May 20 in History

Historical Events on May 20

1861 American Civil War: The state of Kentucky proclaims its neutrality, which will last until September 3 when Confederate forces enter the state. Meanwhile, the State of North Carolina secedes from the Union.

1862 U.S. President Abraham Lincoln signs the Homestead Act into law.

1891 History of cinema: The first public display of Thomas Edison's prototype kinetoscope.

1902 Cuba gains independence from the United States. Tomás Estrada Palma becomes the country's first President.

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.

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

1949 In the United States, the Armed Forces Security Agency, the predecessor to the National Security Agency, is established.

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

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.

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Famous Birthdays on May 20

1908 James Stewart

1971 Tony Stewart

1985 Chris Froome

All Births

Famous Deaths on May 20

1506 Christopher Columbus

1834 Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette

2002 Stephen Jay Gould

2011 Randy Savage

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