What Happened on May 24
Significant 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 Repealed 2001/2004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, Phil 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)
Victoria
(1819 - 1901)
Bob Dylan
77 Years Old
Rosanne Cash
63 Years Old
John C. Reilly
53 Years Old
Would 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
- 1995 Cricketer Sachin Tendulkar (22) weds pediatrician Anjali Mehta (28)
- 2002 Princess Martha Louise of Norway (30) weds author Ari Behn (29) in Trondheim
Nicolaus Copernicus
William Lloyd Garrison
John Foster Dulles
Jim Barnes
Duke Ellington
Harold WilsonMay in History
My Fair Lady's Special Day
This was a day to remember for Eliza Doolittle, the 'My Fair Lady' of the stage and film musical that won and broke hearts.
May 20, 1956
Memories of Elvis
Only one actor has appeared on film with both the Beatles and Elvis Presley: the little-known Norman Rossington.
May 21, 1999
President 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, 1920
Ship 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