Other – Page 11 – History of the Day

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Blue Jeans are Patented by Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis

May 20, 1873: The granting of a patent to Levi Strauss, a businessman from San Francisco, and Jacob Davis, a tailor from Reno, Nevada, was the birth of the renowned clothing item: blue jeans. These innovative work pants were strengthened with metal rivets, and they would go on to become…

Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis’s death

May 19, 1994: First Lady Jackie Kennedy passed away leaving a legacy of American class and culture. Notably married to JFK and widowed after his assassination, Jackie Kennedy went on to marry Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis. After being twice widowed, she began a successful career in publishing. She will…

Battle of Vicksburg begins

May 18, 1863: The Battle of Vicksburg during the American Civil War was a turning point due to the major significance of control of the Mississippi River. When the Union Army eventually won the battle on July 4, 1863, the South was cleaved in half with Union control of the…

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz published

May 17, 1900: American Author L. Frank Baum published his most famous children’s book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. The book was so successful that it became a musical in 1902. Baum went on to write a whole Oz series with 13 more books. The Wizard of Oz is regarded…

Top Gun premieres

May 16, 1986: Iconic Hollywood classic ‘Top Gun’ premiered across the United States, where it instantly captured American audiences’ attention. The film was an immediate success, becoming the top-earning movie of 1986. It continued with a successful IMAX release in 2013 and its re-release in 2021 in anticipation of Top…

American Poet Emily Dickinson dies in Massachusetts

May 15, 1886: American poet and literary icon, Emily Dickinson, died in her hometown of Amherst, Massachusetts. After her death, her family found her collection of hand-sewn poetry booklets and proceeded to publish her entire collection posthumously. Her world-renowned collection makes Dickinson synonymous with American Literature.

1st passenger flight in an airplane

May 14, 1908: Charlie Furnas, the world's first airline passenger, had the privilege of flying with both Wilbur and Orville Wright at Kitty Hawk, NC. After a short hop with Wilbur earlier in the day, Furnas then embarked on another flight, this time accompanied by Orville. They covered an impressive…

3 astronauts simultaneously walked in space for the 1st time

May 13, 1992: This significant event occurred when three astronauts ventured outside the spacecraft into space, marking the longest spacewalk ever carried out by American astronauts. Their successful completion of this mission helped to pave the way for future spacewalks and advancements in space exploration.

U.S. Senate votes for war against Mexico

May 12, 1846: After President James K. Polk accused Mexican forces of attacking Americans on U.S. soil. The Senate voted 40-2 to go to war against Mexico. The result of the Mexican-American war led to the U.S. annexation of land stretching from present-day California to New Mexico.

Amerigo Vespucci sets sail

May 10, 1497: Amerigo Vespucci set sail on his first exploratory voyage in search of the New World. Although most people think of Christopher Columbus from this period of discovery, America was named after Amerigo Vespucci in 1507.

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