May 20
Today is the 141st day of 2016, there are 225 days left in the year.
1506 - Christopher Columbus died in Spain.
1861 - North Carolina voted to secede from the Union.
1861 - The capital of the Confederacy was moved from Montgomery, Alabama to Richmond, Virginia.
1862 - President Abraham Lincoln signed the Homestead Act, which was intended to encourage settlements west of the Mississippi River by making federal land available for farming.
1902 - The United States ended a three-year military presence in Cuba as the Republic of Cuba was established.
1908 - Actor Jimmy Stewart was born.
1916 - The Saturday Evening Post published its first Norman Rockwell cover.
1927 - Charles Lindbergh took off for Paris from Roosevelt Field in Long Island, New York, aboard the Spirit of St. Louis on the first nonstop solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean.
1932 - Amelia Earhart took off from Newfoundland for Ireland to become the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean.
1939 - Regular trans-Atlantic air service began as a Pan American Airways plane took off from Port Washington, New York, bound for Europe.
1956 - The United States exploded the first airborne hydrogen bomb over Bikini Atoll in the Pacific.
1961 - A white mob attacked a busload of "Freedom Riders" in Montgomery, Alabama, prompting the federal government to send in U.S. marshals to restore order.
1969 - U.S. and South Vietnamese forces captured Ap Bia Mountain, referred to as Hamburger Hill by the Americans, following one of the bloodiest battles of the Vietnam War.
1971 - The album "What's Going On" by Marvin Gaye was released.
1978 - Mavis Hutchinson, age 53, became the first woman to run across America. The 3,000-mile trek took her 69 days, running an average of 45 miles each day.
1989 - Comedian Gilda Radner died of cancer at age 42.
1993 - The final episode of "Cheers" aired on NBC.
1995 - President Bill Clinton announced that the two-block stretch of Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the White House would be permanently closed to traffic as a security measure.
1996 - The Supreme Court struck down a Colorado measure banning laws that protect homosexuals from discrimination.
2002 - East Timor became an independent nation.
2012 - Singer Robin Gibb of the Bee Gees died at age 62.
Birthdays
21 - Ebba Zingmark (model)
32 - Naturi Naughton (R&B singer)
34 - Sierra Boggess (actress)
35 - Rachel Platten (singer)
37 - Jayson Werth (baseball player)
44 - Busta Rhymes (rapper)
45 - Tony Stewart (race car driver)
47 - BG "Road Dogg" James (professional wrestler)
48 - Timothy Olyphant (actor)
50 - Mindy Cohn (actress)
67 - Dave Thomas (comedian)
70 - Cher (singer)
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Today in Sports History - May 20
1900 - The second Olympic Games open in Paris.
1920 - Policemen raid the Chicago Cubs' bleachers and arrest 24 fans for gambling.
1940 - Trailing 7-1 in the 9th to Pittsburgh Pirates, Philadelphia Athletics wins 8-7.
1948 - Cleveland Indians tie American League record of 18 walks (beat Boston Red Sox 13-4).
1959 - New York Yankees sink to last place, first time since May 25, 1940.
1972 - The Indiana Pacers defeat the New York Nets in six games to win the ABA championship.
1983 - Philadelphia Phillies' Steve Carlton passes Walter Johnson with second-most strike outs.
1984 - Boston Red Sox's Roger Clemens beats Minnesota Twins, 5-4, for his first career victory.
1988 - Mike Schmidt hits his 535th homerun, moving into 8th place.
1991 - Chicago Bulls' Michael Jordan named NBA's Most Valuable Player.
1991 - Baseball pitcher Jeff Reardon gains his 300th career save.
2006 - San Francisco Giants slugger Barry Bonds tied Babe Ruth for second place on the career list with his 714th home run.
2008 - Mike Piazza of the Oakland Athletics retires at age 39 from Major League Baseball. Piazza was a 12-time all-star catcher, with 427 career home runs.
2009 - Suspended NFL star Michael Vick was released after 19 months in prison for running a dogfighting ring.
2015 - The NFL announced that extra points would be kicked from the 15-yard line starting with the 2015 season.
