terrorist attacks, notably the September 11 attacks in 2001—was killed by U.S. forces in Abbottabad, Pakistan.
Taken from: https://www.britannica.com/on-this-day/May-2
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