May 20

Learn the most interesting events and historical facts that happened throughout history on May 20. From 1900 until now. May 20 is under the sign of Taurus. Famous birthdays on this day include Cher (entertainer) (1946), Samuele Papi (1973) and James Stewart (1908). Several movies were released around May 20 over the years, such as Cinderella Man in 2005 directed by Ron Howard and The Spy Who Came in from the Cold in 1965 directed by Martin Ritt.
But much more happened on May 20 over the years: find out below

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Movies

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Historical Events

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Holidays

Saint Austregisilus
Saint Lucifer
Saint Theodore of Pavia
Saint Bernardine of Siena
East Timor National Day.
Cameroon National Day.
Saint Ivo of Chartres
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Events

2019 Thirty-two people are killed when Islamic State members started a prison riot and a fire in a prison located in Vahdat, Tajikistan. (BBC) (Al Jazeera) (RT)
2018 2018 lower Puna eruption: Lava continues spewing from fissures on Kilauea, Hawaii, reaching the Pacific Ocean and critically injuring one person. (CNN) (1 News Now)
2017 Libyan Civil War (2014–present): The death toll from an attack on a Libyan National Army-controlled airbase in southern Libya reportedly rises to 140 people. (BBC)
2016 Iraqi civil war (2014–present): Ar-Rutbah offensive (2016): Iraqi Army forces helped by U.S. airstrikes recapture the southwestern city of Ar-Rutbah from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant group. The victory will allow for the re-opening of the Baghdad-Amman highway. (Al Jazeera)
2015 Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant: Islamic State captures the Syrian city of Tadmur from the Syrian Army with grave concerns held about the Palmyra site. (The Hindu) (BBC)
2014 2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine:: Ukrainian billionaire Rinat Akhmetov asks workers to stage a peace rally in the Donetsk region in protest against the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic. (Interfax) (The Moscow Times)
2013 Iraqi insurgency (post-U.S. withdrawal):: A wave of violence continues, with attacks across the country killing 133 and leaving 283 others injured. Almost 400 people have been killed in the last six days alone, as tribal leaders warn of impending civil war. (BBC) (Antiwar.com via AP)
2012 Syrian uprising: A roadside bomb explodes near a United Nations convoy in the Syrian capital of Damascus, in the district of Douma. (BBC)
2011 2011 Syrian protests:
2010 Floods in Poland kill 5. The downpours also cause flooding in areas of Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. (cntv)
2009 The United Kingdom's House of Lords suspends Thomas Taylor and Peter Truscott until November for misconduct. (BBC)
2008 In the US Presidential Democratic race, caucus voting results in Oregon and Kentucky give Illinois Senator Barak Obama a majority of pledged delegates.
2007 Alltel, a mobile phone provider in the United States, is acquired by TPG Capital, L.P. and Goldman Sachs leveraged-buyout unit. (Bloomberg)
2006 Ray Nagin is re-elected Mayor of New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. (BBC)
2005 Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith reaches a record high at the box offices on opening day with $50 million on 9,400 screens at 3,661 theaters worldwide, edging out Spider-Man 2's top opening day record of $40.4 million and Shrek 2's top single day record of $44.8 million. (marketwatch) (AP via Yahoo! News) (Link dead as of 02:43, 15 January 2007 (UTC)), (boxofficemojo.com)
2004 The Olsen specimen of the US 1913 Liberty Head 5-cent piece (Proof 64 NGC) is sold for $3 million.
2003 Christine Todd-Whitman announces that on June 27 she will resign her position as Administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency{{Cite document
2002 The independence of East Timor is recognized by Portugal, formally ending 23 years of Indonesian rule and 3 years of provisional UN administration (Portugal itself is the former colonizer of East Timor until 1976).
2000 Taiwanese (ROC) president Chen Shui-bian makes the Four Noes and One Without pledge to Taiwan.
1999 Bluetooth is announced.