Today is the 141st day of 2016, there are 225 days left in the year.
1506 - Christopher Columbus died in Spain.
1861 - North Carolina voted to secede from the Union.
1861 - The capital of the Confederacy was moved from Montgomery, Alabama to Richmond, Virginia.
1862 - President Abraham Lincoln signed the Homestead Act, which was intended to encourage settlements west of the Mississippi River by making federal land available for farming.
1902 - The United States ended a three-year military presence in Cuba as the Republic of Cuba was established.
1908 - Actor Jimmy Stewart was born.
1916 - The Saturday Evening Post published its first Norman Rockwell cover.
1927 - Charles Lindbergh took off for Paris from Roosevelt Field in Long Island, New York, aboard the Spirit of St. Louis on the first nonstop solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean.
1932 - Amelia Earhart took off from Newfoundland for Ireland to become the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean.
1939 - Regular trans-Atlantic air service began as a Pan American Airways plane took off from Port Washington, New York, bound for Europe.
1956 - The United States exploded the first airborne hydrogen bomb over Bikini Atoll in the Pacific.
1961 - A white mob attacked a busload of "Freedom Riders" in Montgomery, Alabama, prompting the federal government to send in U.S. marshals to restore order.
1969 - U.S. and South Vietnamese forces captured Ap Bia Mountain, referred to as Hamburger Hill by the Americans, following one of the bloodiest battles of the Vietnam War.
1971 - The album "What's Going On" by Marvin Gaye was released.
1978 - Mavis Hutchinson, age 53, became the first woman to run across America. The 3,000-mile trek took her 69 days, running an average of 45 miles each day.
1989 - Comedian Gilda Radner died of cancer at age 42.
1993 - The final episode of "Cheers" aired on NBC.
1995 - President Bill Clinton announced that the two-block stretch of Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the White House would be permanently closed to traffic as a security measure.
1996 - The Supreme Court struck down a Colorado measure banning laws that protect homosexuals from discrimination.
2002 - East Timor became an independent nation.
2012 - Singer Robin Gibb of the Bee Gees died at age 62.
Birthdays
21 - Ebba Zingmark (model)
32 - Naturi Naughton (R&B singer)
34 - Sierra Boggess (actress)
35 - Rachel Platten (singer)
37 - Jayson Werth (baseball player)
44 - Busta Rhymes (rapper)
45 - Tony Stewart (race car driver)
47 - BG "Road Dogg" James (professional wrestler)
48 - Timothy Olyphant (actor)
50 - Mindy Cohn (actress)
67 - Dave Thomas (comedian)
70 - Cher (singer)
=====================================
Today in Sports History - May 20
1900 - The second Olympic Games open in Paris.
1920 - Policemen raid the Chicago Cubs' bleachers and arrest 24 fans for gambling.
1940 - Trailing 7-1 in the 9th to Pittsburgh Pirates, Philadelphia Athletics wins 8-7.
1948 - Cleveland Indians tie American League record of 18 walks (beat Boston Red Sox 13-4).
1959 - New York Yankees sink to last place, first time since May 25, 1940.
1972 - The Indiana Pacers defeat the New York Nets in six games to win the ABA championship.
1983 - Philadelphia Phillies' Steve Carlton passes Walter Johnson with second-most strike outs.
1984 - Boston Red Sox's Roger Clemens beats Minnesota Twins, 5-4, for his first career victory.
1988 - Mike Schmidt hits his 535th homerun, moving into 8th place.
1991 - Chicago Bulls' Michael Jordan named NBA's Most Valuable Player.
1991 - Baseball pitcher Jeff Reardon gains his 300th career save.
2006 - San Francisco Giants slugger Barry Bonds tied Babe Ruth for second place on the career list with his 714th home run.
2008 - Mike Piazza of the Oakland Athletics retires at age 39 from Major League Baseball. Piazza was a 12-time all-star catcher, with 427 career home runs.
2009 - Suspended NFL star Michael Vick was released after 19 months in prison for running a dogfighting ring.
2015 - The NFL announced that extra points would be kicked from the 15-yard line starting with the 2015 season.
