On This Day May 20th

 OTD

May 20th is the one-hundred-fortieth day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 225 days remain until the end of the year.

 

Events

325 – The First Council of Nicaea is formally opened, starting the first ecumenical council of the Christian Church.

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

1609 – Shakespeare's sonnets are first published in London, perhaps illicitly, by the publisher Thomas Thorpe.

1873 – Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis receive a U.S. patent for blue jeans with copper rivets.

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

1927 – Charles Lindbergh takes off for Paris from Roosevelt Field in Long Island, N.Y., aboard the Spirit of St. Louis on the first nonstop solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean, landing 33+1⁄2 hours later.

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.

1990 – The first post-Communist presidential and parliamentary elections are held in Romania.

 

Birthdays

1664 – Andreas Schlüter, German sculptor and architect (d. 1714)

1759 – William Thornton, a Virgin Islander American architect, designed the United States Capitol (d. 1828)

1772 – Sir William Congreve, 2nd Baronet, English inventor and politician, developed Congreve rockets (d. 1828)

1806 – John Stuart Mill, English economist, civil servant, and philosopher (d. 1873)

1907 – Carl Mydans, American photographer and journalist (d. 2004)

1908 – James Stewart, American actor (d. 1997)

1921 – Hao Wang, Chinese American logician, philosopher, and mathematician (d. 1995)

1940 – Sadaharu Oh, Japanese-Taiwanese baseball player and manager

1944 – Joe Cocker, English singer-songwriter (d. 2014)

1971 – Tony Stewart, American race car driver

 

Holiday Highlight

National Rescue Dog Day

The National Rescue Dog Day on May 20 was founded by Lisa Wiehebrink. She is an author and the founder of “Tails That Teach.” Much of Wiehebrink’s works center around educating children about the value of kindness, unconditional love, patience, empathy, etc., through their interactions with animals. She believes that instilling children with said virtues towards animals will help them later in life when they deal with humans in adulthood. Wiehebrink came up with the concept of the day after she rescued her dog Cooper and several others in 2009, a testament to the educational potential of this day.

According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), a nonprofit organization established in 1866, more than three million dogs enter shelter homes annually. Many of these dogs are also a result of overpopulation due to dogs not being spayed or neutered. Dogs face a lot of difficulties when on the streets. They need proper access to food, shelter, and safety. Furthermore, they are subjected to human cruelty in the form of maltreatment by humans and being run over by vehicles. However, once these dogs are rescued and provided with care and love, they can be adopted/fostered. Rescue dogs can be great friends, teachers, and helpers, especially service dogs. They can also provide a beacon of hope and healing, offering emotional support to those suffering from mental issues relating to depression, PTSD, anxiety, etc. This is a powerful testament to the transformative power of love and care.

 

Holidays And Observance

Eliza Doolittle Day

Emancipation Day (Florida)

Everybody Draw Mohammed Day

Flower Day

International Clinical Trials Day

Josephine Baker Day

National Be a Millionaire Day

National Quiche Lorraine Day

National Rescue Dog Day

Pentecost Monday

Pick Strawberries Day

Reduce Your Lawn Day - May 20, 2024

Supply Chain Professional Day

Victoria Day

Weights and Measure Day

Whit Monday

World Autoimmune Arthritis Day

World Bee Day

World Metrology Day

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