May 20

Monday 20, 2002:

East Timor becomes independent from Indonesian rule.

Monday 20, 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 homosexuals.

Thursday 20, 1993:

The television sitcom, Cheers ends an 11-year run on NBC.

Sunday 20, 1990:

The first post-Communist presidential and parliamentary elections are held in Romania.

Saturday 20, 1989:

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

Monday 20, 1985:

Radio Martí, part of the Voice of America service, begins broadcasting to Cuba.

Friday 20, 1983:

First publications of the discovery of the virus that causes AIDS in the journal Science by Luc Montagnierhttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=6189183&query_hl=65 and Robert Gallohttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=6601823&query_hl=62 individually.

Tuesday 20, 1980:

In a Referendum in Quebec, the population rejects by a 60% vote the proposal from its government to move towards independence from Canada.

Tuesday 20, 1969:

The Battle of Hamburger Hill in Vietnam ends.

Thursday 20, 1965:

A Pakistani Airlines Boeing 720-B crashes on landing at Cairo airport, killing 121 people.

Thursday 20, 1954:

Chiang Kai-shek is selected for another term as President of the Republic of China by the National Assembly

Friday 20, 1949:

In the United States of America, the AFSA (the predecessor of the NSA) is established.

Tuesday 20, 1941:

World War II: Battle of Crete – German paratroops invade Crete.

Monday 20, 1940:

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

Friday 20, 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.

Friday 20, 1927:

At 07:52 Charles Lindbergh takes off from Roosevelt Field in Long Island, New York, on the world's first solo nonstop flight across the Atlantic Ocean, touching down at Le Bourget Field in Paris at 22:22 the next day).

Thursday 20, 1920:

Montreal Quebec station XWA broadcasts the first regularly scheduled radio programming in North America.

Monday 20, 1918:

For the third consecutive year on this date, the U.S. town of Codell, Kansas, is struck by a tornado.

Sunday 20, 1917:

The U.S. town of Codell, Kansas, is struck by an F3 tornado.

Saturday 20, 1916:

The U.S. town of Codell, Kansas, is struck by an F2 tornado.

Tuesday 20, 1902:

Cuba gains independence from the United States.

Wednesday 20, 1891:

History of cinema: First public display of Thomas Alva Edison's prototype kinetoscope (shown at Edison's Laboratory for a convention of the National Federation of Women's Clubs).

Sunday 20, 1883:

The eruption of Krakatoa begins, leading ultimately to the volcano's destruction three months later.

Saturday 20, 1882:

The Triple Alliance between Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy is formed.

Tuesday 20, 1873:

Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis receive a US patent for blue jeans with copper rivets.

Friday 20, 1864:

In the Virginia Bermuda Hundred Campaign, 10,000 troops fight in this Confederate victory.

Tuesday 20, 1862:

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

Monday 20, 1861:

American Civil War: The state of Kentucky proclaims its neutrality, which will last until September 3 when Confederate forces enter the state.

Tuesday 20, 1845:

HMS Erebus and HMS Terror with 134 men under John Franklin sail from the River Thames in England, beginning a disastrous expedition to find the Northwest Passage. All hands are lost.

Thursday 20, 1841:

Chi Psi Fraternity is founded at Union College in Schenectady, New York.

Thursday 20, 1813:

Napoleon Bonaparte leads his French troops into the Battle of Bautzen in Saxony, Germany, against the combined armies of Russia and Prussia. The battle ends the next day with a French victory.

Saturday 20, 1690:

England passes the Act of Grace, forgiving followers of Catholic James II.

Tuesday 20, 1631:

The city of Magdeburg in Germany is seized by forces of the Holy Roman Empire and most of its inhabitants massacred, in one of the bloodiest incidents of the Thirty Years War.

Wednesday 20, 1570:

Cartographer Abraham Ortelius issues the first modern atlas.

Friday 20, 1521:

Battle of Pampeluna.

Friday 20, 1498:

Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama arrives at Kozhikode (previously known as Calicut), India.

Thursday 20, 1497:

John Cabot sets sail from Bristol, England, on his ship The Mathew looking for a route to the west (other documents give a 2 May date).

Wednesday 20, 1293:

King Sancho IV of Castile creates the Study of General Schools of Alcalá.

Saturday 20, 1217:

The Second Battle of Lincoln is fought near Lincoln, England, resulting in the defeat of Prince Louis of France by William Marshal, 2nd Earl of Pembroke.

Wednesday 20, 685:

The Battle of Nechtansmere is fought between a Pictish army under King Bridei III and the invading Northumbrians under King Ecgfrith, who are decisively defeated.

Monday 20, 526:

An earthquake kills about 300,000 people in Syria and Antiochia.

Wednesday 20, 325:

The First Council of Nicaea – the first Ecumenical Council of the Christian Church – is held.

More on May, 20

• People Born on May, 20
• They left us on May, 20