What Happened on May 24
Important Events
- 1595 Nomenclator of Leiden University Library appears, the first printed catalog of an institutional library
- 1738 John Wesley is converted, launching the Methodist movement; celebrated annually by Methodists as Aldersgate Day
- 1844 Samuel Morse taps out "What hath God wrought" in the world's first telegraph message
- 1941 German battleship Bismarck sinks the British battle cruiser HMS Hood; 1,416 die, 3 survive
- 1988 Section 28 passed as law by Parliament in the United Kingdom prohibiting the promotion of homosexuality. Repealed 2001/2004
May 24 in Film & TV
- 1895 Henry Irving becomes the first actor to receive a knighthood
May 24 in Music
- 1956 1st Eurovision Song Contest: Lys Assia for Switzerland wins singing "Refrain" in Lugano
May 24 in Sport
- 1935 1st major league night baseball game, in Cincinnati (Reds 2, Philadelphia 1)
Did You Know?
American management consultant Marilyn Loden first coins the term "glass ceiling" to describe invisible career barriers for women
On May 24, 1978
Famous Birthdays
Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit
(1686 - 1736)- Jean-Paul Marat
(1743 - 1793) - Queen Victoria
(1819 - 1901) - Bob Dylan
79 Years Old - Rosanne Cash
65 Years Old - John C. Reilly
55 Years Old
Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit
Jean-Paul Marat
Queen Victoria
Bob Dylan
Rosanne Cash
John C. ReillyWould You Believe?
In the Judgment of Paris, wine testers rate wines from California higher than their French counterparts, challenging the notion of France being the foremost producer of the world's best wines
On May 24, 1976
Famous Weddings
- 1917 Writer Walter Lippmann (27) weds Faye Albertson
- 1935 Swedish princess Ingrid marries Danish crown prince Frederik (IX)
- 1986 Country singer Garth Brooks marries songwriter Sandy Mahl
Nicolaus Copernicus
William Lloyd Garrison
John Foster Dulles
Jim Barnes
Duke Ellington
Harold WilsonArticles, Photos and Quiz
Westminster Bridge Defies a King and the Church
London's present Westminster Bridge was opened on this day, bringing to an end years of conflict which even involved the payment of a big bribe to the King.
May 24, 1862Brooklyn Bridge Opens
Lithograph depicting fireworks on the opening night of the Brooklyn Bridge
May 24, 1883
May in History
Memories of Elvis
Only one actor has appeared on film with both the Beatles and Elvis Presley: the little-known Norman Rossington.
May 21, 1999President Falls From Grace
Paul Deschanel had the makings of a fine President of France – until a series of bizarre incidents culminated in him falling out the window of a moving train.
May 23, 1920Ali Floors The Bear in Just Two Minutes
It was the Muhammad Ali punch that few people saw, but on this day ex-champion Sonny Liston, known as The Bear, certainly felt it in a first-round sensation
May 25, 1965Ship that Changed the Face of Britain
Britain was on its knees after the Second World War, its economy and infrastructure in tatters. For help the Mother Country turned to the Commonwealth.
May 27, 1948