1997 Thor-2A Delta 2 Launch (Norway / USA), Successful
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 gays and lesbians.
1995 CBS News fires co-anchor Connie Chung.
1994 Bobcat Goldthwait charged with misdemeanors for fire on Tonight Show
1993 274th and final episode of Cheers on NBC TV.
1992 Rap singer raps 597 syllables in under 60 seconds
1991 Soviet parliament approves law allowing citizens to travel abroad.
1990 Truly Blessed closes at Longacre Theater NYC after 33 performances
1989 China declares martial law in Beijing
1988 Mike Schmidt hits his 535th homerun, moving into 8th place.
1987 Wrestler Jerry Lawler sues WWF and Harley Race for trademark name king
1986 Flintstones 25th Anniversary Celebration airs on CBS-tv
1985 1150 Lebanese / Palestinian prisoners exchanged for 3 Israelis
1984 On Your Toes closes at Virginia Theater NYC after 505 performances
1983 Larry Holmes beats Tim Witherspoon in 12 rounds for heavyweight boxing title.
1981 Ipswich Town wins 10th UEFA Cup at Amsterdam.
1980 Drummer Peter Criss quits Kiss
1979 I Love My Wife closes at Barrymore Theater NYC after 864 performances
1978 US launches Pioneer Venus 1; produces first global radar map of Venus.
1974 Soyuz 14 returns to Earth.
1973 2 Gentlemen of Verona closes at St. James Theater NYC after 613 performances
1972 Different Times closes at ANTA Theater NYC after 24 performances
1971 Pentagon reports blacks constitute 11% of US soldiers in SE Asia
1970 100,000 march in New York supporting US policies in Vietnam.
1969 US troops capture Hill 937/Hamburger Hill Vietnam.
1967 93rd Preakness: Bill Shoemaker aboard Damascus wins in 1:55.2.
1965 Yorkshire all out for 23 versus Hampshire at Middlesbrough.
1964 Buster Mathis defeats Joe Frazier to qualify for US Olympic team.
1963 Sukarno appointed President of Indonesia.
1962 Patty Berg wins LPGA Muskogee Civitan Golf Open.
1961 Henzes opera Elegy for Young Lovers, premieres in Schwetzingen
1960 Baseball game in Milwaukee postponed due to dense fog
1959 Shah of Persia visits Netherlands
1958 US performs nuclear test at Enwetak (atmospheric tests).
1956 Atomic fusion (thermonuclear) bomb dropped from plane-Bikini Atoll.
1955 Argentine parliament accepts separation of church and state.
1950 76th Preakness: Eddie Arcaro aboard Hill Prince wins in 1:59.2.
1949 In the United States, the Armed Forces Security Agency, the predecessor to the National Security Agency, is established.
1948 Cleveland Indians tie American League record of 18 walks (beat Boston Red Sox 13-4).
1946 The British House of Commons decides to nationalize mines.
1944 US Communist Party dissolves.
1943 French, British and US victory parade in Tunis, Tunisia.
1942 US Navy first permits black recruits to serve.
1941 Germany invades Crete
1940 Gen Guderians tanks reach The Channel (British expeditionary army)
1939 3 Little Fishies, by Kay Kyser hits #1
1938 Czechoslovakia orders a partial mobilization of its armed forces along the German border.
1932 Engelbert Dollfuss becomes chancellor of Austria.
1930 University of California dedicates $1,500 to research on prevention and cure of athlete's foot.
1927 At 7:40 AM, Lindbergh takes off from New York to cross Atlantic for Paris
1926 Railway Labor Act became law.
1923 Stanley Baldwin, becomes Prime Minister of the UK
1922 Babe Ruth and Bob Meusel, suspended on October 16, 1921, by Judge Kennesaw Mountain Landis, return to the New York lineup and go hitless.
1920 Montreal, Quebec radio station XWA broadcasts the first regularly scheduled radio programming in North America.
1919 Volcano Keluit on Java, erupts killing 550.
1918 The small town of Codell, Kansas is hit for the third year in a row by a tornado. Coincidentally, all three tornadoes hit on May 20, 1916, 1917, and 1918 respectively.
1917 Turkish Government authorizes Jews to return to Tel Aviv and Jaffa.
1916 Saturday Evening Post cover features Norman Rockwell painting
1915 Bataafsche Petroleum Me begins oil extraction of Maracaibo
1913 38th Preakness: James Butwell aboard Buskin wins in 1:53.4.
1911 Edwin Boaler Alletson hits 189 in 90 minutes Notts versus Sussex.
1908 The Aldrich-Vreeland Act alters security deposit requirements for national banks.
1902 US military occupation of Cuba (since January 1, 1899) ends.
1900 2nd modern Olympic games opens in Paris (lasted 5 months)
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